Helen Keller Intl Bangladesh

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty.  By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives.  Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

In Bangladesh, Helen Keller Intl has a strong history of partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and development partners to strengthen systems and improve outcomes in nutrition, eye health, WASH, and livelihoods. Helen Keller’s programs prioritize remote, hard-to-reach, and marginalized communities, including those in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Project “Access to and Utilization of Lifesaving Services by Access to and Utilization of Lifesaving Services by Marginalized Communities in Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh” seeks to restore and scale up essential nutrition, WASH and livelihood services in the three hill districts — Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari. The project focuses on enhancing community resilience, ensuring that marginalized ethnic and rural populations have equitable access to lifesaving interventions and strengthening local systems for sustainable service delivery.

Key Interventions:

• Mass screening of children aged 6–59 months for early detection of acute malnutrition
• Management of Severe and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (SAM/MAM) through 26 SAM Units at district and upazila health facilities
• Emergency nutritious food and cash-based livelihood support to nutritionally vulnerable households
• Expansion of sustainable safe water and sanitation infrastructure
• Capacity strengthening of government health service providers effective service delivery

Helen Keller Intl will lead this project, working closely with technical and implementing partners and government stakeholders to ensure coordinated, high-impact programming across the three CHT districts.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager, Livelihoods and Food Security will provide overall strategic, managerial, and technical leadership for all livelihood and food security components of the project. The position will guide program design, planning, and implementation to ensure high-quality, results-driven delivery of interventions that enhance household resilience, income generation, and food access. The Manager will build the capacity of staff and partners, strengthen linkages with government and private sector stakeholders, and promote innovative, gender-responsive, and climate-smart approaches to improve the economic and nutritional well-being of vulnerable and marginalized communities across the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

The incumbent will lead planning, implementation, supervision, and monitoring of all livelihoods and food security related activities, and will work closely with government counterparts, implementing partners, and the project MEAL team to ensure the achievement of all livelihoods and food security outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Strategic Planning and Technical Leadership

• Lead the design and implementation of livelihood and food security strategies aligned with the project’s goals and donor requirements.
• Provide technical guidance on market-based livelihood approaches, income generation, value chain strengthening, and small enterprise development.
• Ensure interventions are nutrition-sensitive, gender-inclusive, and climate-resilient.
• Contribute to strategic planning, work plan development, and periodic reviews to ensure timely delivery of outputs.

B. Program Implementation and Quality Assurance

• Oversee the rollout of livelihood and food security activities across project districts.
• Supervise Specialists and field teams to ensure effective coordination, technical quality, and beneficiary targeting.
• Support implementation of cash support to vulnerable households to strengthen food security and income diversification.
• Ensure consistent monitoring of implementation progress using data-driven and participatory approaches.
• Promote innovative, scalable livelihood models aligned with local market systems.

C. Capacity Building and Partnership Management

• Mentor and build capacity of Specialists and field staff on livelihoods, food security, and value chain programming.
• Strengthen collaboration with government line departments (Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Women Affairs, etc.), local NGOs, and private sector partners.
• Facilitate training programs for community members on entrepreneurship, business management, and financial literacy.
• Promote partnerships that enhance women’s economic empowerment and inclusion of ethnic minority groups.

D. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

• Collaborate with the MERL team to design and track performance indicators related to livelihoods and food security outcomes.
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure compliance with technical standards and progress toward targets.
• Capture lessons learned, case studies, and best practices to inform adaptive management and future project design.
• Contribute to donor reports, progress summaries, and project evaluations.

E. Coordination and Representation

• Represent Helen Keller Intl in relevant coordination meetings, technical working groups, and local government forums related to livelihoods and food security.
• Maintain strong communication with local authorities, community leaders, and partner organizations.
• Contribute to advocacy and knowledge-sharing efforts highlighting the project’s livelihood and resilience outcomes.

RECRUITMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Education

Master’s degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Food Security, Economics, or related discipline.

Experience & Knowledge

• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in managing livelihood and food security initiatives within donor-funded development projects.
• Proven track record in designing and managing market-based livelihood, cash transfer, or agriculture-based income generation programs.
• Experience working with ethnic and marginalized communities, preferably in the CHT or similarly complex geographic contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams and coordinate with multiple stakeholders, including government departments and NGOs.
• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
• Strong written and spoken proficiency in English and Bangla.

                                                 
TIME REQUIRED IN THE JOB TO REACH EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE:

Probation period – 3 months

COMPETENCIES:

Application Process:

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their updated resume and a brief cover letter explaining their interest in the position to Bangladesh-Recruitment@hki.org with "Application for the Position of Manager, Livelihoods and Food Security” in the subject line in the subject line by December 8, 2025. Preference will be given to candidates who have work experience in similar projects and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts areas.

“Helen Keller Intl is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified women and minorities candidates. The organization has a smoke free working environment.”

www.hki.org

In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to
building an inclusive workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.