Program Director, Animal Health & Rural Livelihoods

Note : This is a project based employment where the project is set to run for 4 years. Expected Income : 13 - 15 LPA

General purpose of the position To lead the work on creating a responsive animal health and husbandry system in the focus states of Uttarakhand, Kerala, Bihar, Gujarat and Assam. This position will lead initiatives to strengthen rural livelihoods by improving veterinary services, farm management, and animal welfare through education, training and capacity building. The role focuses on designing and implementing comprehensive training programs for veterinarians, paraveterinarians, and community animal health workers, fostering continuous professional development, and promoting sustainable practices in animal rearing.

Essential duties and responsibilities

Program Strategy & Management (40%)

1.    Lead capacity building and training programs across five states, ensuring alignment with project objectives for veterinarians, Para veterinarians, community animal health workers.

2.    Develop targeted strategies based on needs assessment surveys and skill gap analyses.

3.    Design frameworks for continuous professional development (CPD) of veterinary and allied professionals.

4.    Oversee the development of training modules on :

5.    Antimicrobial resistance and responsible antibiotic use.

6.    Zoonotic disease prevention and biosecurity measures.

7.    Animal welfare and protection laws, humane handling, and pain management.

8.    Emergency veterinary care during disasters.

9.    Work with relevant government and training agencies on incorporating these modules into certificate programs.

10. Implement MOOCs and hands-on farm-based training in collaboration with Manager, Disaster Response.

11. Implement rabies vaccination programs and awareness on spay and neuter procedures.

12. Engage with veterinarians, paravets, and Community Animal Healthcare workers on their needs, learnings and feedback of the program.

Stakeholder Engagement (30%)

13. Build and maintain relationships with government departments, veterinary institutions, NGOs, and community stakeholders in specific states.

14. Facilitate workshops, training sessions, and awareness campaigns for producers engaging in animal husbandry.

15. Work with farmers and farmed animal owners to conduct surveys and gain feedback on the veterinary and other practices on the

Monitoring & Evaluation (20%)

16. Develop mechanisms to monitor knowledge retention, skill application, and program impact.

17. Track training completion, farm practices, vaccination coverage, and adherence to animal welfare standards.

18. Produce periodic reports with actionable insights for program improvement as and when needed.

Program Innovation (10%)

19. Implement and integrate best practices in farm management and veterinary care in collaboration with Director Farm Animal Protection and Senior Specialist Research.

20. Develop incentive and recognition programs to motivate veterinary professionals and allied workers in collaboration with Director Government Affairs and Director Farm Animal Protection.

Education and experience

• Advanced degree in Veterinary Science, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, public health, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in program management, preferably in capacity building, training, rural development, or animal health.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing training programs and capacity-building initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of animal welfare, zoonotic diseases, AMR, and livestock management.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders including government agencies, NGOs, and communities.
• Experience in preparing content, specifically, the ability to extract key messages and information as per stakeholder requirements.

Necessary knowledge, skills and abilities

1.    Comfortable in a fast-paced environment with frequent deadlines; high energy, self-motivated and proactive.

2.    Ability to manage issues requiring problem resolution and conflict management with excellent interpersonal and intervention skills.

3.    Attention to detail and commitment to excellence, demonstrated by the delivery of quality and timely outcomes.

4.    Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and negotiation skills.

5.    Ability to quickly absorb and communicate complex subject matter to a variety of audiences.

6.    Ability to work patiently and astutely with different stakeholder groups and in multicultural and multilingual environments.

7.    Ability and willingness to travel, as needed.

8.Strong interest in animal protection issues preferred.