Project Manager (Strengthening vegetable
value chains in Pakistan)

Purpose of the role:  

CAB Intrnational (Regional Bioscience Centre) is implementing ‘Strengthening vegetable value chains in Pakistan (SVVCP) for greater community livelihood benefits’ in Pakistan under Agriculture Value Chains Collaborative Research (AVCCR) program of Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and DFAT. The project objectives are 1) To engage and mobilize participating communities; 2) To diagnose vegetable value chain problems; 3) To evaluate technical and organizational innovations in selected vegetable value chains; and 4) To scale-out vegetable value chain improvements and to achieve sustainability of project interventions. The project is being implemented with collaboration of various partners from Pakistan and Australia. This position is initially recruited for 6 months, but after passing the probation period, the successful candidates will be offered employment until end of the project.

Key accountabilities:

The Project Manager would:

• Work under direct guidance of Project Leader.
• Establish and maintain professional relationships with project implementing partners and consultants.
• Participate in project related activities, including planning and review meetings.
• Assist, with Teams Coordinator, the project implementing partners and consultants in development of work schedules to meet project objectives in accordance to comply the agreed milestones of the project with funding agency.
• Organize - through the support team, project partners, and consultants - the activities assigned in the project document to CABI.
• Manage project funds with support of Finance Coordinator.
• Collect activity reports and periodic progress reports from Teams Coordinator and submit to the Project Leader after review against the agreed project activities and milestones.
• Contribute to publication of scientific articles.
• Organize and participate in meetings, workshops, seminars, visits, and briefings for project partners, funding agency, and external agencies.
• Provide guidance, stewardship to teams and partners.
• Work closely with Regional Director/Finance Team to ensure smooth compliance of ACIAR/CABI requirements, essential for the operations, management, auditing of said project
• Any other task assigned by Project Leader within project scope, as agreed mutually.

Reporting Line and Coordination:

• Project Manager will get direction from and report to Project Leaderregarding the assigned ToRs and for day to day project management.
• Project Manager will be responsible for liaison with Australian High Commission and its compliance requirements for Australian travel/stay in Pakistan.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education & Qualifications

• Candidates should have earned a PhD degree in Horticulture, Agribusiness, or a related field from an international degree awarding institute.  Knowledge of fresh produce supply chains in Pakistan is prerequisite. Preference will be given to higher academic qualifications and hands-on experience.
• 10 years of project management and working with national and international donor organizations on research & development projects.

Experience

• Experience with a diverse range of horticultural crops, particularly the vegetables, grown in Punjab and Sindh would be preferred.
• Strong understanding of Australian research systems, ACIAR and Australian Universities will be essentially required.
• Strong understanding of horticultural production and postharvest handling systems.
• Willingness to travel frequently, for periods of up to two weeks, for at least four months per year.
• Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.
• Experience and ability to work under pressure and within limited timeframes.
• Strong technical report writing skills.
• Publications in journals, media, and newsletters etc.
• Ability to plan work schedules to meet agreed deadlines.
• Effective team player and conversant with a transdisciplinary approach.
• Practical and pragmatic – preferably with experience of working with Government systems.
• Experience of TNA, Training Design, Training Material development and Training Evaluations.

Personal Characteristics

• Applicant for this role needs to be honest, dedicated, social, motivated, disciplined, and self-organized to deliver quality work at prescribed deadlines.