Senior Programme Officer (Campaign & Ecological Agriculture) - SWISSAID India (Apply by: 20 June 2014)

SWISSAID is looking for a Senior Programme Officer to manage its Sustainable Agriculture Campaign and Ecological Farming Programme.

· Location: Flexible, one of the states where the campaign is active

· Attractive salary and other benefits

· Last date for applications: June 20, 2014

About SWISSAID

One of Switzerland’s leading aid organisations, SWISSAID is an international not for profit organization working in nine countries across the world. SWISSAID has been active in India for more than four decades. We work in partnership with civil society organisations to support disadvantaged groups to exercise their rights and secure their livelihoods. SWISSAIDs work in India is focused on three strategic priorities: right to food security and sovereignty, citizen’s right of co determination and decentralized governance and gender equality. Our programmatic interventions center around the promotion of ecological agriculture and value chains; facilitating individual and community rights over natural resources (land, fisheries, water, forests) and their management and working with men and women for gender equality. A core approach of our work is to create awareness and build capacities of the local communities to gain access to and benefit from Government programmes and policies.

SWISSAID is looking for a Senior Programme Officer to manage its Sustainable Agriculture Campaign and Ecological Farming Programme. We are looking for candidates with proven track record of strengthening small farmer’s livelihoods, in depth understanding of policy issues related to agriculture and experience of managing large scale programmes. 

Job Description

Reporting

SPO Campaign and Ecological Agriculture reports to:

· The Country Programme Coordinator

Scope of the Job

· Development and management of Sustainable Agriculture Campaign

· Accompaniment and monitoring of partnerships

· Supervision and guidance of Programme Officer Ecological Agriculture and Markets

· Public Relation and Communication

Key Responsibilities

1. Development and management of Sustainable Agriculture Campaign (55%)

· Thorough study and analysis of the political economy of agricultural sector in the country.

· Assessment and analysis of new concepts and developments within the sustainable agriculture sector.

· Support SWISSAID in preparing position papers on sustainable agriculture, as and when required.

· Designing campaign strategies and action plan in consultative process with partners and other stakeholders.

· Coordinating amongst the different partners and ensuring implementation of program strategies and activities.

· Identifying, promoting and supporting various networks of farmer’s, and other civil society organization, individuals working on sustainable agriculture

· Support partners in locating and addressing gender inequalities within the sustainable agriculture program.

2. Accompaniment and monitoring of projects and partnerships (20%)

· Assess and negotiate project proposals with partner organizations according to set criteria and write proposals according to the template.

· Visit projects and meet with partner organizations on a regular basis and write respective reports.

· Ensure compliance of projects with SWISSAID quality management, procedures and guidelines.

· Review and/or draft project reports and accounts.

· Monitor and support partner organizations in meeting deadlines according to operational planning.

· Identify training needs and support capacity-building of partner organizations.

· Develop and introduce Monitoring and Evaluation systems and performance indicators/success criteria.

· Undertake reviews and prepare results reporting in line with country office and procedures.

· Support partners in marketing of ecological produce through identifying market opportunity and developing a business model, setting up producer organisations, business planning, marketing and linking with different government, financial institutions and private companies.

3. Participate in SWISSAID’s overall processes (15%)

· Participate in the Management Committee

· Participate in the elaboration of the five-year strategic planning and Annual report /Plan

· Monitor and review the country Programme against the strategic Objectives ( in collaboration with the Coordinator)

4. Public Relation, information work and fundraising (approximately 10%)

· Obtain and/or elaborate information material for information and fundraising work in Switzerland, on request from SWISSAID Switzerland or on own initiative

· Contribute to fundraising activities in concordance with the respective guidelines

· Prepare good quality financial and narrative reports 

Qualifications and Experience

· Masters Degree in Social Science/ Natural Science

· Excellent Interpersonal and analytical Skills

· Proven track record of strengthening small farmers livelihoods in India through introduction of appropriate technology and value chain interventions

· Experience of working on issue of seeds and ecological farming ( Desirable)

· Strong policy analysis skills and understanding of policies related to sustainable farm based livelihoods

· Expertise of managing large scale programmes

· Prior experience of advocacy work

· Good research and documentation skills

· Fluency in written and spoken English and Hindi

· Willingness to travel extensively

How to apply

Interested candidates please send a copy of your recent CV and a covering letter, with a one page note describing how your qualification and experience makes you suitable for the above position to:jobs.swissaidindia@gmail.com