Head of Project (Food System)

Job Description

Title: Head of Project (Food System)

Company Name: Welthungerhilfe Bangladesh Country Office

Vacancy: --

Age: Na

Job Location: Dhaka

Salary: --

Experience:

• 8 to 10 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

Master’s level or equivalent in agriculture, nutrition, food security, economics, social sciences, development and international relations, environmental studies, or a related field.

• 8 to 10 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Knowledge of and experience with German Institutional Donors, development cooperation, and multi-country programmes.

• Strong understanding of agro-economics, food systems, climate change adaptation, and environmental governance in development contexts.

• Sound knowledge of MEAL systems, results-based management, and Logframe approaches.

• Professional Experience

• 8–10 years of relevant professional experience in managing complex, multi-partner development projects.

• Demonstrated experience managing comparable programmes.

• Experience working with and coordinating local implementation partners and grassroots NGOs.

• Experience in fragile or politically sensitive contexts, including shrinking civic space.

• Proven experience in staff management, partner coordination, and donor relations.

• Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership, coordination, and negotiation skills.

• Excellent planning, organisational, and analytical skills.

• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders, priorities, and compliance requirements.

• Strong financial oversight skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent written and spoken English and Bangla.

• High level of integrity, commitment to humanitarian and development principles, and cultural sensitivity.

• Social Skills

• Social Interaction: Ability to interact constructively with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders; respect, empathy, and openness in professional interactions.

• Teamwork: Ability to contribute efficiently to joint planning, problem-solving, and decision-making; supportive to colleagues and shares responsibility for collective results; accepts feedback and adapts behaviour for team performance.

• Intercultural Competence: Conflict sensitivity in multicultural and diverse environments; awareness and consideration of cultural, social, and gender-related differences.

• Disciplinary Leadership

• Proven ability to provide disciplinary leadership of project staff, ensuring accountability and performance management.

• Responsibility

• Ability to work with a systems thinking approach, demonstrating a learning-focused mindset.

• Ability to operate in a highly digitalized environment.

• Capacity to independently perform within a given task-related scope of action and decision-making.

Job details

1. Department: Programme
2. Country / Location: Dhaka
3. Job title: Head of Project (Food System)
4. Salary group: SG7 (Expert Level III/Management I)
5. Immediate superior
   1. Disciplinary: Head of Programme
6. Contract Period: 12 months with a possibility of extension
7. Proposed start date: April 1, 2026.

Are you looking for a meaningful job where you can invest your skills, passion, and time in an impactful way? Do you want to work for an organization that is dynamic, goal-driven, and dedicated to making a difference? Welcome to Welthungerhilfe!

As one of Germany’s largest and most respected private organizations in development cooperation and humanitarian aid, we are committed to driving positive change. We operate independently from religious and political influences, ensuring that our actions are always guided by strong ethical principles. Through embracing innovation, we strive to become a data-mature, human-driven organization that continuously improves the way we work.

Our vision: “Zero Hunger on a Healthy Planet.” Join us in creating a world where everyone has access to food while ensuring a sustainable future for our planet. If you are ready to make an impact, we look forward to receiving your application!

Head of Project (Food System), Bangladesh

Welthungerhilfe is seeking a Head of Project (Food System) to join our Bangladesh Country Office. This position is responsible for the overall strategic, technical, and operational management of assigned project(s), ensuring high-quality implementation, documentation, and reporting in line with donor requirements and conditions as well as Welthungerhilfe standards.

The Head of Project (Food System) will provide leadership and coordination, oversee programme and technical management, ensure financial and compliance oversight, strengthen MEAL systems, engage stakeholders, and build team and partner capacities. The role requires strong systems thinking, a learning-focused mindset, and the ability to operate in a highly digitalized environment. This position will manage multi-country projects.

Your responsibilities

Project Leadership & Coordination

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the project, ensuring achievement of objectives, outcomes, and indicators as defined in the Logframe.
• Lead day-to-day project management, planning, implementation, and adaptation in response to contextual changes.
• Coordinate and facilitate effective collaboration with project implementation partners.

Programme & Technical Management

• Ensure high-quality implementation of the project.
• Integrate humanitarian principles including do-no-harm, conflict sensitivity, inclusion, and localisation approaches across all project components.
• Provide technical guidance to partners on agriculture, nutrition, and food security programming.

Financial & Compliance Management

• In close coordination with WHH Head of Finance and finance officers, ensure sound financial management of the project in compliance with Welthungerhilfe financial rules, donor financial, reporting, and visibility guidelines.
• Oversee budget planning, expenditure tracking, forecasts, and financial reporting in close coordination with finance staff.
• Support preparation for audits, expenditure verifications, and donor visits.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL)

• In close coordination with the MEAL Coordinator and MEAL Officer, oversee the establishment and implementation of a robust MEAL system aligned with the project Theory of Change and Logframe.
• Ensure timely and high-quality narrative and financial reporting, including interim and final reports.
• Promote learning, reflection, and adaptive management through reviews, outcome harvesting, and context monitoring.
• Ensure functioning Feedback and Complaints Response Mechanisms (FCRM) and accountability to affected populations.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Represent the project and Welthungerhilfe to government authorities, civil society networks, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Support policy dialogue and advocacy processes at local and national levels.
• Ensure strong coordination with relevant government institutions, private sector actors, and media where appropriate.

Team Management & Capacity Strengthening

• Line-manage project staff and provide leadership and coaching.
• Support capacity strengthening of implementation partners in project management, governance, advocacy, and compliance.
• Ensure implementation and safeguarding of PSEA and duty of care standards.

Deliverables

• Strategic Project Leadership: Clear direction and effective coordination provided to ensure achievement of project objectives, outcomes, and indicators.
• High-Quality Implementation: Evidence of project activities delivered in line with humanitarian principles, inclusion, localisation, and conflict sensitivity approaches.
• Technical Guidance Outputs: Documented support and guidance provided to partners on agriculture, nutrition, and food security programming.
• Financial Compliance Reports: Sound financial management demonstrated through accurate budget planning, expenditure tracking, forecasts, and donor-compliant financial reporting.
• Audit & Verification Records: Prepared and coordinated audits, expenditure verifications, and donor visits with complete documentation and timely responses.
• MEAL System Outputs: Robust MEAL system established and functioning, aligned with the project Theory of Change and Logframe.
• Learning & Adaptation Evidence: Documentation of lessons learned, reflection sessions, outcome harvesting, and adaptive management decisions.
• Accountability Mechanisms: Functioning FCRM established, with beneficiary feedback documented, addressed, and communicated.
• Stakeholder Engagement Records: Documented representation and coordination with government authorities, civil society networks, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Capacity Building Outputs: Training sessions, coaching, and technical support delivered to project staff and partners.
• Safeguarding & Duty of Care Compliance: Evidence of PSEA implementation and adherence to duty of care standards.
• Systems Thinking Integration: Project analysis and management reflecting linkages between thematic priority areas, sectors, and cross-cutting issues.
• Organizational Learning Contributions: Lessons documented from projects, partners, and communities, supporting evidence-based improvements across programmes.

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees and the balance of their work and private life. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale. Our salary scale is as per national scales for International NGOs and includes benefits such as comprehensive risk coverage and health insurance, including dependents, contributory provident fund, festival allowance, mobile allowance and transport allowance, etc.