Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) Crop Production and Technology Specialist

The NUS Crop Production and Technology Specialist will provide technical expertise and operational support for the promotion, production, dissemination, and value chain development of Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) in Indonesia. The role focuses on climate-smart crop production, seed systems strengthening, farmer capacity development, agrobiodiversity conservation, value addition, market linkages, and knowledge management to support resilient and nutritious food systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the identification and data collection process of priority Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) and support the development of NUS country profile in close consultation with government partners, including analysis of production constraints and opportunities.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations involving farmers, researchers, NGOs, private sector actors, and value chain partners to identify and address bottlenecks in NUS production and seed/value chains.
• Assist in the development of the project work plan and monitoring framework.
• Ensure gender-equitable and inclusive participation in all project activities, with special attention to women and youth farmers.
• Support the organization of project inception meetings, capacity-building activities, validation workshops, and exposure visits for farmers and key stakeholders.
• Support the identification and selection of farmers in specific area of interventions.
• Assist in the development and adaptation of technical guidelines and training materials on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for priority NUS, including seed selection, soil and nutrient management, integrated pest management, climate-smart practices, and post-harvest handling.
• Promote technology dissemination through extension networks, digital tools, and partnerships with agricultural research institutions.
• Support the identification and selection of NUS processing and packaging technologies.
• Assist in the development and adaptation of technical guidelines and training materials on processing, packaging, and marketing NUS downstream products.
• Submit project-related documents to the International Consultant for review and approval, in coordination with the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) of the project.
• Assist in the preparation of Letters of Agreement (LoA) and contracts to engage relevant organizations for conducting diagnostic studies to identify NUS-producing areas.
• Prepare progress reports, minutes of meetings, case studies, success stories, and lessons learned related to NUS production and dissemination for project reporting and knowledge sharing.
• Perform any other related duties.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in Agriculture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Plant Science, or a related field.
• At least five (5) years of relevant experience in a crop production project, with demonstrated expertise in neglected/underutilized crops, climate-smart/sustainable agriculture, seeds system, market development, value chain economics, product innovation, and/or down streaming processing.
• Able to mainstream NUS into climate-resilient, nutritious, and market-oriented food system through policy advocacy, agronomic innovation, integration of traditional knowledge, scalable models, and monitoring system.
• Hands-on experience designing and monitoring demonstration plots, seeds multiplication, or applied climate-smart technology.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English and Bahasa Indonesia.
• National of Indonesia

Skills

• Crop Production Systems
• Neglected and Underutilized Species
• Climate-Smart Agriculture
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Seed Systems
• Market Development
• Value Chain Economics
• Product Innovation
• Downstream Processing
• Policy Advocacy
• Agronomic Innovation
• Traditional Knowledge Integration
• Scalable Models
• Monitoring Systems Management
• Demonstration Plot Design
• Seed Multiplication
• Applied Climate-Smart Technology
• Farmer Capacity Building
• Agrobiodiversity
• Value Addition
• Knowledge Management

Languages

English, Bahasa Indonesia