Junior Technical Advisor (Aquaculture)

Job Title: Junior Technical Advisor (Aquaculture)
Project: Sustainable Aquatic Food (SAF) Project-Malawi
Duty Station: Lilongwe (with extensive travel to project districts)
Reporting: Team Leader
Application Deadline: 06 March 2026

A. Background

As a federal enterprise, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its objective in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ operates in more than 130 countries around the globe. In Malawi, GIZ has been working for more than 30 years. Malawi is a priority for German international cooperation and currently focuses on three priority areas: education, health, and private sector development in rural areas. In addition to our work on these areas, we also work on public financial and economic management and social protection.

The „Globalvorhaben/Global-Programme” (GV) Sustainable Aquatic Food for Transformation Agri-food Systems (SAF) is part of the special initiative   “Transformation of agricultural and food systems of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, BMZ), which aims at reducing extreme hunger and poverty in a selected number of countries. GV SAF contributes to this objective by implementing projects in the field of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture with a focus on artisanal practices.

The overall objective of the program “Sustainable Aquatic Food” is to support the development of Malawi’s aquaculture sector in selected regions to increase the supply of fish for improved food, nutrition and livelihood security. The project uses the multi-level approach as a capacity development strategy focusing on the transfer of knowledge and skills at the micro and meso-level through education and training measures (technical, business/entrepreneurial and organizational), which are politically coordinated and institutionalized at the macro level. In the implementation of technical capacity development measures, the program cooperates as far as possible with national partners (e.g. intermediaries, NGOs, extension services, associations), whose technical and training competencies in the cooperation system have already been strengthened by the Aquaculture Value Chain Project (AVCP).

B. TASKS

The SAF Project would like to recruit a Junior Advisor to support fish farmer capacity building efforts in its impact areas. The tasks of the Junior Advisor include but are not limited to:

1. Technical capacity building for fish farmers

The Junior Advisor will support the delivery of Climate-Smart Aquaculture (CSA) training to enhance the resilience and productivity of small-scale producers using adult learning approaches.

• Training delivery: Conduct training sessions for fish farmers on Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) and CSA, including pond construction, water management, and the use of quality fingerlings.
• Coaching & mentorship: Provide ongoing technical skills strengthening through regular field follow-ups and on-site coaching.
• District coordination: Liaison with District Council authorities through the Fisheries office to align project activities with local government priorities.
• Logistics & equipment: Organize the procurement and distribution of essential training materials and aquaculture equipment (e.g., nets, hapas, test kits) to farmers.
• Business skills: Support the Aquaculture Business School (ABS) approach to equip farmers with financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills

2. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) support

The Junior Advisor will ensure high-quality data collection to track project progress against its goal of increasing production.

• Workshop support: Manage the logistics and post-processing of M&E workshops and internal review sessions.
• Digital data management: Program questionnaires using digital tools (e.g. Kobo Toolbox) and manage the preparation of tablets for field surveys.
• Field data collection: Lead and support field data collection during periodic monitoring visits and the project end-line survey.
• Data quality assurance: Perform initial data cleaning and basic analysis to ensure the accuracy of reported field figures.

3. Project communication and visibility

The Junior Advisor will play a key role in documenting the project’s impact and sharing knowledge within the GIZ network and with external partners.

• Content creation: Draft short communications, success stories, articles, and monthly newsletters highlighting project milestones.
• Internal coordination: Actively participate in the communication “Jour Fixe” and other internal knowledge-sharing platforms.
• Knowledge management: Maintain a structured digital archive of project photos, videos, and technical reports for easy retrieval.
• Stakeholder relations: Support the preparation of presentations and policy briefs

C. Required qualifications and competencies

Education

1. Bachelor’s degree in Aquaculture or Fisheries Science.

Experience:

1. At least 2 years of professional experience in aquaculture extension within a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) setting and working with decentralized structures
   

Skills:

1. Proficiency in digital data collection tools (e.g. Kobo).
2. Strong writing and reporting skills.
3. Strong organizational and event management abilities.
4. Proactive team player with the ability to work under minimal supervision in rural settings.

GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals regardless of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic. We embrace diversity and believe that inclusivity in the workplace is essential to our success, and we are committed to creating a work environment where all employees are valued and respected.