Suyana Foundation is hiring a Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist based in Kigali, Rwanda. Apply before 2 August 2026.
Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist Job at Suyana Foundation Rwanda
Finding a meaningful career in international development requires more than technical knowledge—it calls for a genuine commitment to improving people’s lives. If you are passionate about agriculture, rural development, food security, and sustainable livelihoods, the Suyana Foundation is offering an exciting opportunity to become its next Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist in Rwanda.
This full-time position is designed for an experienced development professional who wants to contribute to long-term community transformation by strengthening livelihoods, supporting local organizations, and improving economic opportunities for vulnerable households.
Working with Suyana means becoming part of a growing international organization that believes sustainable development starts with strong local partnerships. The successful candidate will work alongside experienced technical specialists, government stakeholders, community organizations, and development partners to design and strengthen programmes that improve household resilience, increase agricultural productivity, and create lasting economic opportunities.
Whether your background is in agronomy, agricultural economics, rural development, agribusiness, or community development, this opportunity provides a platform to use your expertise where it can make a measurable difference.
Institution Overview – About Suyana Foundation
The Suyana Foundation is a Swiss non-profit organization established in 2003 with the vision of creating sustainable improvements in the lives of vulnerable communities. For more than two decades, the organization has invested in long-term development programmes that focus on improving health, education, livelihoods, and overall community wellbeing.
Initially, Suyana implemented development programmes in Bolivia and Peru before expanding its work to Africa in 2021. Today, the organization collaborates with trusted local partners in Rwanda and Uganda to strengthen community resilience through integrated development approaches that combine education, agriculture, health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and economic empowerment.
Unlike organizations that only provide short-term assistance, Suyana focuses on building the capacity of local partners so that communities can continue benefiting from programmes long after project funding ends.
In Rwanda, Suyana supports initiatives that promote:
- Household agriculture
- Nutrition-sensitive farming
- Livestock development
- Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)
- Cooperative strengthening
- Rural entrepreneurship
- Youth employment
- Market access
- Climate-smart agriculture
- Food security
About the Position
The Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist will provide technical leadership for Suyana’s agriculture and livelihoods programmes in Rwanda while supporting regional collaboration across East Africa.
This role combines technical advisory services, programme design, partner capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder engagement, proposal development, and field supervision.
The successful candidate will work closely with implementing partners to ensure programmes are practical, sustainable, market-oriented, and aligned with Rwanda’s national development priorities.
Regular visits to rural communities are an essential part of this role. These visits help ensure that programme recommendations are based on real community needs rather than theoretical assumptions.
The position is ideal for professionals who enjoy working directly with farmers, cooperatives, producer groups, local governments, agricultural extension services, and development partners to improve food security, household incomes, and economic resilience.
Job Summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist |
| Organization | Suyana Foundation |
| Recruitment Partner | KaizenMind Rwanda |
| Duty Station | Kigali, Rwanda |
| Employment Type | Full-Time |
| Reports To | International Project Manager Africa |
| Travel | Regular travel across Rwanda and occasional travel within East Africa |
| Application Deadline | 2 August 2026 – 10:00 PM (CAT) |
Why This Opportunity Matters
Agriculture continues to employ a large proportion of Rwanda’s population and remains one of the country’s most important economic sectors. However, many rural households continue to face challenges such as limited land, climate change, poor market access, low agricultural productivity, and limited income opportunities.
Organizations like Suyana Foundation work with local communities to develop practical solutions that strengthen resilience and improve livelihoods over the long term.
As the Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist, you will help communities move beyond subsistence farming by supporting better farming practices, improving access to markets, strengthening producer organizations, encouraging entrepreneurship, and promoting sustainable agricultural systems.
Beyond technical agriculture, this role also focuses on improving nutrition, supporting women’s economic participation, empowering youth, and creating stronger links between agriculture, education, health, and community development.
For professionals seeking a career that combines technical expertise with social impact, this position offers an opportunity to contribute to programmes that improve lives while supporting Rwanda’s broader development goals.
Why You Should Consider Working at Suyana Foundation
Choosing the right employer is an important career decision. Suyana Foundation offers more than a traditional development role—it provides an opportunity to become part of an organization that values collaboration, innovation, continuous learning, and sustainable impact.
Employees work within multidisciplinary teams where agriculture specialists collaborate with experts in education, health, monitoring and evaluation, and community development. This integrated approach creates opportunities to broaden professional knowledge while contributing to programmes that address multiple development challenges simultaneously.
The organization also values practical field experience. Staff members are encouraged to spend time working directly with communities, ensuring programmes remain responsive to local realities rather than relying solely on office-based planning.
Professionals joining Suyana can expect meaningful work, opportunities for continuous learning, collaboration with international and local experts, and the satisfaction of contributing to programmes that improve household resilience and create lasting economic opportunities for vulnerable communities across Rwanda.
Key Responsibilities
The Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist will play a central role in ensuring that Suyana Foundation’s livelihood and agriculture programmes achieve measurable and sustainable results. The position requires a professional who can combine technical expertise with practical field experience while building strong partnerships with communities and local organizations.
One of the primary responsibilities will be to provide technical guidance throughout the entire project cycle. This includes supporting partner organizations during project planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Rather than simply supervising activities, the successful candidate will coach partners and help them develop stronger technical systems that improve programme quality and long-term impact.
The successful candidate will also assess the technical capacity of implementing partners and organize training programmes that strengthen agriculture practices, livelihood systems, cooperative management, enterprise development, and programme delivery. These training sessions will involve partner staff, farmers, youth groups, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), cooperatives, producer organizations, and community leaders.
