Jobs and Careers

TERM: 

Full-time

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

The Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), is looking for a Rural Development Expert/ Deputy Team Leader (f/m, locally contracted, full-time) for the project “Local Empowerment of Actors for Development in Shirak province of Armenia (LEAD4Shirak). Under the direct supervision of the International Team Leader, the incumbent will be responsible for the delivery of Outputs 1 to Output 5. The Rural Development Expert will be in charge of facilitating the elaboration of the local development strategies (LDS) for the LEADER regions; coaching of the field advisors, keeping close contact with the stakeholders. He/ she will also be responsible for the data collection, monitoring and reporting regarding the implementation of the LDS. The incumbent will replace the International Team Leader during his/ her absence to ensure business continuity. This position is based in the project office in Gyumri with frequent trips to Shirak marz (province) communities.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

- Provide expertise and lead formation and development of the Local Action Groups (LAGs) in line with the LEADER/ CLLD methodology;
- Coordinate the activities of the project staff, experts and consultants;
- Ensure effective coordination between the similar projects implemented by UNDP/ FAO and ICMPD as well as with the other relevant projects operating in the region (including EU-GAIA);
- Supervise, coach and coordinate activities of the field advisors;
- Develop terms of reference for the external consultancy services, participate in the selection of the service providers, provide overall coordination and monitoring of the experts’ performance;
- Support development of the project monitoring system, monitor the project environment and implementation progress;
- Recommend necessary adjustments in project implementation in line with EU and ADA regulations;
- Effectively liaise with government counterparts, as well as with the project stakeholders, beneficiaries, other donors and the public;
- Ensure compliance with ADA’s Environmental, Gender and Social Impact Management (EGSIM) Manual;
- Regularly monitor the risks as well as develop and implement risk mitigation measures;
- Draft regular project reports and coordinate the reporting;
- Carry out any other duties as required by the supervisor.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

- University degree in Rural Development, Economics, Business, Public Administration, Development Studies or other related field; post-graduate degree (master level or higher) is an asset;
- At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in development programmes and projects of similar scope and nature; at least 4 years work experience should be in the rural development sector; successful experience with EU or ADC funded projects is considered as an asset;
- Good understanding of LEADER/ CLLD methodology and local development combined with proven ability of applying these principles;
- Good understanding of project/ programme management cycle (including monitoring and evaluation);
- Sound understanding of donor procedures and rules applicable to funding received from large institutional donors, in particular with European Union external actions;
- Understanding of international development cooperation principles and quality standards, including cross-cutting issues is highly desirable;
- Proven management and leadership skills;
- Excellent written and oral communication/ reporting, representation skills in English and Armenian languages; knowledge of German language would be an asset;
- Demonstrated gender, diversity and environmental competence, ability to integrate the gender perspective into tasks and activity;
- Good knowledge of the issue of climate change in relation to rural development is considered an advantage;
- Full proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint;
- Ability and willingness to travel within Armenia and work flexible hours;
- Excellent interpersonal/ social and communication skills;
- Adherence to highest standards of ethics;
- Valid driving license (category B) is an asset;
- Self-motivation, decisiveness and hands-on mentality;
- Ability to meet tight deadlines;
- Ability to work in multinational and multicultural environment.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

Interested candidates are welcome to send their CV, Cover Letter, as well as other relevant documents to: *******.***********@***.**.** with the subject line "LEAD4Shirak - Rural Development Expert/ Deputy Team Leader".

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.

REMUNERATION/ SALARY: 

The minimum salary for this position depends on qualification and experience and is based on a full-time employment.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: 

This project position is subject to the pending signature of the Contribution Agreement between the EU and ADA. ADA retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. Women are particularly encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence and no application fees or information with respect to bank account details are required by ADA for the recruitment process. Please note that in the event of an invitation for an interview, ADA is unable to reimburse costs incurred. Candidates must expect that references from previous employers will be requested by ADA. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please.

ABOUT: 

The Austrian Development Agency (ADA) has been delegated by the European Union (EU) to implement a strategic project focusing on development of Local Empowerment of Actors for Development in Shirak province of Armenia (LEAD4Shirak). The project funded by the European Union with a volume of EUR 4.5 mln will be implemented over a period of 48 months. To support the ADC Office for Technical Cooperation in Yerevan (OTC) in ensuring a successful implementation of this project, ADA is recruiting an experienced Rural Development Expert/ Deputy Team Leader for a maximum of 48 months, starting in October 2020.
The overall objective of the action is “to promote inclusive and sustainable growth and improved livelihoods of rural population in Shirak marz through support to community-driven local development initiatives and partnerships” by focusing on the following specific objectives:
Specific Objective 1: A sustainable mechanism for mobilising local actors for development in line with the EU LEADER approach is set up in Shirak marz;
Specific Objective 2: The implementation of community needs-based projects in line with the the EU LEADER approach has been supported in Shirak marz.

The project envisages achievement of the following results:
Output 1: The regulatory framework and delivery system for CLLD/ LEADER are effective in Shirak marz;
Output 2: At least two representative Local Action Groups (LAGs) have been established and are operational;
Output 3: Local stakeholders in two LAGs have elaborated an inclusive, gender-sensitive and sustainable multi-annual community-driven Local Development Strategy (LDS) and an Implementation Plan (IP) that represents the needs, interests and potentials of the local population;
Output 4: Local economic and social initiatives and innovations have been supported based on the priorities set up in the LDS and according to the grant and support scheme;
Output 5: LAGs and local stakeholders have been involved in lively exchanges, capitalising on the CLLD/ LEADER approach and furthering its sustainable anchoring in the institutional fabric of Armenia.