Programme Manager for Palm Oil

Solidaridad Network has its international secretariat in Netherlands supporting a network of nine Regional Expertise Centres located in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Solidaridad is a pioneer, innovator and transition manager in smart and sustainable land use and sustainable chain management. The REC-South and South East Asia (REC-SSEA) is registered as a not for profit company (Solidaridad Network Asia Limited-SNAL) with regional headquarters in New Delhi, India and Hong Kong, and is accountable to the Continental Supervisory Board of Asia. The REC-SSEA has been organising, developing and managing several market and policy oriented programmes around sustainable development and food security in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam resulting in benefits for more than a million smallholder farmers and workers. In Indonesia Solidaridad has a country office in Jakarta, which reports to the regional office in New Delhi.

 

Solidaridad South and South East Asia is looking for a

 

 

Programme Manager for Palm Oil

(40 hours a week)

 

 

Location

 

The Programme Manager will be located in Jakarta, Indonesia.

 

 

Scope of work

 

The Programme Manager (PM) will manage and grow Solidaridad’s expanding Asia Pacific palm program. The incumbent will represent Solidaridad in existing networks and continue the collaborative work with key partners in the region.

 

You report directly to the Country Manager of Solidaridad Indonesia and Managing Director of South and South East Asia but work closely with Regional and Global palm oil coordinators in New Delhi and Netherlands respectively. You will work closely with all strategic and programme partners across the region. With your interpersonal and intercultural skills you are good at working with colleagues worldwide. You understand balancing local individual needs and the necessity of standardisation. You are capable of translating specific and individual problems into feasible and effective systems and processes. You thrive in a dynamic international and intercultural working environment.

 

 

Result areas

 

1. Manage the existing regional program in oil palm  

• Current Solidaridad oil palm projects are in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea and share experience and training materials with Solidaridad Palm projects in Latin America, West Africa and elsewhere. Each of these projects is implemented by local partners/trainers. The Palm Oil Manager is expected to monitor and oversee SEA projects and assist in fulfilling the project’s goals (implementation);
• Together with coordinator at the regional office in New Delhi, regularly review performance indicators, reports produced by different programme units and programme partners, while suggesting any changes if necessary;
• Report to the Managing Director of REC –SSEA on opportunities and bottlenecks related to the palm oil programme on a regular basis;
• In collaboration with Country Manager, report on projects, provide input, opportunities for development, and proactively manage project related issues;
• Establish the connections required for the training-of-trainers program(s) based on existing technical assistance programs, generic tools available in the Solidaridad network;
• Developing and providing training tools and modules such as professional farming techniques, organisational development and administrative support; Development and sharing of basic RSPO and ISPO smallholder training implementation tools;
• Supporting the REC SSEA communications team in communicating the programme to internal and external audiences.

 

2. Liaison with stakeholders and Policy Influencing  

• Lead and drive behavioural change on sustainability issues in the palm oil sector and assist in institutionalization of sector wide cooperation by convening key stakeholders in a multi-stakeholder set up;
• Together with regional coordinator assist in promoting sustainable palm oil in Asian markets;
• Liaison with partner organizations, companies, smallholder groups, government agencies;
• Actively engage in the National and regional policy debates on inclusiveness and sustainability in the palm oil sector;
• Surveying the regional environment together with our joint venture partner Business Watch Indonesia for potential innovative smallholder and supply chain initiatives to be supported;
• Under the close supervision of Managing Director and Country Manager, develop fundraising proposals, communication with donors, positioning of Solidaridad in a professional and unique manner in comparison to other international CSOs in SE Asia.

 

3. Responsibility towards the REC Administration, Solidaridad Network and Solidaridad reputation in Indonesia

• Report to the Indonesia Country Manager and fulfil tasks required for the good functioning/ development of the program;
• If requested, actively participates in the management of the regional office as a senior member of the management team under the supervision of the MD;.
• On a monthly basis provides feedback to the Managing Director and Country Manager in a prescribed format;
• Participate in the Solidaridad global palm oil team quarterly teleconferences and annual strategy and planning session;
• On the direction of MD, the position may have to take up other activities for the development of Solidaridad in Asia beyond the core responsibilities in palm oil.

 

Requirements

 

• Open to citizens and residents of Indonesia with existing work permits
• Significant experience in smallholder / community development related training programs relating to better agricultural practices
• Knowledge and experience of certification standards and
• Experience in programme management, partner management, reporting, monitoring and evaluation.
• Specific and extensive oil palm estate knowledge/experience
• Solid knowledge of, and contacts in, the SEA oil palm network (sector?)
• Experience in undertaking gap analyses of smallholder training and training needs assessments
• Excellent communication skills across a variety of different groups – plantations, government, local communities, trading / processing companies
• Takes initiative, signals trends and information needs and translates this into policy
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability health-wise and willingness to travel (mostly within South East Asia) for up to four-five months per year in total
• Computer literacy (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, MS Project and other package for quantitative analysis)
• Experience in programme management softwares
• Oral and written mastery of both English and Bahasa Indonesia 

Solidaridad Country Office in IndonesiaIt offers a unique and challenging position in an inspiring and international working environment in the dynamic region of Asia-in particular Indonesia, which is going through rapid changes. This position is not just an add-on but will play an integral part in a growth process. You will be an integral part of Indonesian as well as Asian team of Solidaridad.   

 

Salary and benefits

The senior management salary level prevalent in Indonesian development sector will be applicable for this position. All other statutory benefits related to medical and pension will be applicable as per the Indonesian government rules.

For information: check our website: www.solidaridadnetwork.org. For more specific information on the function, please contact Ms. Sharada K (sharada@solidaridadnetwork.org).

 

Send your application by e-mail no later than July 20^th, 2013to sharada@solidaridadnetwork.orgmentioning “Programme Manager-Palm Oil” in the subject line.