The State/Area Coordinator will lead and coordinate all Agriculture and Livelihoods Program initiatives across Tamil Nadu, ensuring effective implementation, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with MSSRF’s strategic priorities. The role involves overseeing field operations, strengthening partnerships, and driving evidence-based planning, monitoring, and reporting at the state level
Programme Coordination & Leadership:
Oversee and coordinate all ongoing projects under the Agriculture and Livelihoods Program across Tamil Nadu, ensuring coherent implementation aligned with MSSRF's mission and programme priorities.
Planning and Strategy: Design and adapt operational strategies that align state, district, and village-level policies and actions for agricultural and livelihoods development in Tamil Nadu's diverse agro-climatic contexts.
Implementation Oversight: Ensure timely and quality implementation of all field projects across Tamil Nadu, tracking milestones, resolving bottlenecks, and maintaining accountability at all levels of the programme.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL): Coordinate closely with the MEL team to ensure that monitoring frameworks, indicators, and evaluation plans are effectively embedded across all Tamil Nadu projects; support data collection, review of progress against targets, and utilisation of learning for adaptive management.
MIS Coordination & Data Management: Work with the MIS team to ensure accurate and timely entry, maintenance, and use of programme data systems; support field teams in adhering to MIS protocols and leverage MIS outputs for reporting and decision-making.
Monitoring and Reporting: Establish and maintain robust monitoring systems; prepare periodic progress reports, field visit notes, and consolidated state-level reports for the Director and donors.
Annual Report Drafting: Lead the drafting and compilation of the Tamil Nadu programme's Annual Report, synthesising project achievements, field learnings, case studies, data outputs, and financial summaries into a coherent, high-quality document for organisational and donor use.
New Proposals & Resource Mobilisation: Support the Director in developing new project concepts and preparing high-quality funding proposals; assist in identifying funding opportunities and maintaining donor relationships relevant to Tamil Nadu.
State Government Engagement: Serve as the primary liaison with Tamil Nadu state government departments (Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development, etc.), building strong working relationships to facilitate programme implementation and policy alignment.
Stakeholder Coordination: Act as the key point of contact for all Tamil Nadu-based stakeholders, including partner NGOs, community organisations, farmers' collectives, and implementing agencies; ensure regular communication and coordination.
Academic & Research Partnerships: Engage proactively with regional agricultural universities (such as Tamil Nadu Agricultural University – TNAU), research institutions, and other knowledge organisations to integrate scientific inputs into programme delivery and co-develop research activities.
Research and Data Management: Support the design of data collection tools, field-level research processes, and analysis; contribute to knowledge products including case studies, briefs, and state-level reports.
Policy Engagement & Advocacy: Track relevant Tamil Nadu state agricultural and livelihoods policies; support the team in aligning projects with state schemes and facilitate engagement with policymakers for advocacy, convergence, and programme fine-tuning.
Team Leadership & Capacity Building: Mentor and guide the Tamil Nadu programme team; foster inter-disciplinary collaboration, build staff capacities, and promote a culture of learning and accountability.
Financial Management & Compliance: Oversee state-level budgeting, financial tracking, and ensure compliance with donor and organisational financial requirements; review field expenditure statements and flag variances.
Gender & Social Inclusion: Ensure gender-sensitive and socially inclusive approaches are integrated across all programme cycles, with particular attention to marginalised farming communities, women farmers, and landless labourers.
Documentation & Learning: Systematically document field learnings, good practices, and innovations from Tamil Nadu projects; contribute to organisational knowledge management and programme communications.
Qualification
Ph.D. degree in Agriculture or a related field
Experience
Minimum 8 – 10 years of relevant experience in agriculture, livelihoods, or rural development programs, with exposure to field-based implementation.
Experience in coordinating multi-site projects and working with community institutions, NGOs, or government stakeholders at the state/district level.
Proven ability in project coordination, monitoring, reporting, and managing field teams across geographies.
Strong understanding of agriculture, livelihoods, and rural development systems, particularly in Tamil Nadu contexts.
Exposure to interdisciplinary areas such as climate-resilient agriculture, food systems, or community-based development will be an added advantage
Age Limit: 35 - 45 Period: 2 Years
