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 over 121 countries to fight global poverty and marginalization. CARE has been active in Bangladesh since 1949 and is one of the largest programs in CARE confederation. Women and girls are at the core of all CARE programs because they represent half of the marginalized group and it is not possible to overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE Bangladesh works to implement programs with long-term impacts that result in sustainable changes for the extreme poor and marginalized communities.

CARE Bangladesh's Humanitarian and Climate Action 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.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has selected a CARE Bangladesh led consortium to implement the project titled 'Nature Based Adaptation towards Prosperous and Adept Lives & Livelihoods in Bangladesh (NABAPALLAB) in two Ecologically Critical Areas (ECAs) – the Sundarbans and Hakaluki Haor. The other consortium members are CNRS, Cordaid, C3ER-BRAC University, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), Friendship, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), iDE, and Practical Action.  It is a key component of the Bangladesh-UK Accord on Climate Change and will deliver the adaptation outcome of the FCDO's flagship Bangladesh Climate and Environment Programme (BCEP). The programme will make a significant contribution in Bangladesh to progress against GoB's policies and priorities e.g., National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), commitments to biodiversity conservation, ongoing 8th Five Year Plan, etc. And it will also contribute to UK's commitment to International Climate Finance (ICF).

Due to environmental sensitivity and high anthropogenic pressures such as overharvesting, overfishing, pollution and illegal logging, the Sundarbans mangrove and the Hakaluki Hoar wetland are at a vulnerable stage with climate change exacerbating the current situation. FCDO's NABAPALLAB aims to engage biodiversity and natural resource-dependent communities to strengthen the climate resilience of the ECAs, conserve biodiversity, and at the same time, diversify and improve people's livelihood through innovative nature-based (NBS) and locally led adaptation solutions.  It will increase climate resilience of more than 250,000 vulnerable households and ecosystem-based protection and restoration of 5,000km2 area in, especially in the districts of Bagerhat, Satkhira and Khulna in the Sundarbans ECA, and Maulvibazar and Sylhet in Hakaluki Haor. To achieve FCDO's NABAPALLAB goal, CARE and its partners   will work with different ministries specially , Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Department of Forest, Department of Environment (DoE), Ministry of Land, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED),  Bangladesh Water Development Board, Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) etc. of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) at the national, regional and local levels, to implement the most appropriate NbS and Locally-led Adaptations (LLA) solutions for the Sundarbans and Hakaluki haor ecosystems.
The Regional Program Coordinators based in Khulna Regional Office and Kulaura Regional Office, directly reporting to the Deputy Director, Humanitarian & Climate Action Program and Deputy Team Leader, NABAPALLAB, are overall responsible for achieving FCDO's NABAPALLAB's four outcomes  at the regional level, through execution and supervision of CARE’s activities as well as facilitating and monitoring consortium partners activities in order to make a meaningful, measurable, and sustainable difference in a defined period of time in the selected unions of Bagerhat, Satkhira, Khulna, Moulvibazaar and Sylhet districts. The Regional Program Coordinators will be managing all field level EbA interventions liaising with local community and partner organizations; coordination and collaboration with local government & private sector stakeholders; monitoring and tracking programmatic budget in accordance with approved work plan and ensure any modifications required within the scope of donor and NGOAB rules and policies. S/he will ensure timely and quality implementation of all components through regular monitoring visits and follow-ups including generating real-time and periodic reporting from the region for the donor and NGOAB as per their requirements. Overall, they will ensure proper and timely implementation of locally led NBS and just solutions and accountable service mechanism for protection and restoration of nature and to increase climate resilience of vulnerable communities in the Sundarbans and Hakaluki Haor ECA.

