Responsible to: Program Manager

Duration: One-year contract with possibility of extension

Compensation: Commensurate with Experience

Background

The Global Fairness Initiative (GFI) is a non-profit organization (501(c)3) registered in the United States of America for the purpose of creating a more equitable, sustainable approach to economic and social development. After entering into an agreement with Social Welfare Council, GFI Nepal has established its office in Nepal and implements the Better Brick – Nepal program together with implementing partners. Over 250,000 workers, of whom as many as 60,000 are children, labor in unhealthy and unsafe conditions in Nepal’s brick kilns. The informal nature of the industry, which operates on the periphery of communities and with little government oversight, has served to entrench exploitive labor practices such as forced, bonded, and child labor. While work conditions are often harsh, the brick industry provides needed income to thousands of unskilled laborers, and in the wake of the Gorkha Earthquake of April 2015 the sector has become a particularly vital source of the jobs and building materials necessary for Nepal’s rebuilding and recovery.

Better Brick – Nepal’s objective is to transform the brick industry by eliminating child, forced, and bonded labor. We incentivize kilns to improve conditions for workers through access to better production techniques, stronger operations, and the creation of a market for ethically produced bricks. To achieve this, long entrenched systems of recruiting workers, paying wages and operating kilns themselves must be reformed and new, locally appropriate, approaches introduced that maintain financial benefit for owners and workers alike. Brick kilns in Nepal play an important role in an economic infrastructure that supports the livelihoods of thousands of workers and provides the raw materials that drive Nepal’s reconstruction and future growth. A future goal of Better Brick - Nepal is to create a more nuanced vision of brick production with wider recognition of good and bad practices where, currently, the sector is largely disparaged on the whole. The impact of creating this “choice” leverages a prevalent interest from kiln owners to find solutions to social and environmental problems entrenched in the sector, and taps into an insurgent demand for responsibility and accountability in the commercial sector in Nepal, led in part by international donor agencies, and amplified in the wake of the Gorkha earthquake.

Better Brick Nepal (BBN) Initiative

Better Brick - Nepal is a collaboration of Nepali NGOs, progressive brick kilns, the Government of Nepal, the Global Fairness Initiative (GFI), and GoodWeave, and is supported by Humanity United. Better Brick – Nepal’s objective is to transform the brick industry by eliminating child, forced, and bonded labor by incentivizing kilns to improve conditions for workers through access to better production techniques, government recognition, stronger operations, and the creation of a market for ethically produced bricks. Better Brick - Nepal is achieving this objective by utilizing a “tiered” system of engagement to differentiate levels of progress towards improving working conditions, as defined by the Better Brick - Nepal Standards, the program’s levels of engagement and investment on each kiln, and intensities of market facilitation and promotion for the kilns. Better Brick - Nepal currently has 40 partner kilns, which fall into three tiers - Participant Kilns, Member Kilns, and Certified Kilns. By staggering engagement and investment based on performance, the program can partner with more kilns, more quickly. In addition, by marketing Member and Certified Kilns, the program can start to add in suppliers to meet the increased demand, while also ensuring that a zero tolerance policy on child labor is upheld.

Better Brick - Nepal’s specific objectives are:

Support kilns in sustainably improving working conditions on their kilns and ultimately help them become a viable enterprises that are certified as Better Brick Kilns

Create a market segmentation for “Better Bricks” and secure buyers interested in purchasing socially-responsibly produced bricks

Generate awareness around the challenges brick workers face among public consumers, policy makers, and decision makers to galvanize support for improving working conditions on brick kilns and creating a market preference for Better Bricks, Implement a multi-stakeholder engagement strategy to segment the brick market and drive a set of policies and practices that incentivize the production of Better Bricks.

Position Roles and Responsibilities:

Program Support

• Support Country Director, Program Manager and Partnership Management Officers in day to day program management that includes preparing and maintaining records, follow ups in meeting different deadlines and ensuring priority consistency among program staff
• Arrange meetings and support in arranging workshops and training programs pertaining to program development, and provide support in making the necessary logistical arrangements for meetings, workshops and field visits.
• Support program team in developing meeting notes, talking points, presentations and etc as required.
• Work closely with the CD and Program Team to coordinate activities and provide support to accelerate program performance where needed.
• Any other duties, as assigned.

Monitoring & Reporting:

• Provide support to monitor budgets and financial expenditures of each IO, ensuring compliance with GFI’s rules and regulations, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision and follow up
• Prepare and maintain records, document and plan for the monitoring of programs in consultation with program staff
• Maintain relevant M&E databases linked to the key performance indicators as per the requirements
• Maintain trip reports of all the program staff and facilitate for implementation of relevant recommendations and undertake necessary follow ups
• Support development of GFI’s monthly reporting and follow up with IOs for their reporting.
• Any other duties, as assigned

Knowledge Management and Communication: 

• Support in developing profiles, success stories and program info-graphics and maintaining records of all knowledge products effectively
• Gather and share information as needed in support of improving the processes and daily operations of all the program desks
• Support communications and social media initiatives as required
• Arrange external and internal meetings as required and develop meeting summary with necessary follow-ups
• Any other duties, as assigned

Knowledge, Experience and Qualification:

• 3 years of experience in supporting project/program management and coordination in development/humanitarian sector, or other relevant fields.
• Bachelors degree in a relevant field
• Highly proficient in computer and in basic applications i.e. word, excel, power point and internet surfing as well
• A high level of personal integrity, efficiency, and ability to balance multiple tasks and deadlines
• Strong ability to work cooperatively with diverse teams and stakeholders, including staff members, partners, and management
• Excellent interpersonal, networking, communication, negotiation and facilitation skills
• Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability the work well under pressure
• Fluency in English and Nepali

Applying Procedure:

Interested candidates are requested to apply for above positions by sending a resume, with a cover letter and three (3) references to [email protected] by close of business on August 30, 2019.  In the subject line, please indicate the position you are applying for.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further selection process. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained. Canvasing at any stage of recruitment process will lead to automatic disqualification. GFI/ Nepal reserve the right to reject any or all application(s)without stating any reason whatsoever.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

OR,