Programme & Policy

Description

Job Title: Project Manager – PROSPER

Position Number: TBD

New or Refill: New

Core position: Yes No

Salary Grade: 4

Division/Dept.: Programs/Asia

Dept. #/Subproject WO: NP0/

Reports to: Signature Program Director-LAGANI

Supervisor POSNO: TBD

Supervisor RESNO/Name: TBD

Supervision: Employees Yes No | Volunteers Yes No

Location: Project area of PROPSER [Project Sites (Dang/Banke/Bardiya/Surkhet/JVN)]

Relocation Funds: Not allotted

Travel Required: Minimum 70% annually

Heifer Project Nepal (HPN) is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of especially abled.

FUNCTION:

The Project Manager – PROSPER will lead and coordinate the effective implementation of the PROSPER project.

• Project Management: Lead project setup, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, review, and feedback processes in line with PMD Pro standards.
• Partner Management: Coordinate technical and implementing partners, strengthen partner capacity, promote private-sector engagement, and leverage additional resources.
• People Management: Coach and mentor staff, build team capacity, foster a supportive working environment, solve problems, and make evidence-based decisions to achieve project results.

The Program Manager is responsible for adaptive management of the project in alignment with Heifer International's regenerative program model. The role works to enables cross-functional collaboration and strategic partnerships with the LAGANI Signature Program team, technical partners, implementing partners, farmer organizations, private sector actors, and governments to deliver high-quality, timely, and budget-compliant project outcomes.

The Project Manager is also responsible to strengthen local systems and institutional capacities, promote inclusive market systems and access to finance, support an enabling policy and regulatory environment, and ensures robust planning, monitoring, learning, accountability, and knowledge sharing to achieve sustainable impact and contribute to the broader objectives of the Signature Program.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES: (including approximate percentage effort)

Project management (50 %)

• Lead project planning, budget management, expenditure tracking, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Ensure achievement of project KPIs.
• Manage project staff and partners to ensure approved work plans and activities are implemented efficiently and effectively.
• Ensure the project is delivered on time, within budget, and within the approved scope.
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in line with Heifer’s MELS framework, donor requirements, and statutory obligations.
• Maintain quality assurance, accountability, and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead the selection and engagement of cooperatives, farmer organizations, farmer clusters, and implementation areas, ensuring the inclusion of smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth.
• Supervise project officers and partner staff responsible for access to finance, training, digital interventions, and field-level implementation.

Partnership and leveraging (25%)

• Co-develop and periodically update the project implementation plan with the local partners, regional leads and LAGANI team, if needed with the relevant staff of Milky Way and SAFAL programs.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with BFIs, insurers, agri-tech and fintech firms, buyers, service providers, government agencies, NGOs, and cooperative associations to connect cooperatives and farmers with finance, markets, technology, and services.
• Convene stakeholders through local Multi-Stakeholder Platforms to address financial inclusion barriers and promote gender-responsive and climate-intentional solutions for rural women, Person with Disabilities (PWD) and youth.

• Mobilize and leverage public, private, philanthropic, and development resources, including government co-financing, private-sector investment, and financing from banks and MFIs to scale and sustain project results.

  Knowledge management, technical and policy support (20%)

• Develop and update program manuals, guidelines, procedures, implementation plans, and FEBL Lite training materials in line with Heifer standards, donor requirements, and statutory regulations.

• Document lessons, innovations, good practices, and results from financial inclusion and policy interventions to support learning, replication, and scale-up.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity-building to project staff, partners, cooperatives, farmers, and SMEs to strengthen financial literacy, access to finance, and effective follow-up.
• Promote cooperative-led and technology-enabled financial systems, including relevant agri-tech and fintech solutions, to improve access to formal finance.
• Identify financial inclusion barriers and facilitate evidence-based dialogue through local Multi-Stakeholder Platforms.
• Translate field evidence into practical policy recommendations and support government and other stakeholders in creating an enabling environment for inclusive finance, with a focus on smallholder farmers, women, youth, and rural SMEs.

May perform other job-related duties as assigned (5%)

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, agriculture or a related field with a minimum of five (5) years of managerial experience, or a master’s degree in any of the above fields with at least three (3) years of relevant managerial experience.
• Demonstrated experience in financial inclusion, digital finance, community mobilization, social capital development, institutional development, capacity building, training, smallholder farmers/rural SMEs/co-ops, and base of the pyramid consumers.
• Previous experience in facilitation of investment in agri-enterprises, cooperatives or smallholder farmers, agrifood processing will be considered an added advantage.
• Strong collaboration and relationship management skills.
• Ability to lead, coach and mentor diverse teams to foster an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative while also having strong team-building skills
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
• Fluent in Nepali and English languages (both spoken and written).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and virtual collaboration tools.
• Excellent leadership qualities.

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrate the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism while promoting transparency, ethical decision making, and accountability in all aspects of work.
• The ability to work effectively and respectfully with people from diverse cultural, social, and professional backgrounds.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Willingness to work flexibly and ability to travel extensively to rural and project locations to strengthen the relationship to support partners and ensure effective implementation.
• Demonstrated commitment to Heifer International's mission, values, and regenerative, locally led program approach.
• Sensitivity in working with multiple cultures and beliefs, and gender equity.

Apply now

Added 2 hours ago - Updated 2 hours ago - Source: heifer.org