Another important responsibility is supporting the design and improvement of livelihood interventions. This involves conducting community needs assessments, analysing local markets, identifying opportunities for economic growth, preparing logical frameworks, developing implementation strategies, defining monitoring indicators, and contributing to programme budgets.
The role requires a strong understanding of climate-smart agriculture, nutrition-sensitive farming, livestock production, post-harvest management, value addition, soil and water conservation, and sustainable rural enterprise development. Every recommendation should be practical, evidence-based, and aligned with Rwanda’s national development priorities.
Supporting Rural Enterprises and Market Development
Agricultural production alone does not always improve household income. Farmers also need access to reliable markets, financial services, and business development opportunities.
For this reason, the Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist will work closely with producer groups, cooperatives, rural enterprises, financial institutions, buyers, and agricultural service providers to strengthen value chains and improve market access.
The successful candidate will help communities identify profitable business opportunities, strengthen entrepreneurship skills, improve financial planning, and develop sustainable enterprises capable of generating long-term income.
Special attention will be given to supporting women, young people, and land-constrained households by promoting livelihood opportunities that increase resilience while reducing dependence on subsistence farming.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Continuous Learning
High-quality development programmes rely on evidence and continuous learning.
The Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist will collaborate with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer to develop appropriate monitoring indicators, analyse programme performance, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Responsibilities include reviewing field reports, analysing agricultural and market information, evaluating household income trends, assessing programme outcomes, and documenting lessons learned that can strengthen future interventions.
By using reliable data and community feedback, the successful candidate will contribute to better decision-making and ensure that programmes remain responsive to local needs and changing economic conditions.
Stakeholder Engagement
Strong partnerships are essential for successful development programmes.
The successful candidate will build and maintain productive relationships with:
- District and sector agricultural authorities
- Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) extension structures
- Cooperatives
- Producer groups
- Financial institutions
- Private sector companies
- Development partners
- Community organizations
Safeguarding and Community Protection
Suyana Foundation places a strong emphasis on safeguarding and ethical programme implementation.
The successful candidate will ensure that livelihood activities respect the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of all participants. Partner organizations will also receive support to strengthen safeguarding practices and appropriately report any safeguarding concerns that arise during programme implementation.
Required Qualifications
Applicants should possess a strong educational background together with significant professional experience in agriculture, livelihoods, or rural development.
Minimum academic qualifications include a Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following fields:
- Agriculture
- Agronomy
- Animal Science
- Agricultural Economics
- Agribusiness
- Rural Development
- Or another closely related discipline.
Technical Skills Required
The candidate should demonstrate practical knowledge in several technical areas, including:
- Smallholder agriculture
- Climate-smart agriculture
- Nutrition-sensitive farming
- Livestock production
- Soil and water management
- Rural enterprise development
- Agricultural value chains
- Cooperative development
- Market systems
- Project cycle management
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Data analysis and reporting
- Microsoft Office applications
Preferred Qualifications
Although not mandatory, candidates who possess the following qualifications will have an added advantage:
- Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Agribusiness, or a related field.
- Experience supporting local partner organizations.
- Experience strengthening institutional capacity.
- Experience implementing integrated development programmes.
- Previous work in multi-sector community development projects.
What Makes You a Strong Candidate?
Beyond academic qualifications, Suyana Foundation is looking for a professional who demonstrates initiative, integrity, and a genuine passion for community development.
Strong candidates are those who can confidently work with farmers, cooperatives, local governments, financial institutions, and community organizations while maintaining excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
Experience producing measurable improvements in household income, agricultural productivity, food security, or enterprise development will strengthen your application considerably.
How to Apply
The recruitment process is being managed by KaizenMind Rwanda on behalf of Suyana Foundation.
Interested candidates should complete the official online application form before the deadline.
During the application process, applicants will be asked to respond to four written questions covering:
- Sustainable livelihoods in rural Rwanda.
- Programme improvement experience.
- Supporting partner organizations.
- Integrated development approaches linking agriculture, health, education, WASH, and household wellbeing.
Application Deadline
Application Deadline: 2 August 2026 at 10:00 PM (CAT)
Candidates are encouraged to submit their applications well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Where is the job located?
The successful candidate will be based in Kigali, Rwanda, with regular travel to project sites across the country and occasional travel within East Africa.
2. Is this a full-time position?
Yes. This is a full-time employment opportunity.
3. What academic qualification is required?
Applicants should hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Rural Development, or a related discipline.
4. How much experience is required?
Candidates should have a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in livelihoods, agriculture, or economic development programmes.
5. Is a Master’s Degree mandatory?
No. A Master’s Degree is desirable but not mandatory.
6. Will travel be required?
Yes. The role includes regular travel to project locations throughout Rwanda and occasional travel within East Africa.
7. Who can apply?
The position is open to qualified candidates who have the legal right to work in Rwanda unless otherwise agreed by Suyana Foundation.
8. Why should I consider working for Suyana Foundation?
Suyana Foundation offers an opportunity to work on long-term development programmes that improve rural livelihoods, strengthen communities, and create sustainable economic opportunities while supporting continuous professional growth.
Final Conclusion
If you have extensive experience in agriculture, rural development, livelihoods, or economic empowerment and are looking for an opportunity to contribute to meaningful community transformation, this position at Suyana Foundation could be the next step in your career.
The role offers the opportunity to work with experienced professionals, strengthen local partner organizations, support innovative development programmes, and help improve food security, household resilience, and economic opportunities across Rwanda.
Take time to prepare a strong application, demonstrate your achievements with practical examples, and submit your application before the 2 August 2026 deadline.
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