I. Job Summary:

CARE is one of the world's leading international humanitarian and development organizations, committed to helping people in poor communities improve their lives and alleviate poverty. Founded in 1945, CARE is working across 95 countries to fight global poverty and marginalization. CARE has been active in Bangladesh since 1949 being one of the largest country offices of CARE. CARE works to help people achieve social and economic well-being while being among the best in their fields. In CARE, we put women and girls at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until everyone has equal rights and opportunities. CARE Bangladesh is currently shifting towards a program approach, where it has developed longer-term impact visions to have more sustainable changes in the lives of the extremely poor and marginalized.

Cox's Bazar, one of the poorest districts in Bangladesh, faces significant challenges due to its susceptibility to natural disasters. In Ukhia, a staggering 33% of the population lives below the poverty line, and an additional 17% experience extreme poverty. The region's impoverished land quality and high exposure to frequent cyclones, floods, and landslides contribute to the vulnerability of the local communities. The situation became even more complex in the fall of 2017 when over 902,984 refugees, or 201,150 households settled in Ukhia and Teknaf after fleeing Myanmar. The local host community initially displayed remarkable generosity, sharing food, shelter, and supplies. However, the prolonged presence of refugees has put immense strain on the already limited resources, affecting the well-being and livelihoods of both the host community and the refugees. This prolonged strain has led to deteriorating relations between the host community and refugees, exacerbating vulnerability.

The region's disaster proneness is evident, with triple the global average precipitation resulting in a heightened risk of flash flooding. Individual homes and community shelters are weak and susceptible to damage, with over 40% of households not meeting Sphere standards. Such overcrowded and vulnerable living conditions expose communities to significant risk from strong winds, rain, and flooding. Moreover, rampant land degradation, including the daily removal of over 700 metric tons of firewood, has led to a loss of precious topsoil, further compromising the environment. Lack of proper waste disposal and inadequate drainage systems exacerbate these risks, increasing the potential for damage to homes and communities. Additionally, community response plans and structures are ill-equipped to offer substantive protection, leaving communities vulnerable during disasters.

In response to these challenges, CARE Bangladesh is tirelessly working to provide lifesaving disaster risk reduction (DRR) services and improve DRR infrastructures for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals residing in camps within the Ukhia sub-district, Cox's Bazar. CARE Bangladesh, in partnership with IOM, has served as the Site Management Support Agency (SMSA) for Camps 13 and 16 since November 2017. Through close coordination with the Office of Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) and support from the Camp in Charge (CiC), CARE undertakes various Site Management (SM) and Site Development activities. Our primary goal is to ensure a safe and dignified life for those residing in Camps 13 and 16, providing much-needed support in this challenging environment.

Through collaboration with stakeholders, information management, capacity development, and implementing site improvement initiatives, CARE Bangladesh is striving to enhance disaster resilience, mitigate risks, and foster community cohesion. We are committed to building the resilience of both the refugee and host communities in the face of the complex disaster risks that Cox's Bazar continually faces.

The Assistant Forestry Officer will assist in reforestation activities, working under the supervision of the Environmental Officer. He/ She will also supervise all the tree plantation, care, and maintenance activities within the project, ensuring proper documentation and adherence to CARE Bangladesh's core values, programming, and organizational principles.

II. Responsibilities and Tasks:

% of Time

Responsibility # 1: Project Design and Implementation

50%

• Have a good understanding of reforestation, afforestation, natural-based solutions, and ecosystem-based adaptation activities, as well as the factors that determine project success.
• Possess knowledge of species selection criteria, site preparation, care, and maintenance for restoring degraded natural forests and conserving forestry resources in such areas.
• Assist in the management of the reforestation activities database.
• Assist in the preparation of the monthly plan and project implementation plan.
• Assist in preparing event budgets and relevant documents in alignment with the project budget.
• Regularly visit remote field locations to ensure the quality implementation of reforestation activities, including tree seedling plantation, care, and maintenance.
• Assist in tracking the progress of project activities and in preparing weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.

Responsibility #2: Project Monitoring - Quality Control

30%

• Assist in developing tools for quantitative and qualitative data collection and regularly collect the required data, such as SW Maps, and Kobo Toolbox.
• Assist in documenting the progress of project activities, outputs, and the immediate impact of the project activities.
• Assist in preparing good practice dissemination notes based on the experience gained from the plantation sites.
• Be proficient in using MS Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and have knowledge of statistical analysis using MS Office Excel, SPSS, or R.

Responsibility # 3: Information Documentation and Reporting

20%

• Monthly/ weekly work plans.
• Monthly/ weekly/daily reforestation updates/ reports.
• Need assessment reports.
• Database of reforestation activities.
• Survival and growth rate assessment reports.
• Care and maintenance reports.
• Documentation of good practices, etc.

Responsibility # 4: Adhere to and support CARE Bangladesh’s Safety and Security policy and systems

As part of this role, the job holder will be expected to adhere to and support CARE Bangladesh’s Safety and Security policy and systems as part of their day-to-day duties, and comply, at all times, with safety & security protocols and directives, including reporting. Staff must maintain situational and self–awareness and be aware of the safety – security-related consequences of their actions upon themselves, their team and the organization as a whole.

Responsibility # 5: Safeguarding

CARE is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviours at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and expects staff to promote the welfare of children, young people, and adults at all times. CARE expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our Code of Conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate this commitment are recruited to work with us.

III. Reporting to:

Reports to the Environmental Officer

IV. Working Conditions:

The position will be based in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar district. The incumbent will be required to be present in Ukhiya during working hours, with regular field visits to the community to ensure hands-on involvement and oversight of reforestation activities.

V. Qualification:

• The candidate must hold at least a four-year Bachelor’s degree/diploma in Forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a relevant discipline from a recognized university.
• Experience in implementing reforestation, afforestation, natural-based solutions, or ecosystem-based adaptation projects will be an added advantage.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools such as MS Excel, SPSS, R, and Geographic Information System (GIS) software.
• Familiarity with humanitarian principles and standards to ensure ethical disaster response efforts that prioritize the rights and dignity of affected communities.
• Strong communication skills in both verbal and written English and Bangla.
• Proficiency in the Chittagonian language is an additional advantage.
• CARE Core Competencies as noted below: