About Youth Innovation Lab
Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is a not-for-profit civic tech company that works at the intersection of emerging cutting-edge technological tools and their applications by equipping young professionals to solve emerging challenges in our community. YI-Lab’s mission statement is, ‘to engage young people to bridge science to people and policy through innovation’. YI-Lab harnesses indigenous knowledge, citizen science approach, develops low-cost technological solutions, promotes open data, promotes entrepreneurship, and conducts evidence-based advocacy campaigns. YI-Lab provides a conducive environment for young people to co-create solutions for inclusive development
About the Project
The "Advancing Agri-tech and Climate Innovation in Nepal" Project, funded by GIZ Nepal and implemented by Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab), aims to build climate-resilient and innovation-driven agribusiness ecosystems in Nepal’s most vulnerable provinces — Koshi, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim. The project will run from September 2025 to May 2027 in partnership with local governments, provincial ministries, and GRAPE II municipalities.
The project focuses on three interconnected components. First, it will deploy nine Climate and Agri-Tech Fellows in municipalities and ministries to strengthen climate-smart planning, digitize agricultural data, and prepare municipal map books and action plans. Second, it will organize climate and agri-tech bootcamps to mentor and support 90 youth-led enterprises, fostering entrepreneurship and market-ready innovations. Third, it will develop and integrate two e-learning courses on Shikshya.org, reaching more than 12,000 learners with accessible training on climate-smart agriculture, innovation, and digital tools.
Through these interventions, the project seeks to empower youth, promote inclusive participation of women and marginalized groups, and accelerate sustainable agribusiness transformation in rural Nepal.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Project Manager (PM) will be responsible for the overall planning, coordination, execution, and reporting of the Climate and Agri-Tech Fellowship Project, ensuring timely delivery of outputs and compliance with GIZ and YI-Lab standards.
1. Project Planning and Coordination
Lead the development of detailed work plans, milestones, and resource allocation aligned with the project’s objectives, logframe, and donor requirements.
Establish coordination mechanisms with GIZ Nepal, YI-Lab leadership, provincial ministries, and municipal governments.
Ensure alignment with GRAPE II project municipalities and avoid duplication of efforts.
Facilitate regular coordination meetings with consortium partners (IEDI, academic institutions, local governments).
2. Technical Oversight
Supervise the Climate and Agri-Tech Fellows’ recruitment, placement, training, and performance.
Guide the design and delivery of Climate and Agri-Tech Bootcamps, ensuring quality mentorship, inclusion of marginalized groups, and alignment with entrepreneurship objectives.
Oversee the development and integration of e-learning courses on Shikshya.org, ensuring contextualization for rural and marginalized learners.
Review technical deliverables including municipal map books, vulnerability assessments, digital datasets, and action plans before submission.
3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
Establish and maintain monitoring systems to track project outputs and milestones.
Ensure timely data collection, consolidation, and reporting from fellows, bootcamps, and digital platforms.
Prepare high-quality progress reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) for YI-Lab and GIZ Nepal, including disaggregated beneficiary data.
Support external evaluations, donor reviews, and audits with required documentation.
4. Financial and Administrative Management
Oversee project budgets, expenditures, and resource utilization in line with GIZ and YI-Lab financial policies.
Approve operational expenses, stipends, travel, and logistics for fellows and bootcamp participants.
Ensure transparent procurement of services, consultants, and equipment following donor and organizational guidelines.
5. Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
Serve as the primary contact for GIZ Nepal and other project partners.
Represent the project in provincial, municipal, and national-level coordination platforms.
Facilitate knowledge-sharing events, dissemination workshops, and graduation ceremonies for fellows and entrepreneurs.
Document and disseminate success stories, case studies, and lessons learned for policy advocacy and donor communication.
6. Risk Management and Safeguarding
Identify and mitigate risks related to political turnover, logistical delays, or low participation of marginalized groups.
Ensure adherence to YI-Lab’s Safeguarding, GESI, and Code of Conduct policies across all project activities.
Promote inclusive participation of women, Dalits, Janajatis, and youth in all project interventions.
7. Team Leadership and Capacity Development
Provide guidance, mentoring, and performance monitoring to project staff, fellows, and associates.
Foster a collaborative and learning-oriented environment among team members.
Organize periodic reflections, after-action reviews, and team-building exercises.
8. Compliance to Policies, Rules/Regulation, and Guidelines
Adhere to YI-Lab,s organizational policies, procedures, regulations, and guidelines
Ensure compliance with the funding organization's requirements
Support in the formulation of necessary rules, regulations, and guidelines
Education and Qualifications Required
Education and Experiences
- Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Development Studies, or a related field or Bachelor's Degree with 5 years of experience
- Minimum 3 years of proven experience in managing donor-funded projects in the fields of climate change, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, agribusiness, or rural development.
- Demonstrated experience in project planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and stakeholder coordination.
- Hands-on experience working with municipal and provincial governments, preferably in Nepal’s federal context.
- Prior engagement in projects involving youth engagement, entrepreneurship, innovation labs, or digital learning platforms will be a strong advantage.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong leadership, team management, and mentoring skills with the ability to coordinate multi-stakeholder teams.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills in both English and Nepali (written and spoken).
- Proficiency in project management tools, MS Office, and preferably GIS/digital platforms.
- Ability to work independently under pressure, meet deadlines, and ensure quality deliverables.
- Commitment to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and safeguarding principles.
- Strong understanding of Agricultural and Climate Change related plans and polices
Other Requirements
- Willingness to travel frequently to Koshi, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim provinces.
- Strong understanding of Nepal’s agricultural and climate resilience context.