Field Extension Officer

About the role

Vigoriter, a nursery and landscaping business in Central Uganda, is hiring its first dedicated Field Extension Officer. You will be the link between the nursery and the farmers who plant its grafted fruit trees, from orchard layout to the critical first year, reporting to the Farm and Nursery Manager. The role is full-time and permanent, based in Kampala with daily farm visits.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the farmer side of orchard establishment packages, from land visits and layout pegging to planting day and follow-up visits in the first year
• Visit customer farms on a set schedule, check tree growth and give practical advice on watering, feeding, pruning and weed control
• Diagnose common pests and diseases (fruit fly, avocado root rot, citrus leaf miner) and recommend safe, affordable integrated pest management
• Train farmers and farmer groups in planting, grafted tree care and orchard management, and co-facilitate grafting and orchard courses
• Coordinate seedling distribution for NGO, school and government contracts, including collection points, farmer registration and on-site planting support
• Run tree survival counts at agreed checkpoints and prepare survival reports with photos and GPS records
• Verify replacement guarantee claims in the field and arrange replacements with the nursery team
• Collect farm data with mobile tools such as KoboToolbox or ODK and keep farmer records up to date
• Set up and manage demonstration plots and feed back what works and what does not
• Identify new orchard package customers and contract opportunities and pass them to the sales team
• Plan field work around the rainy seasons so planting happens at the right time

Required profile

• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy, Crop Science or a related field
• At least 2 years of field extension experience, ideally with fruit trees such as avocado, mango or citrus, in an agribusiness, NGO, cooperative or government program
• Valid motorcycle riding permit and willingness to travel to farms across the region, often on rural roads
• Fluent English and Luganda; other local languages are an advantage

Required skills

• Practical knowledge of orchard establishment, grafted tree care and integrated pest management in Ugandan conditions
• Hands-on grafting and budding skills are a strong advantage
• Experience training adult farmers and leading group sessions with simple, practical demonstrations
• Confidence with smartphone data collection tools such as KoboToolbox or ODK, basic spreadsheets and photo reporting

What we offer

• Competitive salary, motorcycle and fuel allowance, airtime and data, NSSF contributions
• Paid annual leave and support for professional training
• Opportunities to lead a team of extension staff as the program grows

Applications close on 4 November 2026 at 5:00 PM EAT. Apply through the job portal with a CV, cover letter and a short summary of the farmers or programs you have supported.