Job Description Cordaid

1) Job context:

Cordaid is a leading INGO working since 1972 in Bangladesh and throughout the years, Cordaid Bangladesh has developed and implemented activities in the fields sustainable livelihoods development, humanitarian response, health & nutrition, climate smart (salt solution) agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and public private sector engagement.

Coastal Opportunities and Agricultural Solutions to Tackle Salinity in Bangladesh (COASTS) project started since 01 July 2020 which is a public-private partnership project, mainly focused on saline agriculture where SRDI is a public partner, Bangladesh Agriculture University is an academic partner, Lalteer Seed Limited is a private company partner and Cordaid is an iNGO and lead partner. In this project Cordaid has the main role of partner coordination, donor compliances, farmers’ mobilization and reporting.

The “Climate Smart Agriculture Coordinator” is the mid-level position under Cordaid and overall responsibility is to provide technical supports & expertise throughout the project areas for both Patuakhali and Khulna as a result project staff and LFs feel confident to use technical knowhow in saline soils. More specifically, the position is also responsible to ensure technical capacity of implementing project staff, LF & farmers through developing appropriate training module(s) & conduct training, development of IEC materials for Lead farmers and other farmers' training, establish demonstration and research plots as per technical guidelines of SFT, regular salinity related data collection and documentation, introduce new variety and technology for saline soil and water management for irrigation, share good practices with wider community for scaling up, fascinate to linking with market actors for inputs and sales, linkage & collaboration with government agriculture department (such as department of agriculture extension, research, soil resource development institute, etc ). The position needs to develop visit plan and act as coordinating visits for visitors coming from local and outside country.

2) Result areas, descriptions, and expertise

Responsibility# 1 Program Planning, technical guidelines & Budgeting

• Assist to  prepare annual project activity plan particularly agriculture activities
• Prepare detail implementation plan (DIP) in relation to agriculture activity
• Prepare Program Implementation Guideline (PIG) in relation to agriculture activity
• Prepare and assist in activity budget preparation for the particularly for Cordaid deliverables

Responsibility# 2: Research, regular data collection and sharing.

• Ensure capacity of the staff and Lead Farmers to measure salinity in soil and water.
• Ensure salinity related data collection and prepare report.
• Assist to establish research on water management technique to reduce salinity.
• Regular communicate with government research institute and share the findings.
• Arrange field days, farmers training for result dissemination.

Responsibility# 3: Demonstration & promotion.

• Develop technical lay- out of the demo plots with technical specification and incorporate in training modules for lead farmers before demo establishment
• Ensure capacity building training for farmers and extension agents to establish demo plots.
• Assist to introduce new technology for water and soil management to cultivate the crops in high salinity.
• Assist to supply quality inputs for introducing new verity in saline affected community.
• Ensure regular producer group meeting to disseminate the experience of demo plots through farmer's field school.

Responsibility# 4: Training materials development and facilitation

• Prepare Agriculture based Technical training module development, IEC materials for Farmers training ( Movie kits, video doc. etc)
• Assist and Coordinate to organize PNGO staff training organization
• Facilitate private sector partner  staff training particularly in agriculture components as and when required
• Assist Partner’s staff s as well as model farmer in organize and facilitate beneficiary training

Responsibility# 5: Technical and Program support

• Provide Technical Support to the Partner’s staff, beneficiaries and stakeholders
• Assist the Agriculture Officer of ICCO based in other project area, to develop technical guideline, monitoring guidelines to provide technical supports during regular field visits.
• Assist to orient project interventions & seeking project needs to market actors and extension agents (Sub Assistant Agriculture Officers)
• Assist to implement collection points for the producer group
• Identify the Input/output market actors of selected Value Chain
• Proactively assist in designing and implementing pilot initiatives by outside actors/donor in saline coastal areas as and when it comes

Responsibility# 6: Contract, Coordination and Networking.

• Develop strong linkage with DAE (District &Upazila), research Institutions (BARI, SRDI etc. ) and other service providers in respect to program implementation
• Develop close working relationship with the implementing partners, key stakeholders and beneficiaries in relation to agriculture activity.
• Ensure coordinate with project staff and private service providers for better implementation of the interventions and minimize the cost and time at many time.
• Attend the meeting and contribute in different forum like Private sector forum, market development forum, etc.

Responsibility# 7:Monitoring and Supervisions

• Regularly monitor the Agriculture activity and the progress in the field
• Monitor beneficiary of agriculture production and Model Farmer selection
• Monitor and visit to demonstration plots and special experimental plots
• Monitor & visit beneficiary training and provide feedback as needed
• Monitor input purchase and input quality
• Pay regular visit to project sites to ensure quality implementation of intervention and provide on-job support as required
• As and where needed provide on-job support to the concerned support to overcome the weaknesses

Responsibility #8: Reporting and documentation

• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual program report
• Write up case studies and assist project staffs in writing of case study & success stories at field level
• Proper documentation of success events and share with others

3) Working Conditions:

• Working days from Sunday to Thursday with 40 hours per week. This position may be required to work some overtime hours and travel across the whole project areas.
• Willingness to use local transportation to visit field in remote areas.
• Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor, or country office from time to time.
• Yearly renewable the contract based on fund availability and performance.
• Need to follow the Cordaid HR, Admin and Finance related policies strictly.

4) Knowledge, Skills, and Experiences

• Master's degree in Agriculture , Bachelor’s in agriculture also considerable if he/she has vast experience in climate smart agriculture.
• Master's degree in a relevant subject, preferably in Agriculture especially in Horticulture/ Agronomy/ Soil Science and MBA will be as a preferable.
• At least 7 years' experience within the area of agricultural and value chain development, and partnership management.
• Skill in organizing and conduct training, workshop, roundtable discussion, etc.
• Experience in research, advocacy and community mobilization.
• Knowledge on concept note development for fund raising will be added value for this position.
• Excellent in activity monitoring and reporting.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skill, problem solving skills, strong value based commitment to right based approach
• Good computer skills in MS Office.

Core Competencies

• Excellent working relations ability with relevant government lines and advocacy and community mobilization.
• Excellent team player, interpersonal communication skill, problem solving skills, strong value-based commitment to right based approach
• Good understanding on issues of climate change adaptation; gender equity, protection, and multicultural intervention.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English and Bangla.
• Pro-active and participatory decision-making and problem-solving;

Salary & benefits:  Competitive salary package depending on experience and skill.

Apply Instruction

Please submit your latest CV with motivation letter to the email: hr-bd@cordaid.org within below last date of application. The subject line should be” Climate Smart Agriculture Coordinator – COASTS Project”. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified for the interview.  

Women are encouraged to apply.

Last date of application: 3rd October 2023