Specialist, Capacity & Business Development, SIDA Project

BRAC is seeking a Specialist for Capacity & Business Development for the Sida-funded Catalyst for Change project in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The role involves strengthening the capacity of staff and community institutions, promoting inclusive business development, and enhancing climate-resilient practices. Responsibilities include designing training programs, providing technical support, conducting field visits, and ensuring gender equality and social inclusion in interventions. This position is focused on supporting marginalized and indigenous communities.
BRAC is an international development organisation founded in Bangladesh that partners with over 100 million people living with inequality and poverty globally to create sustainable opportunities to realise potential. About the Project:

The Sida-funded Catalyst for Change project aims to strengthen the resilience and self-reliance of indigenous communities in climate-vulnerable northern Bangladesh by addressing climate stress, economic exclusion, and weak local governance, with a strong focus on women’s leadership and inclusion. Implemented by BRAC in partnership with Sida, the project focuses on formalising Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), strengthening financial management and governance capacities, and linking communities directly with relevant government services to reduce reliance on short-term aid. Through community-driven approaches, the initiative seeks to shift power to local actors and support indigenous communities—particularly women—to move from vulnerability towards sustainable strength. About the Role:

The Specialist, Capacity & Business Development will provide technical support in strengthening capacity of staff, community institutions, and livelihoods systems at field level. The position focuses on building organizational capacity, promoting inclusive business development, and enhancing climate-resilient practices to improve programme sustainability and impact among marginalized and indigenous communities. Key Responsibilities:

Capacity Building & Institutional Development:

Design and implement capacity development plans for staff, CBOs, and community members.

Conduct training needs assessments and develop context-specific modules.

Facilitate workshops, mentoring, and learning sessions.

Support CBO registration, compliance, and governance strengthening.

Promote leadership, transparency, and accountability within community institutions. Livelihoods, Market & Technical Support:

Develop inclusive and sustainable livelihood and business models.

Analyze local markets and create market linkage opportunities.

Provide technical guidance on climate-resilient agriculture and livestock practices.

Promote adoption of improved technologies and sustainable practices.

Support budgeting and distribution of in-kind productive assets.

Field

Coordination, Supervision & Learning:

Provide technical supervision to Programme Organizers and field teams.

Conduct regular field visits, monitoring, and participant follow-up.

Coordinate with internal programmes and external stakeholders.

Ensure quality implementation in line with project proposals.

Document best practices, lessons learned, and case studies.

Prepare periodic technical and progress reports.

Mainstreaming

Cross-Cutting Themes:

Promote gender equality and social inclusion in all interventions.

Address community power dynamics and reduce social distance.

Integrate indigenous knowledge into technical solutions.

Ensure participation of women and marginalized groups.

Safeguarding

Responsibilities

Ensure the safety of Programme Participants, people who come into contact with the organisation and team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) to achieve the programme's goals of safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.

Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.

Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so.

Additional Job

Requirements

Skilled in creating and executing inclusive, market-driven livelihood strategies for disadvantaged groups, including women and ultra-poor households.

Experienced in engaging indigenous populations in northern Bangladesh, reducing social exclusion and enhancing access to welfare programmes.

Comprehensive knowledge of adult education principles and facilitation techniques.

Familiar with community-based organisation governance, equitable participation, and rural development initiatives.

Well-versed in DWA (Department of Women Affairs) and DSS (Department of Social Services) registration procedures, and the statutory entitlements of indigenous “plainland” communities.

Insight into traditional local governance systems (e.g., Mahto/village headman) and decision-making hierarchies in the Barind tract.

Understanding of sustainable agriculture practices and environmentally resilient growth approaches.

Demonstrated capacity to broker collaborations between