Job Description

Title: Community Facilitator

Company Name: SDS (Shariatpur Development Society)

Vacancy: 5

Age: At most 40 years

Job Location: Rajbari

Salary: Tk. 33000 (Monthly)

Experience:

Published: 2026-10-14

Application Deadline: 2026-10-24

Education:

• A Postgraduate degree in Social Science, Sociology, Economics, Business Studies, Marketing, or a relevant discipline; or a Bachelor’s or Honors degree in a related field from a recognized university.

• Age At most 40 years

Age: Maximum. 40 Years (The age limit may be relaxed for experienced candidates.)

Experiences: Min. 03 Years Professional Experience

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• At least three years of relevant experience in agriculture production, market development, financial inclusion, enterprise development, cooperative development, or community-based programming with a development or private-sector organization.
• Practical experience working with farmers, women’s groups, cooperatives, rural market actors, government services, and private-sector partners is preferred.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong understanding of sesame, onion, garlic, vegetables, tomato, flowers, and other climate-adaptive crop value chains.
• Knowledge of enterprise development, agri-market systems, rural market dynamics, cooperative business planning, and profit analysis.
• Strong facilitation, community mobilization, communication, networking, reporting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work respectfully and effectively with women farmers, diverse communities, government offices, private-sector actors, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
• Computer proficiency, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email, and relevant mobile applications.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively in the field. Motorcycle riding is required.

Name of Project: Strengthening Climate-smart Vegetable and Flower Value Chain in Bangladesh

Assignment Duration: 1 Years

Background:

SDS (Shariatpur Development Society) is a Bangladesh-based non-governmental organization founded in 1991 and formally registered with the Department of Social Welfare (1992), the NGO Affairs Bureau (1993) and the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (2008). SDS received its first foreign funding in 1994 and established a long-standing partnership with PKSF in 1996. Working primarily in climate-vulnerable areas, SDS addresses climate change-induced vulnerabilities, disaster risks and structural poverty through participatory, inclusive and accountable approaches. SDS has experience working with institutional donors including UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, UN Women, FAO, IOM, CARE, Islamic Relief, CJRF, Barnfonden and START Network members and is actively engaged in national, regional and global networks such as CANSA, GNDR, NEAR, INAFI, APWLD and Girls Not Brides. Currently, SDS is implementing multiple donor-funded projects. For more info please visit www.sdsbd.org

SDS is implementing the project “Strengthening Climate-smart Vegetable and Flower Value Chain in Bangladesh” with support from Heifer International Bangladesh. The project aims to improve the income and climate-resilient livelihoods of approximately 7,200 smallholder women farmers in Rajbari District

Position Purpose:

The Community Facilitator will implement project activities at the community and field levels. The position will mobilize and strengthen Self-Help Groups and cooperatives, support climate-smart agricultural production and household or cooperative enterprises, facilitate market and service linkages, collect monitoring information, and maintain regular engagement with project participants, government offices, market actors, and other stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Community Mobilization, SHGs and Cooperatives

• Support selection of project areas and participants and facilitate formation, regular functioning, savings, and capacity-building of Self-Help Groups.
• Facilitate formation and strengthening of cooperatives from SHG members and build the capacity of cooperative management committees in leadership, governance, financial management, business management, conflict management, negotiation, planning, staffing, organizing, and monitoring.
• Support preparation and implementation of cooperative bylaws, monthly plans, business plans, budgets, savings systems, and fund-utilization arrangements in line with member priorities and government requirements.
• Promote transparency, participation, accountability, inclusion, and member ownership in day-to-day cooperative operations.

Climate-Smart Production and Household Enterprises

• Facilitate climate-smart production of sesame, onion, garlic, vegetables, tomato, flowers, and other climate-adaptive crops in accordance with project technical guidance.
• Support demonstration activities, farmer learning, grading, sorting, cleaning, packaging, transportation, and other practices that improve product quality and farmer returns.
• Facilitate development of viable agro- and non-agro-based enterprises at household and cooperative levels.
• Support project participants to understand living income, sustainable income, household business planning, and profit analysis.

Market Linkage and Private-Sector Engagement

• Facilitate establishment and operation of collection points and support aggregation and marketing of agricultural products.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with buyers, sellers, local traders, supermarkets, processors, input companies, exporters, transporters, and other market actors.
• Facilitate contract-farming and other commercial arrangements between farmers or cooperatives and input, processing, buying, or export companies.
• Provide or facilitate access to current market information and promote use of relevant mobile applications for learning, production support, and market linkage.

Training, Facilitation and Capacity Building

• Organize and facilitate farmer, SHG, cooperative, and stakeholder training and workshops using approved session guides and materials.
• Reinforce relevant Heifer Cornerstones and facilitate periodic participatory self-review and planning processes.
• Support cooperative capacity assessments and ensure practical follow-up on agreed improvement plans.
• Provide regular coaching, follow-up, and problem-solving support to participants, group leaders, and cooperative committees.

Monitoring, Data and Reporting

• Support baseline, midline, performance evaluation, and other monitoring and learning activities and maintain accurate participant and activity records.
• Visit SHGs, cooperatives, households, farms, collection points, and enterprises regularly to monitor progress, identify operational or programmatic constraints, and support participatory solutions in consultation with the Project Coordinator and Heifer program team.
• Prepare accurate monthly, quarterly, annual, activity, training, and field reports and submit them within the required timelines.
• Maintain appropriate documentation, attendance, participant information, success stories, photos, consent records, and other evidence required by the project.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Build and maintain constructive relationships with Union Parishad, upazila administration, cooperative offices, agriculture and marketing offices, women and children affairs offices, private-sector actors, NGOs, and relevant service providers.
• Facilitate project meetings, workshops, service-linkage events, and coordination with government and non-government stakeholders.
• Represent SDS and the project professionally at community and field level and communicate project messages accurately.

Expected Key Deliverables

• Functional SHGs and cooperatives with regular meetings, savings, plans, records, governance practices, and member participation.
• Timely and quality delivery of farmer training, climate-smart demonstrations, capacity assessments, and agreed follow-up actions.
• Active collection points, enterprise initiatives, and market or service linkages for project participants and cooperatives.
• Accurate participant, monitoring, training, field-visit, consent, and project documentation.
• Timely monthly, quarterly, annual, and activity reports.
• Respectful, safe, inclusive, and safeguarding-compliant engagement with project participants and communities.

Code of Conduct, Safeguarding and Ethical Responsibilities

Comply with SDS policies and applicable Heifer requirements on integrity, non-discrimination, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, conflict of interest, confidentiality, data protection, safeguarding, and accurate record-keeping. Maintain professional boundaries, protect the dignity and safety of others, and promptly report concerns through approved channels. SDS and Heifer maintain zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, child abuse, abuse of power, and retaliation. Violations may result in disciplinary action, including termination. Employment is subject to satisfactory reference and background checks and compliance with the Code of Conduct.

Working Conditions and General Requirements

The position is field-based and requires regular travel to remote communities, farms, cooperatives, markets, government offices, and other activity locations in Rajbari District.

The position may require flexible working hours during community meetings, training, market activities, data collection, project events, or emergencies.

The position holder may be assigned other related duties that are consistent with the purpose and level of the position and the needs of the project.

This job description may be reviewed and updated by SDS in consultation with relevant project stakeholders to reflect evolving project or organizational requirements.