Coordinator - Water and Climate Resilience (Harvesting The Future)

The position
The project
Harvesting the Future will be implemented in two blocks of Barabanki district, ie Nindaura and Fatehpur blocks. Since 2020, the extraction of groundwater has increased from 61% to 63% in the district. The district has seen an increase in usage of groundwater for industrial purposes in the past three years, while the annual extractable ground water resource has decreased in the same period. Excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and flooding of rice fields has adversely impacted soil health in the district. The project aims to improve the water efficiency in agriculture in Barabanki district through community mobilization and adoption of water efficient agriculture practices, tree plantations, creation and rejuvenation of water conservation structures, etc.
**Location**: Barabanki District of Uttar Pradesh
**Tenure**: A full-time employment contract up to March 2027 is renewable based on project funding and needs.
Position Summary
AKF is seeking to recruit an ambitious, energetic and hard-working team member to lead the water in agriculture and climate resilience interventions in the Harvesting the Future project in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, which includes the promotion and expansion of micro-irrigation in agriculture, low carbon farming systems, increasing water efficiency in agriculture, rejuvenating farm ponds and community ponds, and establishing and strengthening community institutions to take forward and lead development interventions. The position will report to AKF’s Project Coordinator - Harvesting the Future in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh and will work closely with the State Programme Manager. The position will support the team of Community Coordinators and will be responsible for providing technical oversight to strengthen water efficiency in agriculture and climate smart agriculture systems and protocols across the intervention villages in Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh.
**Key responsibilities**:
Support the adoption of climate smart and water efficient agriculture practices in the intervention villages in the district.
Support the implementation of the various agriculture, livestock and agriculture allied activities of the Harvesting the Future Project in Barabanki district, ensuring the delivery of a high quality, community responsive, sustainable and impactful programme.
Ensure that programme implementation is in accordance with AKF’s implementation guidelines, including the global programme framework and donor guidelines.
Collaborate with and support team members Coordinator (M&E) and Community Coordinators ensuring that field implementation is in line with the approved workplans and budget.
Be responsible for building the understanding of the field implementation team on the inter-linkages between water use and regenerative agriculture, soil health and crop productivity, field and village bio-diversity.
Lead and support the adoption of sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices, including conservation agriculture, minimum tillage, agro and farm forestry, in-situ soil and water conservation in the district.
Liaise with World Bank, MGNREGA and UP Micro Irrigation Program to leverage the various schemes related to soil conservation, water efficiency in agriculture, rejuvenation of ponds, etc.
In coordination with the Project Coordinator, liaise with district and block level line departments and ensure convergence and alignment with district/state programmes.
Scan and identify sector innovations and best practices for adoption in the programme area to ensure the delivery of a high-quality programme.
The requirements
Be responsible for regular documentation of project progress, especially related to water efficiency, climate resilience and allied interventions. This will include project progress reports, analytical fact sheets and monitoring reports, and case studies.
Support the Coordinator (Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation) in establishing a photo-bank of all programme interventions, including before and after implementation photographs.
Ensure regular dialogue with other sector leads at the state level to facilitate convergence of activities at the community level.
Support the organization of donor field visits (including the preparation of background documentation for the visits), visits by AKF units, and other partners/stakeholders.
Within the overall scope of work, carry out any other additional duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Project Coordinator from time to time.
**Required qualifications and experience**:
Post-graduate qualifications in Social Sciences, Agriculture, Rural Management, Rural Development or related fields.
More than 5 years of experience in the field of rural development, and in particular in the implementation of sustainable agriculture and livelihood development. Experience of leading and managing diverse implementation teams is desirable.
Ambitious, energetic, and hard-wo