Province Head – Madhesh

Vacancy Announcement

Position: Province Head – Madhesh

Number of Positions: 1

Programme: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening 

Location: Janakpur (with frequent travel within Madhesh province)

Type: Full-time 

Line Manager: Team Leader, with reporting to Samartha Programme Management Unit (PMU) 

Start Date: 11 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor) 

End Date: 31 March 2026

ORGANISATION PROFILE 

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory firm that works with governments, international development partners, and the private sector to deliver long-term, transformative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Operating across more than 30 countries, ASI specialises in governance, economic reform, climate resilience and inclusive development - applying rigorous analysis, technical expertise, and locally led strategies to achieve sustainable impact. 

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND 

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International. The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local governments to deliver social sector services. 

This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes. 

POSITION OVERVIEW 

The Province Head – Madhesh will lead the programme and subnational team in the province. S/he will work to strengthen the capacity of subnational governments in social sector governance, basic service delivery, and social sectors’ resilience. Further, s/he will also support critical subnational social sector legislation and policies in line with the scope of Samartha along with the Core Governance lead, and Policy and Institutional Development Lead. The role will focus on providing technical and strategic guidance to foster inclusive, equitable, and evidence-based governance and basic service delivery, while ensuring government ownership and accountability. 

The Province Head – Madhesh will closely with British Embassy Kathmandu (BEK), Samartha’s Team Leader, Samartha’s provincial and cluster teams in Madhesh and Lumbini, Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) lead, Health Systems Lead, Education Systems Lead, Innovation, Evidence and Learning (IEL) Lead, and other members in Samartha’s team. The province Head – Madhesh will also maintain close relationships with and provide technical assistance to relevant provincial health, education, social sector ministries, local level governments etc.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 

Governance System Strengthening and Team Management (40%) 

• Lead implementation of interventions across Samartha’s intervention areas in Madhesh province
• Lead regular political economy analysis for Madhesh province to identify entry points for support and support modality
• Support subnational governments in evidence-based planning, budgeting, and performance monitoring
• Facilitate integration of GESDI principles into Samartha’s delivery
• Provide backstopping support to the provincial and cluster teams on governance systems strengthening
• Lead and support the subnational team in delivery of Samartha’s interventions within the province

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement (40%) 

• Coordinate with sectoral ministries, local level governments, development partners, and civil society to ensure alignment, synergy and partnership as detailed in Samartha’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Communications and Policy Influencing Strategy.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms and working groups to promote dialogues
• Support local level governments in participatory planning and citizen engagement processes
• Coordinate and lead joint planning with other FCDO programmes within the province

Evidence Use, Innovation and Learning, and Adaptive Management (20%) 

• Promote the use of data and diagnostics (e.g., HMIS, IEMIS) for decision-making and adaptive planning within the programme as well as within government
• Lead learning reviews and synthesise lessons to inform programme adaptation and policy influence
• Support piloting and scale-up of innovative tools and practices, including digital solutions for data use
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, policy briefs, and technical guidance
• Lead donor reporting requirements for the Madhesh province (monthly, quarterly, annual) 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

Education and Professional Background 

• A master's degree in public policy, governance, public health, education, or related field.
• A minimum of 12 years of experience in governance with a clear understanding of Nepal’s governance systems strengthening. 
• Demonstrated experience working with subnational governments on service delivery, planning and budgeting processes or institutional capacity development. 
• Experience with donor funded programmes, especially FCDO is preferred. 
• Proven experience working with government systems in Nepal.
• Strong understanding of GEDSI, resilience, and inclusive development principles.

Skills and Competencies 

• Proven experience working with government systems in Nepal, and understanding of Nepal’s governance systems, policy frameworks and planning and budgeting processes
• Strong technical understanding of government data systems, preferably in health and education 
• Demonstrated skills in stakeholder coordination, government engagement, and technical support for strengthening institutional capacity development. 
• Ability to facilitate participatory planning processes and communicate technical content effectively to non-technical audiences, including community actors. 
• Excellent communication, analytical, and report writing skills in both Nepali and English language

Other Requirements 

• Willingness to be travel frequently within Madhesh, across municipalities.  
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in dynamic, collaborative settings, and to adapt strategies based on real-time feedback and contextual learning. 
• Ability to work independently in complex and evolving political and institutional environments. 
• Strong personal commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and strengthening of systems through evidence-based approaches. 

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR) 

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process. 

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to asi.nepal@adamsmithinternational.com by 31 July 2025. Please include “Province Head - Madhesh” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps. 

Note: Women, candidates from marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.