Agriculture Program Director

The organization

SunFarmer Nepal Pvt. Ltd. builds world-class solar energy systems for hospitals, schools, businesses, and farms in Nepal. We specialize in introducing innovative solar technology and business models in Nepal; we pride ourselves on doing what has never been accomplished before! Since January 2014, we have completed over 120 solar energy projects in Nepal.

SunFarmer Nepal has a small team that consists of some of the leading solar engineers in Nepal. We are motivated by our desire to help solve Nepal’s energy crisis. Our office is fast-paced and high performing, but we also like to have fun together.

SunFarmer’s head office is in New York, USA and was started by experienced solar energy experts that have led over $1 billion USD in solar energy installations. We have connections to leading solar energy companies around the world, and our plan is to eventually replicate our work in Nepal in other developing countries.

 Duties and responsibilities:

We are currently looking for an Agriculture Program Director (APD) to lead our solar-powered irrigation program. The APD will report jointly to the President of SunFarmer Nepal, and our US-based Director of Operations. This person will be an important member of the SunFarmer Nepal leadership team, and will lead an exciting and rapidly growing part of our business. Responsibilities include

•  Work with SunFarmer leadership team to develop vision, strategy, and workplan for our solar-powered irrigation program. You will be responsible for executing all aspects of the solar-powered irrigation program (engineering, sales, marketing, finance)
• Manage a team of at least 5 full-time employees and 4 interns

1. Develop processes to ensure that staff is working efficiently and our work is well documented
2. Set team Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and goals; coach junior staff to ensure that they are learning quickly

• Oversee market strategy – conduct proper research to ensure that we are tackling the right districts and working with the right types of farmers
• Oversee product development – ensure that we are using the right technology and the right financing model that makes sense for our customers. Make sure that we fully, completely understand our customers and that we are selling them the right product
• Lead monitoring and documentation efforts to ensure that our work is having impact and improving farmer lives
• Represent SunFarmer with major partners and customers (e.g., NGO, cooperatives, banks). You should develop and maintain strong relationships with major stakeholders, and be comfortable communicating with them regularly through both written and verbal channels
•  Serve as a “thought leader” – speak at conferences and improve our knowledge base on how to do best do solar-powered irrigation in developing countries

Must-have characteristics:

1. Intellect: We have a high performing team, and we only hire the smartest, brightest people we can find. We especially value creative thinkers
2. Entrepreneurial spirit: We don’t tell you exactly what you should do – we expect all team members to lead projects from start to finish with minimal supervision
3. Willingness to dive in and learn: You love getting things done, and you are always interested in learning how you can improve your knowledge and skills
4. Team player: SunFarmer is a great place to work; we look for colleagues that are enjoyable to be around, and that will work collaboratively as part of a team
5. Efficient and hard worker: We expect you to get an extraordinary amount of work done in a short amount of time – that means you have to work efficiently. However, we also work hard – when deadlines are tight, we do what it takes to get the job done

Education:

The person shall hold a Bachelors degree from a leading university, and have excellent writing, communication and presentation skills (both in English and Nepali). Master’s degree is preferred.

 Other requirements:

•  AT LEAST 5-7 years of professional experience, with significant leadership and project management experience
•  A track record of successful project execution
•  Must have both analytic skills as well as very strong writing skills
•   Willingness to travel to project sites 

--- TO APPLY: Please submit a resume and cover letter to hr@sunfarmer.org ---