Team Leader/Agriculture Specialist

Job Description (JD)

About SAPPROS Nepal 

SAPPROS Nepal is a prominent nonprofit, national non-governmental organization dedicated to fostering economic inclusion and empowerment among rural communities. Over the past 33 years, it has successfully implemented development initiatives across 55 districts of Nepal, benefiting more than 600,000 households through over 150 major projects. The organization targets geographically remote and underserved areas, focusing on marginalized and vulnerable communities and emphasizing intra-household interventions for gender empowerment and women's development. SAPPROS Nepal prioritizes resilience and sustainability, advocating for agroecological practices and technologies.

SAPPROS Nepal is committed to promoting environmental preservation, ensuring the long-term health of Nepal's natural resources, and prioritizing the well-being of individuals and communities. The organization believes in empowering stakeholders to drive positive change through inclusive decision-making processes and innovative solutions addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges.

Project Description:

The JP-RWEE phase II is to expand rural women farmers’ access to markets, create green recovery jobs, and develop resilient livelihoods through entrepreneurship development as well as a climate-resilient and sustainable food system. The project is also responsible for social and behavioral change communication related to nutrition, capacity building of rural women in food storage structures, and promoting risk-management strategies among rural women. 

Over the period of 4 years, the JP-RWEE-II will target direct beneficiaries of 6,000 rural women consisting of 1,000 single women, 100 women with disabilities, 50 LGBTQI, 2,000 lactating mothers, 500 pregnant women, 1,000 Madhesi women, 500 Dalit women, 500 Janajati women and 350 GBV survivors. The programme also intends to reach 25,800 family members of rural women farmers as indirect beneficiaries.

The overall goal of the JP-RWEE-II is to contribute to securing rural women’s livelihoods, rights and resilience to advance sustainable development among rural women.

Job Purpose

The Team Leader/Agriculture Specialist is required to manage the project to achieve the purposed goal of the project at selected 5 Rural Municipalities of Siraha and Saptari districts of Madhesh Province.

This position is responsible for leading out the project activities in close coordination with related local-level stakeholders, PUNOs and SAPPROS Nepal's central and cluster/district/field project team.

General Position Summary

The Team Leader/Agriculture Specialist will be responsible for overall project management and for ensuring that project objectives are on track, which will require him/her to work constructively with colleagues across his/her project team, She/he will provide technical direction to project staff and partners according to the need of projects’ activities, and provide recommendation for improvements.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Management 

• Strategic direction and overall supervision and successful implementation of the project(s). 
• Development of work plans and budget management according to project outputs and results. 
• Manage teams of expatriate and/or national staff to complete program goals on time and budget. 
• Evaluate activity progress and determine necessary actions to course correct. 
• Provide program reports that are timely and meet institutional and donor requirements. 
• Ensures programmatic and financial accountability including tracking of program progress and use of budget funds and achievement of project objectives in line with the Action Plan.
• Maintain a focus on achieving results and meeting the agreed objectives, and proactively solve problems without having to be instructed by line management. 
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with local partners and local authorities 
• Facilitate donor visits to project sites as appropriate. 
• Work constructively with support teams to ensure sound administrative practices about record keeping, compliance with donor regulations, communications, etc. 
• Frequent travel to project sites and provide support to team as needed.
• Maintain close coordination among UNPOs, Donors and Local Governments

Technical Direction

• Review the short- and long-range plans for the delivery of project services, and guide the SAPPROS staff and/or local partners to improve planning, management, and delivery. 
• Implement monitoring systems and record-keeping methods that support routine country-level, international, interagency, and donor reporting as appropriate. 
• Analysis of program databases to report on key indicators. Advise on improved methodologies when applicable. 
• Propose and implement capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing the skills of local staff and/or partners in the delivery of livelihood activities.
• Conduct community assessments to identify critical requirements for program interventions with a focus on the most marginalized groups and vulnerable communities.
• Produce timely and quality reports that ensure appropriate capturing of program impact and outcomes as well as program outputs based on the logistical framework and M&E system. 
• Undertake additional tasks that are relevant to program management and activity implementation that may be assigned by her/his manager from time to time.

Program Development  

• Ensures the attainment of quality of project minimum standards in key programmatic interventions including Gender and Social Inclusion principles. 
• Identifies best practices, problems, and issues around program implementation and works toward finding solutions for improvements, documenting, and disseminating in consultation with relevant departments and themes. 
• Share methods, approaches, and tools with SAPPROS colleagues across the region, and contribute toward SAPPROS’s response strategy by ensuring programmatic coherence, innovation, and responsiveness. 

Capacity building and support

• Provide ongoing support and mentorship to M&E officers, Nutrition officers, Business Development Facilitators (BDF), and other staff.
• Ensure Nutrition facilitators and BDFs are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to perform their roles effectively.

Administrative and financial management

• Manage project finances in close coordination with the financial officer and SAPPROS Nepal center office finance unit.
• Oversee the execution of the budget as per approved budget lines and donor compliance requirements.
• Monitor and work with stakeholders to identify project risks, anticipate challenges to project implementation, and identify possible solutions ensuring mitigating actions are identified and implemented promptly.

Team leadership:

• Conduct regular team meetings and provide ongoing mentorship to the project team members
• Ensure a positive working environment and good team dynamics.
• Conduct regular check-ins with the team members under direct supervision and undertake performance appraisals in line with the established procedure.
• Ensure team members understand and adhere to the organization’s policies, guidelines and staff code of conduct.
• Ensure safeguarding and security procedures are respected by the project team.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Master's degree in agriculture, natural resource management or rural development and related field with 3 years of work experience in the agricultural value chain, market linkage, and rural entrepreneurship development
• Bachleor’s degree in agriculture, natural resource management or rural development and related field with 5 years of work experience in the agricultural value chain, market linkage, and rural entrepreneurship development
• Demonstrated experience in working with single women, and persons with disabilities and understanding of disability inclusion.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office and other relevant software.
• Fluency in Nepali and English, both written and spoken. Spoken Maithili is desirable.
• Valid two-wheeler driving license.

Application Process: 

Interested candidates are invited to apply by submitting their updated resume and a cover letter indicating their interest and qualifications for the respective role to hr@sappros.org.np by October 27, 2024. Persons with disability and women will be given priority. For detailed job descriptions, please refer to the attached Terms of Reference (ToR). And if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to explore the opportunity further.