Vacancy Announcement from Corus International
Project Manager- Productivity & Smart Aquaculture
The Organization:
Lutheran World Relief, which is part of Corus International, has been present in Nepal since 2009. Corus International is the parent of a family of world-class organizations working to deliver the holistic, lasting solutions needed to end extreme poverty once and for all. We are a global leader in international development, with 150 years of combined experience across our brands. Our nonprofit and for-profit subsidiaries include IMA World Health and its fundraising brand Corus World Health, Lutheran World Relief, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, and Farmers Market Brands. In Nepal, Corus operates under Lutheran World Relief. Our more than 600 employees around the globe are experts in their fields and dedicated to helping the world’s most vulnerable people break the cycle of poverty and lead healthy lives.
Position Summary:
The Project Manager (Productivity and Smart Aquaculture) will develop improving productivity in aquaculture operations, incorporating climate-smart practices. S/he will provide technical leadership in development and implementation of strategies, interventions, and activities that address productivity and climate-smart aquaculture. He/she will provide high- quality TA through hands-on guidance and support grounded in the program’s objectives and targets and adhering to expected technical quality.
The USDA project aims to address food security through improvements in the aquaculture value chain by (1) incorporating smart climate technologies, (2) improving end market linkages and incomes for farmers, (3) increasing access to finance for farmers to expand trade of agricultural products, and (4) strengthening the public and private sector.
The position will be based at the project office in Simara, Bara District Nepal
Responsibilities:
- Provide leadership and direction for on-the-ground activities related to fish production, productivity improvement, and the production of feed and seed.
- Build the capacity of Matsya team including Aquaculture Specialists and Training Manager to develop and execute project work plans, ensuring technical oversight of all fishery project activities in the program area through
- identifying the training needs within the organization by working with department heads, managers, and employees. This involves understanding the skills gaps and areas where training can improve performance
- Enhance the skills and knowledge of Matsya staff and stakeholders in aquaculture systems and practices, enabling them to effectively share their acquired expertise with farmers, nursery owners, hatchery operators, and feed mill operators and front-line workers
- Develop and oversee activities related to fish seed, feed production, and input supplies in the program area, in alignment with the overall project work plan
- Develop different feed formulations and their economic analysis to enable farmers to make best use of their resources in conjunction with other processing industries like rice mills and oil mills
- Analyze the patterns of overfeeding and underfeeding of fish in the program area, categorized by clusters and design a training program on the responsible and sustainable use of feed and inputs in fish farming practices
- Provide recommendations on feed formulation based on cluster-specific data
- Guide the team to establish Tilapia Breeding Nucleus through leveraging the GoN Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project (PMAMP) resources to improve access to quality tilapia seed
- Guide the team to improve carp and catfish hatcheries through leveraging the GoN Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project (PMAMP) resources to improve access to quality carp and catfish seed
- Support Aquaculture Specialists to help developing cooperatives in crafting comprehensive business plans, outlining objectives, production targets, marketing strategies, financial projections, and establishing a clear timeline for hatchery establishment and operation
- Lead the evaluation and adoption of new technologies, such as advanced feed formulations, automation, and data analytics, to enhance productivity and sustainability.
- Coordinates with government offices, fish farms, hatteries, breeding centers for information gathering, dissemination of knowledge and skills and learning.
Supervisory:
This role manages the Aquaculture Specialists, PHH & Marketing Specialist and Feed & Input Specialist.
Education & Experience:
- A Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture with a focus on Aquaculture is required or any other relevant qualification. A Master’s degree is preferred.
- A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in aquaculture or related fields
- Prior experience in the fish hatchery (carp, tilapia and catfish) management and feed industries (commercial and community-based feed mills) is advantageous
- Proficiency in building capacity of staff, farmers, and other stakeholders in aquaculture, fish seed, fish feeds, and related inputs through training courses
- Demonstrated ability to perform basic economic analyses linking fish seed and feed production to fish production and overall productivity
- Ability to collaborate, coordinate with communities, fish farms of Nepal government Agriculture Knowledge Center, Nepal Agricultural Research Council.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Able to work with diverse groups of people in a multicultural team environment.
- Ability to prioritize, organize and multi-task efficiently under pressure and with little supervision.
- Able to work with diverse groups of people in a multi-cultural team environment under pressure and with little supervision.
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Knowledge of Nepali and English languages is highly desirable, additional languages highly desirable.
- Excellent skills in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and internet browsers.
- Previous experience working with USAID-funded projects is desirable
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Strong knowledge of the fish hatchery (carp, tilapia and catfish) management and feed formulations & feed industries (commercial and community-based feed mills) and water quality parameters.
- Ability to assess hatchery management, feed formulation & conversion ratios, growth performance, and input efficiency in aquaculture systems.
- Skills in community engagement, farmer capacity building, and participatory training approaches.
- Good analytical and problem-solving skills, especially in economic evaluation and technical decision-making.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional team.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to produce technical reports and training materials.
- Willingness to travel extensively to field locations within Nepal.
Physical and Mental Requirements
The requirements that are essential to satisfactorily executing the responsibilities outlined in this job description include, but not limited to: learning new tasks, comprehending, and retaining information, completing tasks independently, effectively communicating verbally and in writing, demonstrating proficiency in using computer software to perform assigned tasks.
Corus International prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by U.S. or International law.
