For appointment to this grade, a candidate must have;

Served for a minimum period of three (3) years at the grade of Assistant Director, Irrigation Water Management, CSG 7, or in a comparable and relevant position in the wider public service;
A Bachelors Degree in any of the following disciplines- Agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness or Agricultural Resource Management from a university recognized in Kenya; and
Demonstrated a high degree of professional competence, managerial, administrative capability in work performance and exhibited a thorough understanding of national goals, policies and objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities
Duties and responsibilities at this level will include:-

Coordinating, implementing and reviewing national irrigation policies, strategies, standards, guidelines, procedures and frameworks on irrigation water use and managing irrigation schemes;
Coordinating, implementing and reviewing programmes and projects pertaining to irrigation schemes management & productivity, and irrigation reforms, research, innovation and capacity strengthening;
Initiating, developing, implementing an reviewing legislations and regulations pertaining to irrigation water use and schemes management;
Mobilizing resources, involving private sector and forming partnerships and collaborations for implementation of irrigation research, innovations, capacity strengthening projects and programmes and schemes management including productivity improvement to counties, IWUAs and stakeholders ;
Building capacity and providing technical assistance to County Irrigation Development Units (CIDUS);
Building linkages with CIDUs;
Overseeing irrigation water development and management in schemes by promoting waster saving technologies and efficient on-farm water in schemes across the country and promoting best irrigation agronomic practices and irrigated enterprises;
Overseeing irrigation schemes operations and maintenance by undertaking periodic surveys, assessments on performance providing technical assistance on establishment of Irrigation Water Users’ Associations (IWUAs) for management of community-based irrigation schemes;
Establishing and maintaining a database on irrigation schemes, irrigation research, innovations, irrigation technologies and capacity building initiatives, and ensuring efficient records management;
Developing and reviewing training master plan, manuals for capacity building on irrigation infrastructure development, water use, management and regulation of irrigation in liaison with counties and other stakeholders;
Coordinating mainstreaming of climate-smart irrigation water use technologies and innovations in irrigation schemes; and
Liaising with training institutions in the development of curricula for training Irrigation Water Management professionals and practitioners.