Theme Lead, Climate Resilient Agriculture Livelihood - Ahmedabad, India - AKRSP-India

Description

Introduction:

AKRSP India is a non-denominational, non-government development organization. AKRSP(I) works as a catalyst for the betterment of rural communities by providing direct support to local communities. They are active in over 3255 villages of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra and have impacted lives of over 3.5 million people from marginalized sections of society. Over 80% of the households impacted by AKRSP(I)'s work belong to marginalized communities like tribals, dalits, and minorities. Over 60% of beneficiaries are women who form a core group for program interventions. AKRSP(I) has pioneered various participatory development approaches in the country and has won various national and international accolades for this. The backbone of their work is the empowerment of rural communities, particularly in underprivileged communities and for women - through collectivization as well as promotion of individual enterprises. Building self-reliant people's institutions for financial inclusion, livelihoods enhancement and improved rural governance is the heart of the organization's approach. Currently AKRSP(I) has major interventions in the areas of:

• Agriculture and Climate Resilience

• Work and Enterprise

• Rural Governance

• Health and Nutrition

The Position:

AKRSP India is seeking to bring on board a Theme Lead for Climate Resilient Agriculture Livelihoods. The incumbent will lead an ambitious program around sustainable agriculture. The program is focused on planning, implementation, measurement, and policy development on agroecological transformation of the identified geographies. Program is implemented at multiple locations and will involve multiple stakeholders. Program requires in-depth practical and theoretical understanding of regenerative agriculture practices, natural resources management, clean energy, and regenerative food systems with a focus on empowering smallholder farmers particularly women farmers in India.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a large multi-state program on sustainable agriculture involving natural farming practices, clean energy, tree/mangroves plantations and livestock development.
• Program planning, implementation management, quality assurance, monitoring, reporting and government liaison will be an integral part of job responsibility.
• Natural farming, Conservation agriculture, non-pesticide management, millet cultivation, solar irrigation, mangroves plantations, biogas and other sustainable practices are key focus areas in agriculture development.
• Monitoring and Knowledge management particularly from climate change mitigation and adaptation perspectives will be among the key job responsibilities.
• Preparing and submitting high quality progress reports.
• Partnership development with government, donors, technical institutions, and other NGOs working in sustainable agriculture and related sectors.
• Close and continuous relationships are expected with state and national level related government departments/agencies.
• Integrating technology in agriculture to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• A substantial amount of time is expected to be spent in the field to develop these programs in the organization.
• A key part of the role will be to build capacities of AKRSP(I) field teams.

Skills And Competencies

Education

Postgraduate in Agriculture Sciences, Environmental Sciences or equivalent. Professionals with education in other fields but having extensive experience of working in sustainable agriculture field may also be considered.

Must Haves

• Minimum 12 years of experience of which at least 4 years have been with an organization of repute.
• Substantial experience of managing large result oriented sustainable agriculture programs with strong practical and theoretical knowledge around climate change issues in agriculture and livestock sectors.
• Proven track record of managing end to end large scale programs independently.
• Past experience of working on field level project implementation in agriculture, natural resources, and livestock sectors.
• Ability to work with and manage a range of stakeholders externally including donors and government officials.
• Understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Having experience of training and capacity building.
• Understanding carbon sequestration and related measurement frameworks is strongly desirable.

Key Competencies

• Strong professional writing and presentation skills.
• Good analytical skills and understanding of Agriculture related issues.
• Effective people management skills with proven ability to lead and manage large multi-skilled teams.
• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients, both verbally and in writing, including experience of negotiation with external stakeholders including senior government officials and donors.
• Ability to work in a matrix organization and display flexibility, agility and the ability to solve challenges.
• Ability to mentor and build the capacity of team members and ensure a harmonious work culture.

Interested Candidates: Please send your latest curriculum vitae, three references and a covering letter explaining your interest, suitability, and fitment for the position of Theme Lead, Climate Resilient Agriculture Livelihoods at AKRSP to