Job Description

Project Overview: 
Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The Sajhedari Bikaas project contributes to realizing this purpose by: 
• Promoting inclusive, integrated local development in Central, Mid and Far Western Nepal
• Forging smart partnerships and treating all people with dignity and respect
• Applying organizational policies and regulatory compliance appropriately and consistently
• Facilitating team spirit among partners and colleagues
• Influencing decision makers through focused, relevant communications
• Continually striving to learn and share knowledge
• Cultivating and harvesting innovation
• Contributing to the organization’s ability to think and act strategically at all times

Following the devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May 2015, Pact made plans with USAID to draw upon Sajhedari Bikaas’s core strengths to provide a quality, medium-term response in six earthquake-affected districts. Placing communities at the center of reconstruction efforts to ensure local ownership and sustainability of results, interventions will include: 1) facilitation of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development’s (MoFALD) post-disaster planning process; 2) capacity building of District Disaster Relief Committees (DDRC); 3) rapid roll-out of approximately 225 locally-managed small-scale infrastructure projects and community initiatives; 4) coordination of government Integrated Mobile Service Camps; 5) citizen oversight, social accountability, and public reporting; and 6) mitigation of grievances and disputes. 

Position Purpose:
The program in the six earthquake-affected districts is budgeted at $10 million over a 30-month period. Pact is seeking an international expert in relief and reconstruction to assume primary management, logistical, and technical oversight of program activities in these districts under the supervision of the Chief of Party. The Senior Field Director, Reconstruction will be responsible for oversight of district-based NGO partners, supervision of local staff and consultants, and coordination with the government and other donors/agencies working in the districts. S/he will be based in Kathmandu, which is central to all six districts, but will travel extensively in the field and periodically to the Sajhedari Bikaas main office in Nepalgunj. 

Key Responsibilities: 
• Under the supervision of the CoP, assume primary management, logistical, and technical responsibility for SB program activities in six earthquake-affected districts of Nepal
• Ensure high-quality, timely, and cost-effective programming through hands-on staff supervision and partner support grounded in the project’s strategic objectives and adhering to expected technical quality and reporting requirements
• Manage all local awards, ensuring compliance with US Government regulations and Pact policy
• Coordinate and monitor an engineering firm to ensure compliance with contract deliverables and “Build Back Better” principles
• Maintain close and regular contact with local partners, line agencies, local government bodies, earthquake relief organizations, and similar programs in the project areas, as well as the District Disaster Relief Committee to coordinate activities and avoid duplication
• Ensure meaningful participation of socially excluded groups, including women, in project activities
• Coordinate and/or conduct internal and external monitoring visits to partner programs to identify and assist in the resolution of operational and programmatic issues
• Oversee training and mentoring to district-based NGO partners to strengthen capacity for technical service delivery 
• Help recruit and supervise local project staff in line with Pact HR policies, including 2 Senior Regional Program Managers, 2 Program Managers, 6 Field Coordinators, and technical consultants/resource persons
• Coordinate with various project units heads on administration, finance, grants/contracts, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) 
• Contribute to project planning, monitoring, and reporting, including annual work plans, quarterly/annual reports, and monthly plans and updates
• Ensure expenditures in assigned areas are within approved budgets and that program/budget targets are met
• Ensure compliance with HQ and donor requirements, policies, and regulations
• Coordinate with the government and other donors/agencies working in the districts and nationally to maximize the effectiveness of project interventions and avoid duplication
• Performs other duties as assigned

Basic Requirements:
• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in international development, relief, and/or reconstruction
• Experience managing large donor-funded programs with demonstrated capacity to create and/or maintain complex systems and procedures involving multiple implementation sites, multiple partners, and diverse staff and beneficiaries
• Previous international experience and demonstrated ability to work in a challenging and dynamic environment
• Knowledge and understanding of humanitarian standards and principles such as Sphere, Red Cross Code of Conduct, and "Do No Harm"
• Experience liaising with and supporting local government entities and CSOs
• Excellent command of the English language, spoken and written 
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively on short notice 
• Strong communication skills and cultural sensitivity

Preferred Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. rural development, public administration, political science, engineering, among others)
• Engineering knowledge and familiarity with “Build Back Better” principles 
• Prior professional experience at the local government level
• Experience with USAID regulations, systems, and procedures
• Prior professional experience in Nepal or South Asia
• Nepali or other South Asian language skills

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.