National Project Coordinator

The National Project Coordinator provides senior-level strategic leadership and overall coordination for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and adaptive management of complex project activities in the Philippines. The role ensures alignment with FAO priorities, approved work plans, budgets, donor requirements, and national development priorities, providing high-level technical and managerial guidance to project teams, partners, and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and day-to-day management of the project, ensuring the timely and effective achievement of project objectives, outputs, and outcomes in accordance with approved work plans, budgets, donor agreements, and FAO policies and procedures.
• Lead the overall implementation of project activities, including preparation and monitoring of budgets, development and execution of Project Implementation Plans and Procurement Plans, and effective utilization of project resources.
• Establish, update, and monitor time-phased work plans, ensuring alignment with project objectives, deliverables, milestones, and donor requirements, and taking corrective action as necessary to address implementation delays or bottlenecks.
• Oversee project personnel, consultants, service providers, and implementing partners, ensuring effective performance management, coordination, accountability, and delivery of assigned outputs.
• Lead project budget management and procurement oversight, ensuring expenditures, contractual arrangements, procurement activities, and resource allocations are timely, efficient, and fully compliant with FAO rules and procedures.
• Lead the application of agreed selection criteria for project sites, priority areas, and beneficiaries, in consultation with government counterparts and other stakeholders, ensuring transparency, inclusiveness, and compliance with approved project frameworks.
• Establish and maintain effective institutional partnerships and stakeholder relationships, including government agencies, donors, UN agencies, civil society organizations, private sector partners, and beneficiary groups, to facilitate successful project implementation and sustainability.
• Lead stakeholder consultations, technical discussions, and coordination mechanisms related to project implementation, value chain development, capacity building, policy dialogue, and other technical areas relevant to the project.
• Ensure the design, delivery, and quality assurance of capacity development interventions, including training programmes, technical materials, concept notes, starter kits, knowledge products, and learning activities, in collaboration with technical specialists and government counterparts.
• Direct and oversee the organization and documentation of trainings, technical working group meetings, workshops, planning sessions, and other project events, ensuring quality outputs, timely follow-up, and appropriate stakeholder participation.
• Maintain and regularly update project monitoring, reporting, and results management systems, including tracking progress against indicators, outputs, outcomes, risks, and work plans, and ensuring the availability of reliable data for decision-making.
• Identify, assess, and manage operational, fiduciary, financial, environmental, social, security, and implementation risks, and proactively develop mitigation measures to ensure uninterrupted project delivery.
• Serve as focal point for project governance mechanisms, including Project Steering Committees, Project Task Forces, technical working groups, and other oversight bodies, ensuring timely reporting, coordination, and implementation of decisions and recommendations.
• Prepare and submit high-quality progress reports, analytical updates, briefing materials, and management reports, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely submission to FAO management and resource partners.
• Lead donor reporting, communication, visibility, and knowledge management activities, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and FAO standards, and overseeing the preparation of communication and visibility products, including web content, social media materials, photos, videos, publications, and press releases.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with donors and development partners, providing timely updates, coordinating donor missions, and ensuring fulfilment of reporting and accountability commitments.
• Lead project development and resource mobilization efforts, including identification of scaling-up opportunities, preparation of concept notes and project proposals, and coordination with FAO technical, regional, and headquarters teams.
• Oversee recruitment and mobilization of project personnel and consultants, in coordination with relevant FAO units, ensuring timely deployment of qualified personnel to support project implementation.
• Represent FAO and the project in technical, sectoral, inter-agency, donor, and government coordination meetings, promoting project objectives and strengthening partnerships.
• Foster a high-performing and collaborative project team environment, promoting accountability, inclusion, innovation, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
• Lead project closure planning and implementation, including completion of technical, operational, financial, procurement, reporting, archival, and knowledge management requirements, and preparation of project terminal reports and lessons learned.
• Prepare and submit an end-of-assignment report, documenting achievements, lessons learned, best practices, recommendations, and follow-up actions in accordance with FAO requirements.
• Perform other related duties within the incumbent's area of competence as may be assigned by the FAO Representative.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Development Studies, Public Administration, Project Management, Economics, Rural Development, Social Sciences, International Development, Environmental or Climate Change Studies, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated academic or professional exposure to conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding approaches is an advantage for programmes operating in fragile or conflict-affected contexts.
• At least 9 years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in managing and coordinating complex multi-stakeholder development project/s, including strategic planning and implementation in agriculture and rural development, and working with government counterparts and international development partners.
• Proven experience in peacebuilding and the application of conflict-sensitive approaches is an advantage for programmes operating in fragile or conflict-affected contexts.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English.
• A national of the Philippines.
• Familiarity with and understanding of the work of international organizations, regional entities and national governments.
• In-depth knowledge of project management and strategic planning, budgets and financial reporting.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to promote efficiency toward achieving project objectives and advanced knowledge of best business practices.
• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point)

Skills

• Project Management
• Strategic Planning
• Budget Management
• Financial Reporting
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Agriculture Development Projects
• Rural Development Policy
• Conflict Sensitivity
• Peacebuilding Processes
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Donor Relations
• Adaptive Management
• Leadership
• Communications Skills
• Microsoft Office Suite
• English Language Proficiency

Languages

English