Dili Municipality Coordinator

The Advancing Food Systems and Nutrition (Local Translation: Avansa Sistema Aihan no Nutrisaun – or Avansa SAN) project is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by NCBA CLUSA in partnership with Cooperativa Café Timor (CCT) and Hamutuk Ita Ajuda Malu (HIAM) Health. Through Avansa SAN, NCBA CLUSA and its partners will strengthen the country’s food systems by increasing the availability, access, affordability, desirability, and consumption of healthy diets that are safe, diverse, and made up of nutritious foods, particularly for women and children. To achieve this goal, the Avansa SAN project will focus on five inter-related activities that form the core of the project. These five activities will provide the channel to deliver long-term, systemic changes in Timor -Leste’s food system so that its’ food supply and demand are efficiently matched resulting in improved nutritional status. The following five inter-related activities will be successfully implemented across four target municipalities (Emera, Aileu, Ainaro, and Dili) to deliver the above results:

1. Climate Smart Nutritious Agricultural Production and Productivity Enhancement
2. Food Environment Strengthening
3. Water Resources and Management Improvement
4. Household Diets Diversification Improvement
5. Women and Children’s Diet Improvement esp. during First 1000 days

In addition, several systemic and cross-sectoral topics critical to Avansa SAN success including gender and youth, information and communication technology, private sector engagement, access to financial services, and climate change will be addressed.

OVERALL PURPOSE

Reporting to the Deputy Chief of Party, the Dili Municipality Coordinator will have the overall responsibility to coordinate all Avansa SAN’s nutrition-sensitive agricultural production, marketing, and nutrition activities at the municipality level, in the sucos under both tracks in Dili Municipality. In collaboration with the project office (based in Dili ), the Dili Municipality Coordinator will directly be responsible for not only the supervision of field staff focused on agricultural production, but also the nutrition activities in Dili municipality.  S/he will also be responsible for overseeing and ensuring all aspects of Avansa SAN’s field operation in the Dili Municipality (including technical assistance and training on agricultural production as well as nutrition activities, as well as logistical and operational support) are implemented in a timely manner.  S/he must also provide operational support and supervision of the municipality-level staff, ensure activity tracking, monitoring, and reporting. S/he will coordinate closely with the project’s technical team including the agricultural production team. Toward this, the Dili Municipality Coordinator will receive implementation and coordination guidelines and timelines, assigned by the technical team.  In close consultation with the project technical team and DCOP, s/he will also coordinate and liase with municipality and suco-level GoTL officials, partners, and relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of the project’s programmatic activities and ensure the field activities are on track to achieve the project goals and objectives.  In short, the main responsibility of the Dili Municipality Coordinator therefore is to play a leading role in coordination of project’s technical and administrative activities, ensuring they are carried out per plan and guidelines.  Previous experience managing agricultural implementation projects will be preferred.  Proven ability to work with minimum direction and supervision will be a plus. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Manage and ensure smooth operation of the assigned field office and the field staff working from the field office.

- Take full responsibility for facilitating and supporting the field-level implementation of the technical activities, as assigned by the technical teams in the sucos identified for assistance/interventions.

- Monitor regular planning, accountability, and follow-up of planned activities, key performance indicators, and overall quality of activities and field staff performance.

- Coordinate and support the preparation, implementation, and follow-up of technical program activities in assigned sucos, as detailed in the work plan.

- Support and coordinate district activities including meetings, workshops, trainings, farmer field schools, demonstrations, and field trials etc.

- Ensure timely and accurate documentation of all ongoing activities, maintain database of all trainings and community activities by suco and farmer groups.

- Oversee, monitor, and identify gaps and challenges, and share all with the technical teams.

- Escalate complex issues to the supervisor/DCOP or COP.

- Liaise regularly, as well as assist project personnel establish working relationships, with municipality-level local government officials, local civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders including local suco elders, church leaders, and key formal and informal sector leaders in the area. 

- Maintain consistent and effective communication with local stakeholders in the project area and guided by supervisor.

- Participate in and contribute to meetings, workshops, seminars relevant to the project as required and directed by the project COP or DCOP.

- Provide timely reports, other written materials, and data for monitoring and evaluation as required by the Dili project office.

- Prepare weekly reports, monthly reports, and other program reports for the Avansa SAN management team as needed. 

- Assist in identifying success stories, best practices, and documents for the project.

- Assist in ensuring quality and oversee the work of grantees (in coordination with the Grants officer), subawardees and consultants working in assigned sucos.

- Maintain program- and account-related reports, records, case studies, inventory records, and data information in the documentation process.

- Follow and ensure adherence to NCBA CLUSA’s project management policies and procedures.

- Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, rural development, social sciences, or equivalent experience
• At least 5 years of experience managing similar responsibilities will be preferrable.
• Strong management and planning skills of project tasks, staff, and budgets.
• Ability to work with multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Knowledge of and experience with local governments, CSOs, and/or other stakeholders in the country.
• Proven ability to work both as a member of a team and a team leader with ability to accept inputs from other team members. 
• Proven ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal communications and organizational skills.
• Previous experience with USAID funded programs and/ or other international development experience.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in English, orally and in writing.
• Experience working with USAID funding.
• Proven skills in Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office, and other common software applications.
• Fluency in English will be preferred. 

Please submit CV’s to [email protected] by close of business February 29th, 2024.