II.  Responsibilities and Tasks:  

% of Time

Responsibility # 1: Technical Design of MBA Focused EbA Solutions and Capacity Building

20%

• Ensure and apply a design thinking process throughout the project for creative problem solving to biodiversity loss and climate change impacts, focusing on the vulnerable people within the 10 km buffer zone of the ECAs CARE and its partners will be working for, pulling together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically (market point of view) viable to achieve project goal.
• Lead climate vulnerability and capacity analysis (CVCA) and community adaptation plans (CAPs) tools and exercise in collaboration with partners and communities - ensure a human centric locally led flexible approach in designing and implementing program interventions throughout the project period.
• Prepare project operations manual or standard operating procedures (SOP) to carry out locally-led innovation interventions across target sectors, in close collaboration with technical focal of consortium partners, local Govt. officials, private sector and nature-dependent vulnerable people, including:
• Protection and conservation of biodiversity; diversify and improve people's livelihood through innovative nature based (NBS) and accessibility to climate resilient homes, infrastructure, and WASH facilities; promote digital solutions for functional climate information and weather services and project crises modifier/contingency fund procedure.
• The Operations Manual/SOP, a living document, should include both technical design and business plan to foster sustainability and put women and girls at the centre of all solutions.
• Work with partner organizations and Head of MEAL-NABALLAB to arrange periodical all staff orientation and training in order to establish adequate technical expertise and mechanism to accomplish the structural and non-structural solutions in biodiversity protection and conservation, agriculture, aquafarming, housing, water and sanitation, renewable energy sectors, guided by a nature-based solution (NBS) approach including a focus on household and community capacity building and their financial inclusion.
• Apart from consortium staff capacity strengthening, work with local Govt. and private sector to enhance the capacity of the local government bodies and market actors to manage and conserve the ECAs effectively and create an enabling environment to implement relevant government plans and policies related to Eco-System based Adaptation (EBA).

Responsibility # 2: Planning, Implementation & Budget Management of EbA Interventions

40%

• Prepare joint work plan at the regional level in coordination with Head of MEAL and consortium partners, in discussion with supervisor, to develop and implement effective strategies and operational plans, ensuring timely implementation of the project with technical support, project follow up and monitoring, required budgetary oversight.
• Facilitate project start-up/inception meetings at district, Upazila and union level in coordination with partner organizations, and monthly and quarterly review meetings with the partners and Govt. and private sector stakeholders.
• Supervise and ensure smooth start-up, operations, and implementation of all protection and conservation of biodiversity actions; and interventions related to resilient livelihood, resilient homes, infrastructure and WASH, and digital solutions for functional climate information and weather services assigned for CARE and each partner at the regional level.
• Initiate and ensure all programmatic commodity procurement and storage, as per SOP and work plan, with maximum cost effectiveness and timeliness in coordination with regional operations team and CARE Bangladesh central Procurement Department.
• Ensure all interventions follow the NABAPALLAB SOPs and deliver results as per its technical proposal standards and agreed results frameworks, i.e., ICF and customized indicators, as well as CARE’s 2030 impact areas standards and indicators.
• Provide onsite technical guidance to the project team in delivering conservation and multi-sectoral adaptation solutions, including agriculture, aquaculture and off-farm livelihood, shelter & settlement, WASH solutions with a with a market-based approach (MBA).
• Lead implementation of localized early action, response and recovery efforts, as per NABPALLAB contingency fund SOP, in coordination of union, upazila and district disaster management committees and community.
• Monitor and ensure quality, timeliness and budget compliance of all interventions across different sectors so that Accountable Grant Agreement (AGA) with donor and Sub-Grant Agreement (AGA) with the partners, approved budget and work plan requirements are met.
• Suggest modification of technical, work plan and budget based on changed scenarios needed to achieve the outcomes and goal of the program, improve integration of approaches among partner organisations, or improve coordination with external stakeholders.
• Ensure proper utilization and management of the project budget allocated in her/his region in coordination with consortium partner organisations and CARE’s frontline and Finance team.
• Mitigate financial risks through appropriate management of funds and supervise day to day programmatic expenses and accounting activities.
• Coordinate with finance department/ finance analyst and ensure correct charging of costs within donor-approved budget.
• Suggest any modifications or actions required to adjust under/ over utilization of budget through regular/monthly review, and act accordingly in terms of interventions.
• Work with Finance and GAAM department of CARE Bangladesh to support preparation of financial request to donor and financial transfers to partner organisations in accordance with approved budget.

