CARE Bangladesh’s Humanitarian and Resilience Program is committed to provide people affected by disasters and conflicts with life-saving assistance, with a special focus on women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by disasters. Our action also includes preparedness and early action, emergency response and recovery, and resilience and adaptation to climate change and equitable development.

Satkhira, a climate-vulnerable region, relies heavily on agriculture, fishing, and livestock for livelihoods. Climate-induced disasters have harmed the natural ecosystem and made life harder. Salinity intrusion converts 500 hectares of land to saline annually, leaving many cultivable lands unused. On the other hand, the government aims to produce 1 million tons of cooking oil by 2025 without compromising rice production, focusing on sunflower cultivation in Satkhira. However, challenges like seed quality and price fluctuations hinder sunflower production. Considering all these conditions CARE Bangladesh and HSBC is planning to develop a project titled “Developing Sunflower value chain for sustainable farm household income at the Southwest coastal region of Bangladesh” to building resilience of small holder farmers through adaptive agricultural practices, market-based approaches and green innovative agri-mechanization modalities. The prime objective of the project will be strengthening agricultural adaptation of smallholder farmers against climate change induced salinity stresses through intensified cropping and agri-mechanization in a market-based approach in a two-year program, at Satkhira district of Bangladesh.

The project will directly benefit around 1500 households where 1000 households will be under the cultivation of Sunflower along with the market development activities in Satkhira. The project will follow a community-based approach and promote adaptive technology-driven practices to implement its major components successfully. By doing so, it aims to achieve both food security and market development for high-value crops, especially Sunflower, in the designated project areas. Once the farmers are selected, they will receive comprehensive technical training, enabling them to effectively utilize adaptive varieties and technologies in their agricultural practices. This will also equip them to employ agricultural machinery efficiently in their fields.

Project will also ensure an energy efficient grain storage facility where a community-driven approach will be adopted, taking into account current requirements, ensuring women-friendly facilities, and incorporating energy-efficient modalities. These storage facilities will serve as community-based storing sunflower grain and will also facilitate connections with local and national-level market actors. To foster effective collaboration between farmers and market actors, farmer groups will be organized. This team will work to establish a robust network with local stakeholders to form a local-level value chain. CARE management will play a pivotal role in ensuring engagement between national-level stakeholders and local farmers, enhancing the overall impact of the project. Furthermore, the project will actively promote green growth by implementing climate-adaptive agricultural techniques. By integrating climate-resilient practices, the project aims to foster sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural approaches. The project will uphold quality standards by embracing community-based adaptation strategies, leveraging adaptive technology, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. By ensuring the engagement of various stakeholders and adopting climate-resilient techniques, it seeks to achieve its objectives of food security, market development, and green growth effectively.

The principal purpose of the Farmers Field Business School (FFBS) Associate position is to involve providing direct field support to local farmers, guiding them in effective sunflower and vegetable cultivation practices. Additionally, s/he will collect and analyze essential data on scoping study, crop yields, soil quality, and pest management to improve production techniques. S/he will facilitate the adoption of innovative agricultural technologies and conducts training sessions to empower farmers with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful and sustainable farming.

• Ensure context specific input support to local farmers, demonstrating and advising on best practices for sunflower and vegetable cultivation.
• Assist farmers in resource management, including the proper use of seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.
• Promote crop rotation and diversification strategies to maintain soil fertility and reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
• Encourage farmers to maintain records of their farming activities, including planting dates, inputs used, and crop yields, for better decision-making.
• Organize training workshops and demonstrations to enhance farmers' knowledge and skills in modern farming techniques.
• Assist to develop connections with markets and buyers to ensure farmers have access to fair pricing and opportunities for selling their sunflower and vegetable produce.

• Data collection during the scoping study, covering key aspects such as local agricultural practices, market conditions, and resource availability.
• Monitor and record crop yields from sunflower and vegetable farming activities, identifying variations and trends over time.
• Conduct regular soil tests to assess soil health and composition, offering recommendations for soil improvement strategies.
• Keep a vigilant eye on crops for pest infestations, diseases, or other threats, and collect data on the type and severity of issues encountered.
• Maintain organized and accurate records of all collected data, ensuring its accessibility and usability for future analysis.
• Analyze the collected data to identify patterns, challenges, and opportunities, and translate these insights into actionable recommendations.
• Stay informed about emerging agricultural technologies and practices and assess their feasibility for adoption within the project.
• Prepare and present regular reports summarizing findings and recommendations to project leaders and stakeholders, guiding decision-making processes for improved production techniques.

• Evaluate and recommend innovative agricultural technologies suitable for sunflower and vegetable farming, considering local conditions and resource availability.
• Assist farmers in the proper implementation of selected technologies, ensuring they are integrated into their farming practices effectively.
• Develop tailored training programs that cover both the theoretical and practical aspects of innovative farming techniques.
• Conduct training sessions and workshops to educate farmers on the adoption and use of new technologies, emphasizing sustainability and best practices.
• Organize field demonstrations to showcase the benefits and proper application of innovative technologies to farmers.
• Focus on building farmers' skills in areas such as crop management, irrigation, pest control, and post-harvest handling.
• Provide ongoing support and guidance to farmers as they implement new technologies, addressing any challenges or concerns that may arise.
• Regularly assess the impact of technology adoption through data collection and analysis, making adjustments as needed to ensure successful and sustainable farming practices.

• Support KML team in field data collection, learning documentation, knowledge management, and reporting.
• Assist to prepare regular progress reports to stakeholders, including donors, government agencies, and project partners.
• Communicate project updates, achievements, and challenges effectively to keep all relevant parties informed.
• Assist to establish a system for knowledge management within the project team to capture and share best practices, lessons learned, and innovations.
• Assist to ensure that the project complies with all relevant regulations, standards, and guidelines.
• Contribute to prepare and facilitate audits of project documentation to ensure accuracy, transparency, and adherence to compliance requirements.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the project team, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making.
• Contribute to develop training modules on high value crop production and adaptive technologies, IEC/BCC materials, and other knowledge products in coordination with the KML team. 
• Support Finance and Government Relations Department for timely submission of annual report, budget/revised budget

As part of this role, the job holder must adhere to and support CARE Bangladesh’s Safety and Security policy and systems as part of their day-to-day duties and comply 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.

CARE is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior 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 always.  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.

Gender equality and inclusion are fundamental at CARE, promoting equal rights and challenging discriminatory norms to achieve social justice. We foster an inclusive workplace respecting diverse gender identities, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences through dialogue, training, and diversity initiatives. All CARE staff must uphold ethical standards, following codes of conduct to prevent abuse, including sexual harassment, exploitation, and neglect. Regular monitoring ensures accountability to uphold these principles and support our mission of social justice and poverty alleviation.

• 2 to 3 years’ experience in Agriculture value chain development, climate change adaptation, community engagement in humanitarian and/or development programs.
• Masters in agriculture/environmental science/disaster management from any reputed university.
• Previous experience of working in UN/INGOs/NGOs.
• Strong in written and verbal English and Bangla communications.
• Have proven computer skills on MS word, Excel, Power point, SPSS, GIS.
• Experienced motorcycle rider with driving license.
• Strong communication, report writing and presentation skill in Bangla and English.
• Computer skills on computer software e. g MS office, internet.
• CARE Core Competencies as noted below: