Program Coordinator
for H&M Foundation’s “Collective Impact on Future of Work in Bangladesh”

Terms of Reference

Background on the initiative

The H&M Foundation (H&MF) has decided to launch a 3-6-year project in Bangladesh to equip female textile workers for an automated and digitized future work environment. The project aims to address the challenges and opportunities brought about by the 4th Industrial Revolution, where increased mechanization and use of digital technology will create an adverse situation in the RMG sector as millions of unskilled Bangladeshis risk to be laid off due to a lack of technological skills. For the mentioned project, The Asia Foundation is working as the Backbone Organization for the initiative, and now they are looking for an experienced Program Coordinator.

Role background

This is role will report to the Program Director of H&M Foundation’s Future Work Collective Impact Initiative at The Asia Foundation and supports the Collective Impact team. S/he should have a strong background in diverse partners management and have experience working in the ready-made garments industry. The program coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the planning and execution of multiple projects/events with our CI partners, including project contractual, documents, budgets, logistics, deliverables, and communications. This role is an excellent opportunity for an individual passionate about improving the RMG industry through collaborative improvement and possesses strong organizational and project management experience. Additionally, this role provides many opportunities to hone professional skills, build knowledge, and gain unique perspectives by working alongside diverse global organizations and dynamic senior leaders.

The Program Coordinator role requires exceptional attention to detail, as well as an ability to create systems and document best practices to ensure that we are constantly learning, improving, and developing ways to work more efficiently. The Program Coordinator needs to exercise strong judgment in responding to questions, troubleshooting problems, and flagging issues for other team members and partners’ teams. To be successful, the Program Coordinator will need to build and maintain strong relationships with various stakeholders, including collective impact implementation partners, strategic partners of the CI initiative, and other external but relevant organizations.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Program Coordinator performs a wide range of duties including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Coordination and support to implementation partners in terms of bi-weekly coordination and status update, project progress updates, and identify, communicate, and plan for areas of synergies between partners and activities that could offer long-term engagement with the target community
  • Liaise with partners to identify and define dates, requirements, logistics, etc. for events, workshops, and trainings
  • Act as the point of contact and communicate project status to all CI implementation partners or cluster, and make sure that partners’ needs are met as projects evolve
  • Coordinate and manage CI networks and other collective impact events
  • Coordinate project management activities, resources/materials, equipment, and information
  • Manage grant activities and deliverables
  • Proactively communicate project tasks and due dates, assign tasks to internal team members and contractors and assist with schedule management
  • Assess the performance of the projects, share lessons learned and ensure implementation of best practices and, handle issues that arise
  • Support M&E Lead and Data Analyst in preparing a simple, easy-to-use template for monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) that implementation partners can use to share relevant on-ground data and updates and verify that data collected is accurate and up to date, to the extent possible.
  • Maintain regular liaise with all the relevant strategic partners and donor, lead overall discussion and group sessions with implementation partners and in assigned working group(s), and
  • Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, plans, and reports
  • Compile important updates (‘market intelligence’) related to COVID-19 in Bangladesh and share on a weekly basis with the donor, so that the donor can assess risks (if any) and generally stay up-to-date on the on-the-ground situation and also provide consolidated weekly project review and status updates to the donor.
  • Other projects and activities as prioritized by the collective impact project team and Program Director

Duration: The project is for 3 years with a possibility of extension for additional 3 years. The employment contract will be renewed annually, given the continuation of quality performance and achievement of deliverables. Therefore, performance reviews will be conducted annually. Areas of evaluation may include but will not be limited to:

  • Success in carrying out duties as required by the above job description
  • Initiative in taking on new responsibilities
  • Willingness to work as a strong team member
  • Ability to take guidance and supervision
  • Compliance with the Cluster Policies and Procedures

Reports to: Program Director of H&M Foundation’s Future Work Collective Impact Initiative, The Asia Foundation

Qualifications and work experience

Education and Experience
  • Master’s Degree or equivalent preferred
  • 4-6 years of demonstrated experience working in multinationals or development projects with international organizations in project management and coordination space
  • Sound understanding of donor reporting requirements and demonstrable experience of publishing high-quality reports and articles
Skills
  • Ability to initiate and manage projects, balance competing priorities, and plan and conduct efficient Meetings
  • Strong creativity and ability to implement innovative ideas to improve process management
  • Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Ability to draft effective, streamlined, and error-free communications
  • Strong relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders
  • Ability to take direction and complete tasks independently
  • Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
  • Ability to develop new ideas and flexibility to go the extra mile to make them become reality and in completing program assignments.
Other
  • Work experience in a fast-paced, mission-driven work environment
  • Experience supporting a senior leader
  • High proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, Google Drive and Project Management tools like Trello, Airtable, Planner, Microsoft Projects, etc.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Bangla.

Salary and other benefits:

The gross salary will be approximately BDT 1,70,000/month with little flexibility depending upon the applicant’s experience. This includes-

  • Monthly salary
  • One festival bonus
  • TAX and VAT are included in the gross amount. Applicable VAT & Tax will be deducted at source from each payment.

Other than that, the candidate will have below benefits

  • Earned leave and sick leave
  • Traveling allowances and per diem for field visits (when appropriate)

How to Apply:

Please submit a CV along with a cover letter to country.bangladesh.jobs@asiafoundation.org no later than local time in Dhaka 4:30 PM on November 6, 2021. The subject should be “Application for Program Coordinator”.

Instruction for preparing the CV:

  • The length of CV should not be more than 4 pages
  • It should highlight your achievement instead of the list of job duties
  • It should contain a minimum of two references; one referee should be from your current organization’s HR or latest supervisor. Please note, the referee will only be reached out if we decide to offer you the position after the final interview.

The cover letter should not be more than two pages and clearly detail the below:

  • your relevant experience (please do not copy-paste from your CV)
  • suitability for the role

Applications that do not meet these instructions will not be reviewed.

We thank all applicants, however only those making the shortlist will be contacted.

The Asia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people with disability and other marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the organizations:

The H&M Foundation (H&MF) is a nonprofit global foundation, privately funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders, and main owners of H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M Group). Its mission is to drive long-lasting positive change and improve living conditions by investing in people, communities, and innovative ideas. Through partnerships with experienced organizations around the globe, the H&M Foundation aims to accelerate the progress needed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The Asia Foundation (TAF) is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia for more than 65 years. TAF opened its first office in Dhaka in 1954 and has maintained a continuous presence since, working with the government of Bangladesh, civil society, community leaders, and the private sector to promote responsive and accountable governance, broad-based and inclusive economic growth, and basic rights and security.