Deputy Team Leader – Off Farm (Khulna Based)
PROSHAR is a five-year $45 million development project funded by USAID to address food security within Bangladesh. PROSHAR has been developed as a comprehensive action plan to bolster food security in Bangladesh by addressing the following technical areas: the promotion of sustainable livelihood strategies; improved health and nutrition; and enhanced community ability to respond to vulnerabilities and shocks. The project will work to reduce food insecurity in three upazilas in the Khulna division. PROSHAR will apply a long-term approach by leveraging opportunities in a number of value chains based on market analysis, strengthening health systems and empowering communities to prepare and respond to disasters. Additionally, by working with a variety of collaborating partners in a concentrated environment PROSHAR will achieve broad impact and demonstrate methodologies that can be replicated elsewhere in the country.
PURPOSE:
The Khulna-based Deputy Team Leader - Off Farm (DTL/Off Farm) is a management position within PROSHAR, and will play an important role to develop an overall strategy for meeting the project’s livelihoods program goals and objectives, as well as recommending program priorities. The DTL/Off farm will be responsible to provide management oversight, and carry out supervisory responsibilities for PROSHAR’s Technical Specialists (Marketing Specialist, Group Formation Specialist, and Livelihood Specialist) in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. With strong leadership skills, the successful candidate will be required to understand and grasp the multi-dimensional complex concept of food security with particular focus on value chain and off farm interventions undertaken in the project. Furthermore, the position shall design, document, coordinate and sustain the management of the off-farm livelihoods component of the PROSHAR program. S/he will contribute to the direction, coordination, and sectoral evaluation of off farm activity of this multi-year program.
RESPONSIBILITES:
- Supervise and support PROSHAR’s Technical Specialists in developing their activity plans and implementation.
- Contribute to developing PROSHAR’s Detailed Implementation Plan and budget, as well as effective coordination and planning of off-farm and other cross cutting activities
- Review PROSHAR’s Technical Specialist activity, reports and cross check with targets, set indicators and provide feedback.
- Uphold organizational values and exercise them at all levels.
- Uphold and ensure the implementation of mission mandates in organizational development and programmatic intervention levels.
- Coordinate and share information with the Chief of Party and Director, Economic Growth to ensure project targets and donor obligations are being met.
- Ensure all project funds are spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations
- Undertake regular field visits to observe progress and provide assistance to the project’s three local partner NGOs (PNGOs) and organize quarterly regional coordination meetings/workshops of PNGO Technical Specialist/Officers for progress review and information dissemination.
- Ensure an enabling working environment and team spirit.
- Advise the technical team on best practices and approaches on sustainable livelihoods through off-farm business activities
- Develop a mechanism to receive continuous feedback from the PNGOs to understand the technical needs of the communities especially in the area of market linkages, enterprise development, small trade, craft production and social mobilization.
- Provide technical and management support to the PROSHAR Technical Specialist and ensure that the learning is reflected through the PNGOs in the intervention areas.
- Provide direction and support to the design, testing, and evaluation of innovations to non agricultural livelihoods options.
- Diversify the livelihood options for the target communities particularly by introducing activities such as market linkage, strengthening market management, strengthen local level value chain actors, post harvest handling etc which add value to the traditional practices.
- Together with the Off-Farm Team, develop monthly work plans for Off Farm activities, ensuring objectives and targets are achieved
- Undertake active participation and senior leadership within the management structure.
- Prepare high quality and professional reports for donors
- Help to identify appropriate exporters, institutions in Khulna division and engage them for technical support ensuring the budgetary provision and activity plan.
- Liaise with donor representatives, ACDI/VOCA Headquarters, partners, and relevant stakeholders when required
- Create and maintain good relations with local communities, Government line agencies, NGOs and INGOs to leverage their experience and lessons from their off farm program activities, and to ensure that collaboration, wherever possible, is identified and promoted.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
- Bachelors Degree in Economics/Social Science/ Business Administration
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in implementation of livelihood programs/projects
- Minimum 3 years experience at a managerial level
- Demonstrated 3 years experience implementing market development oriented programs aimed at integrated economic development, Strong supervisory experience
- Strong communications skills required
- Advance IT skill are required especially in Microsoft Office & Excel
- Ability to travel 50% within Khulna, often to remote areas.
Desired:
- Working experience in USAID funded programs
- Innovative and visionary approach to household economic security programming
- Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in the off-farm elements of value chain development and ACDI/VOCA value chain approach
- Fluency in Bengali & English
APPLICATION:
Candidates meeting the above qualifications should send their CV, along with a cover letter indicating the position applying for, by February 28th, 2012 to jobs@acdivoca-proshar.org. Only finalists will be contacted for interviews. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.