Livestock Feed Utilization and Productivity Specialist - Nairobi, Kenya

Job Summary

Counterpart International is implementing the $18M USDA Food for Progress Livestock Innovation and Feed Transformation (LIFT) project in Kenya. LIFT is a five-year investment to expand trade in agricultural products and increase agricultural productivity through improved feed quality, affordability, and adoption of best practices at scale. LIFT will expand trade and open Kenya’s market to quality feed ingredients through strengthening harmonization and implementation of livestock feed regulations, supporting facilitation and bilateral trade between exporters and Kenyan buyers, and investing in industry-wide upgrading and commercialization. LIFT will also  increase agricultural productivity through improving farmer demand and awareness of high-quality feed products and strengthening producer groups.

Counterpart International is seeking a Livestock Feed Utilization and Productivity Specialist to join the LIFT project team. Under the leadership of the Livestock Innovation Lead, the Specialist will support technical efforts to increase adoption of high-quality feed and improved livestock management practices among producer organizations, cooperatives, extension agents, and commercial producers. The position will design and deliver training programs, establish demonstration sites, develop extension and promotional materials, strengthen producer organization capacity, and support partnerships that improve livestock productivity, profitability, and access to quality feed across the dairy, poultry, and beef sectors.

The ideal candidate will have at least seven years of experience in Kenya’s livestock sector, with practical knowledge of animal nutrition, feed utilization, and improved feeding practices in the poultry, dairy, and beef value chains. The candidate should be able to translate technical training and nutrition concepts into clear, farmer-friendly messages that producers can understand, trust, and apply on farm. The successful candidate will be especially strong at moving beyond training delivery to support real adoption and uptake of improved feeding practices, helping farmers see the productivity and commercial benefits of using quality feed.

Primary Responsibilities:

· Lead the development and delivery of technical assistance, training, and extension programs that drive demand for high-quality feed ingredients and promote improved feed utilization, animal nutrition, and livestock productivity among dairy, poultry, and beef producers.

· Assess the extension systems, technical capabilities, and service delivery models of farmer cooperatives, feed manufacturers, off-takers, and other partners and develop tailored improvement plans

· Develop, adapt, and disseminate technical training materials, awareness products, and extension resources that demonstrate the relationship between feed quality, animal performance, productivity, and profitability.

· Collaborate with industry partners, producer organizations, and AKEFEMA to strengthen producer awareness and adoption of high-quality feed ingredients, including sorghum and other alternative feed inputs.

· Support the identification, assessment, and strengthening of livestock producer organizations through capacity-building interventions related to feed management, extension services, service delivery, and business development.

      Provide inputs into the project’s annual work plan, ensuring activities and outputs are clearly defined, feasible, and responsive to evolving industry conditions.

     Contribute to donor and technical reports with technical inputs, results narratives, success stories, and lessons learned from producer groups and associations adoption of high-quality feed and improve livestock productivity across Kenya’s dairy, beef and poultry sectors.

      Undertake other duties as assigned to support successful project implementation.

Qualifications

Required

• · Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Livestock Production, Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, or a related field.

  · At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in livestock development, animal nutrition, feed systems, livestock productivity improvement, or livestock value chain development, including experience working with smallholder farmers and private sector market actors.

  · Demonstrated track record of increasing adoption of quality livestock feed, improved feeding practices, animal nutrition technologies, or other livestock productivity-enhancing innovations.

  · Proven experience designing and implementing farmer engagement, behavior change, market development, and capacity-building interventions that increase adoption of livestock technologies, improve service delivery, and strengthen market systems.

  · Strong understanding of the commercial livestock feed market, including feed distribution channels, pricing dynamics, farmer purchasing behavior, and private-sector business models.

  · Experience developing and managing partnerships with private sector actors and industry stakeholders.

  · Experience using data and performance metrics to inform program design, monitor adoption, and measure productivity outcomes.

  · Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, work plans, budgets, and multiple stakeholders to achieve results within established timelines.

  · Strong commercial and technical knowledge of animal nutrition, fodder systems, feed use, and farm management with the ability to translate technical concepts into practical, farmer-friendly, commercially viable, and scalable solutions  for producers.

  · Strong analytical, facilitation, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

  · Fluency in English and Kiswahili.

  Preferred

  · Master’s degree in Animal Science, Livestock Production, Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, or a related field.

  · Experience implementing donor-funded agricultural development programs and working within market systems development approaches.

  · Private sector commercial experience in the livestock feed industry, including work with feed manufacturers, distributors, agro-dealers, or other market actors involved in feed sales, promotion, or producer outreach.

  · Demonstrated experience supporting producer financing approaches, such as feed-on-credit, input bundling, or other commercially viable models that improve producer access to quality livestock feed and related services.

  Counterpart is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics.

  Accessibility Notice: If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to [email protected]

  Only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls, please.