Project Lead

Accessdev; Sundargarh; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Job summary

ACCESS Development Services, Sundargarh district, Odisha, seeks a Manager to lead an integrated rural livelihoods programme focusing on NRM, agriculture and women enterprises. You will supervise the project team, manage donor reporting and budgets, and coordinate with district administrations to leverage government schemes.

Based in Sundargarh with travel to remote villages, you will ensure high-quality reporting, technical guidance, and effective stakeholder engagement to drive sustainable

Qualifications

• 8–10 years in rural livelihoods programmes, with 3–4 years in project management or team leadership.
• Proven experience managing donor/CSR funded projects, including donor reporting, budgeting and compliance.
• Strong technical understanding of NRM (watershed, water resource management, micro irrigation) and agriculture interventions.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, implementation, supervision and monitoring of the integrated livelihoods programme in Sundargarh district.
• Mentor and guide project team; set targets; review performance; build capacity.
• Ensure timely donor reporting including progress, financial utilisation, and case studies as per donor requirements.
• Provide technical direction to NRM, agriculture and women-enterprises interventions.
• Prepare annual work plans and budgets; monitor expenditure and ensure compliance with donor procedures.
• Contribute to convergence with district administration and government schemes.
• Strengthen community institutions and oversee monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Lead documentation of good practices and represent ACCESS at district/state forums.

Skills

Rural livelihoods

Team leadership

Donor reporting

Budgeting

NRM and agriculture

English writing

Odia language

Education

Post Graduate in Agriculture / Agricultural Economics / Rural Management / Rural Development / NRM

Tools

MIS / data management tools

MS Excel

Job description

LOCATION: Sundargarh, Odisha
LEVEL/GRADE: Manager

About the Organisation and the Programme

ACCESS Development Services is a national livelihoods promotion organization with focus on incubating innovations and sustainable models for livelihoods promotion of the poor. ACCESS operates in 14 states across the country, with programmes in both rural and urban locations, as well as in both farm and the non-farm sector. Currently, ACCESS supports more than 15 lakh households, strengthening their livelihoods and moving those from subsistence to sustainable levels through a clutch of intertwined interventions.

ACCESS Development Services is currently implementing numerous programs in Agri-value chain development, climate resilient agriculture, natural resource management, carbon farming and FPOs in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal in collaboration with various Public Sector, Philanthropic and CSR agencies. All programs are being managed by respective Team Leaders at State or program level. In Sundargarh district of Odisha, ACCESS is implementing an integrated rural livelihoods programme with tribal and smallholder farming households, combining natural resource management (watershed development, water harvesting and solar-powered micro irrigation) with sustainable, climate resilient agriculture (bio-inputs, multi-layer farming and farmer field schools) and women enterprises (poultry, mushroom, mini-food processing) to enhance farm productivity and household incomes.

Project Summary

You will be responsible for the overall leadership, supervision and management of the integrated rural livelihoods programme in Sundargarh district, with a focus on natural resource management (NRM), agriculture and women enterprise interventions with tribal and smallholder farming households. You will lead the project team and be the primary point of contact with the donor. Your specific responsibilities will be to:

• Lead the overall planning, implementation, supervision and monitoring of the project in line with the approved proposal, results framework, annual work plans and budgets.
• Supervise, mentor and guide the project team, including the Project Coordinators (Agriculture, NRM and Women Enterprises), MIS and Village Resource Persons; set targets, review performance and build team capacity.
• Ensure timely and high-quality donor reporting, including monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports, financial utilisation reports, case studies and other documentation as per donor requirements.
• Provide technical direction to NRM interventions (watershed development, water harvesting structures, solar micro irrigation), agriculture interventions (bio resource centres, vermicomposting, multi-layer farming, Farmer Field Schools) and women enterprises (poultry, mushroom, food processing etc.)
• Prepare annual work plans and budgets; monitor expenditure against budget and ensure compliance with the financial, procurement and administrative procedures of ACCESS and the donor.
• Build convergence with district administration, line departments and institutions to leverage government schemes and technical support.
• Strengthen community institutions such as SHGs, farmer groups, watershed/water user committees and FPOs to ensure community ownership and sustainability of project assets and practices.
• Establish and oversee the project monitoring and evaluation system, including baseline, MIS, data quality checks, outcome tracking and impact assessment.
• Lead documentation of good practices, success stories and learnings; represent ACCESS at district and state level forums.

Skills and Competencies

• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant work experience in rural livelihoods programmes, of which at least 3-4 years in a project management or team leadership role.
• Proven experience in managing donor/CSR funded projects, including donor reporting, budgeting and compliance, is essential.
• Strong technical understanding of NRM (watershed development, water resource management, micro irrigation) and agriculture interventions (sustainable/natural farming, farmer field schools, farm-based livelihoods) is essential.
• Experience of working with tribal communities and community-based institutions; prior work experience in Odisha would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability in team management, planning, budgeting and financial management.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills in English; working knowledge of Odia is highly desirable.
• Ability to liaise effectively with government departments, donors and other stakeholders.
• Willingness to be based in Sundargarh and travel extensively to remote project villages.
• Must be proficient in Computers (internet, word, excel and powerpoint); familiarity with MIS/data management tools is desirable.

Education & Qualification

Post Graduate qualification in Agriculture / Agricultural Economics / Rural Management / Rural Development / Natural Resource Management / Social Sciences or a related discipline is essential. Qualification from a reputed institution and specialisation in Rural Management or NRM would be highly preferable.

Compensation

Salary range in this position is commensurate to industry standards and will be determined based upon the experiences and fixed as per the HR policies of the organization.

ACCESS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to providing an environment of fairness, and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. ACCESS values diversity and inclusion, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age and disability.

Deadline is 31 st October 2026.