Farmer Engagement Officer  

What do we do?

Friends of Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational and professional opportunities for all in the Philippines. It is the sister organization of a company, Generation Hope, which has a portfolio of consumer products that reinvest in the Philippines. Our flagship product is a purified bottled water under the brand “Hope in a Bottle” (HIB). 100% of the profits from HIB sales are donated to Friends of Hope, which uses the funds to build much-needed public school classrooms across the Philippines. Our champions include several notable public school alumni, including Boy Abunda, Joey de Leon, Winnie Monsod, Jericho Rosales and Bea Alonzo, and our products are sold in thousands of outlets nationwide, including Starbucks, Seda Hotels, Krispy Kreme, Jamba Juice, Gold's Gym, 7-Eleven, Rustan's Supermarket, UCC, Seattle's Best, The Coffee Bean, Holiday Inn and many more.

Together, Friends of Hope and Generation Hope seek to empower consumers to make choices with their purchases that can change our country for the better. Join us on our quest to show the world the power of private companies that act in the public service.

What is the opportunity?

HOPE is launching an exciting new product that will reinvest its profits to improve the productivity and profitability of smallholder coconut farming. We are seeking a Farmer Engagement Officer who will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of HOPE’s agricultural programs in the field, including:

• Managing our model farms which will demonstrate best practices.
• Supporting individual farmers to replicate these practices in their own fields.
• Conducting trainings on the model farm and in their fields to share practices with the community.
• Identifying high impact interventions and new micro-enterprise models that can improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of smallholder coconut farming.
• Collecting data on farmer, farm, and program performance to enable continuous improvement.
• Other management and administrative tasks to support the program as required.

This position will be based in General Santos.

Who are we looking for?

We are seeking for someone who is passionate about agriculture and empowering smallholder farmers to achieve their full potential. Candidates should:

• Have experience working in rural communities with farmers on agricultural, community engagement, or other community based interventions.
• Understand and have experience with the value chains for key crops relevant to smallholder farmers such as:
  • Coconut.
  • Cacao.
  • Coffee.
  • Other fruits and vegetables.
• Be computer literate and confident to manage a complex project and community engagement.
• Have a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture (or any related field).
• Must reside in or near Soccsksargen
• Be fluent in English, Tagalog, and/or Bisaya.