Responsibility # 3: Knowledge Management and Reporting

20%

• Make sure, in coordination with the Head of MEAL, that the project's monitoring and evaluation (MEAL) framework and an efficient Complaint Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM) including a hotline is in place and operational across the consortium.
• Ensure measures for cross-learning, downward accountability, and monitoring of integration aspects are put in place and utilized, including practice of shared monitoring tools and accountability developed in collaboration with MEAL team.
• Contribute to developing high-quality communication and advocacy materials with evidence-based best practices and knowledge materials, e.g. policy (advocacy) briefs, position papers.
• Support policy advocacy with respective GoB stakeholders, private sector and CSOs to replicate NABAPALLAB best practice for and scale up the models. 
• Support in periodical analysis and review of the outcomes and impact of NABAPALLAB's on-the-ground interventions, as well as advocacy and policy influencing works in order to document and share key learning and good practice.
• Work with her/his supervisor and Head of MEAL to establish joint (Sundarbans and Haor) reporting tools and mechanisms, in close cooperation with the partner organizations focal persons. 
• Work with MEAL Team to prepare narrative donor reports (e.g. weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, semi-annual, annual), in coordination with the other Regional Program Coordinator in the other ECA, in line with results frame indicators as per donor’s prescribed template/requirement and approved activity plan as the project continues to achieve targets.
• Work with Finance and Government Relations Department for timely submission of annual report, budget/revised budget/ revised FD-6 and report to NGOAB.
• Ensure timely collection of Local Admin. certificates with support from Regional Operations and Govt. Liaison Manager.
• Work with finance for timely FD-4 audit report submission to NGOAB, review and ensure sharing with GAAM for timely submission to NGOAB.

Responsibility # 4: Management, Coordination and Representation

15%

• Supervise reportees (see in Authority section), guide in accomplishing their activities, performance appraisal, improvement, and career development.
• Communicating and coordinating with partner organisations program/technical focal persons(s) to provide them technical and management guidance to complete project activities smoothly
• Support overall operations and management of regional/field/ team offices, and safety security of the staff considering climatic hazards and any pandemic e.g., COVID-19 context in coordination with the Regional Operations and Govt. Liaison Manager
• Internal coordination with CARE's regional, field and team offices' officials to get required admin and logistics supports for the project team, e.g. Sarankhola team office and CARE staff to be based in different partners offices in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira.
• Ensure support and required approval of local government and administration, and related projects and programs in the region run by I/NGOs and private sector for project's interventions, events with support from Regional Operations and Govt. Liaison Manager.
• Establish network with different forums at the regional level - print and electronic media - and use them for wider dissemination of the best practices in the program that can influence the policy.
• Represent CARE Bangladesh at different forums/ platforms, workshops, seminars and discussion sessions.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES AS ASSIGNED

5%

Responsibility: Responsibilities on Safety and Security, Gender and Inclusion and Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults

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.

III. Reporting to:  

Deputy Director, Humanitarian & Climate Action Program and Deputy Team Leader, NABAPALLAB

IV.          Working Conditions:  

Based at Kulaura and Khulna

• Qualification:

• 12 years professional work experience in in climate adaptation and environmental program planning and implementation, within a development organization/NGO, including at least 7 years in responsible managerial positions in program and people management.
• Master's degree in disaster management, climate change, social science, agriculture and fisheries, agroecology, development studies or other relevant discipline.
• Strong knowledge of GoB systems, functions and policies particularly MoEFCC and key adaptation and mitigation sensitive departments/ministries.
• A good conceptual understanding of climate adaptation, National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Bangladesh.
• Conceptually strong to understand and analyze program strategies and the underlying causes of climate vulnerability including gender dimension.
• Experience of coordination structures and humanitarian architecture, including clusters.
• Good networking and liaison skills with counterparts and partners.
• Experience in writing concept notes, development of strategies and report writing.
• A good understanding of FCDO rules and regulations
• Good understanding of monitoring and evaluation.
• Good understanding of gender in emergencies.
• Proficiency in both Bengali and English.
• CARE Core Competencies as noted below: