Program Head, Project Development and Technical Services

Job Summary:

Provides strategic leadership in the development and promotion of Searca's cross-cutting projects, including those requiring professional technical services (Pts). Leads the identification, design, and marketing of initiatives with Searca's core programs, ensuring responsiveness to regional development priorities and institutional goals.

Responsibilities:

• Provides strategic oversight across the entire project development cycle (planning, organizing, staffing, and controlling).

• Leads baseline studies, feasibility studies, situation analyses, and needs assessments to inform project design. Spearheads project conceptualization, comprehensive action planning, and resource requirement detailing.

• Prepares and facilitates negotiations for technical and financial proposals, expressions of interest, and contract approval with donors and clients. Supervises the packaging and identification of consulting and PTS opportunities.

• Leads the strategic promotion and business development of Searca's professional and technical services, ensuring visibility and alignment with potential donors and partners.

• Negotiates and secures funding support for proposed projects. Ensures the achievement of the unit's annual funding portfolio targets.

• Leads the coordination and execution of project activities, including progress monitoring, resource tracking, and risk mitigation.

• Oversees process and impact evaluations of the Project Development and Technical Services (Pdts)-led initiatives.

• Prepares and reviews the unit's annual operational plan and budget, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities.

• Sustains existing program networks and linkages.

• Fosters partnerships and collaborations with other research and academic institutions.

Required Skills:

1. Proven ability to lead, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate complex project operations across multi-disciplinary teams.

2. Strong capacity to establish and sustain strategic partnerships with international and local institutions.

3. Advanced proficiency in project identification, proposal development, marketing, and resource mobilization.

4. Highly innovative in developing projects and schemes with cross‐cutting concerns.

5. Excellent leadership, management, monitoring, coordination, problem‐solving, and analytical skills.

6. Excellent oral and written communication, with strong interpersonal and client engagement capabilities.

7. Proficient in productivity and data tools (word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, databases, search engines).

8. Deep understanding of organizational planning, execution, and the full project management cycle, especially within Southeast Asian development contexts.

Applications will be received not later than 5 December 2025 or until a suitable candidate is accepted/hired.

Minimum Qualifications: Qualifications:

Minimum Educational Attainment:

Master's degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.

Minimum Work Experience:

Ten (10) years of relevant work experience, three (3) years of which in a managerial capacity; preferably with experience in a similar development organization.

Who We Are The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is a non-profit organization established by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in 1966. Founded in 1965, SEAMEO is a chartered international organization whose purpose is to promote cooperation in education, science and culture in the Southeast Asian region. Its highest policymaking body is the SEAMEO Council, which comprises the Ministers of Education of the 11 Southeast Asian countries. The Center derives its juridical personality from the SEAMEO Charter and possesses full capacity to contract; acquire, and dispose of, immovable and movable property; and institute legal proceedings. Moreover, SEARCA enjoys in the territory of each of its member states such privileges and immunities as are normally accorded United Nations institutions. Representatives of member states and officials of the Center shall similarly enjoy such privileges and immunities in the Philippines as are necessary for the exercise of their functions in connection with SEARCA and SEAMEO. SEARCA has embraced the rhythms of change. Its Tenth Five-Year Plan (FYP) has directed SEARCA to move away from "business-as-usual" strategy as it no longer suffices in coping with the increasing complexities, uncertainties, and nonlinearities of its constantly changing environment. The "new normal" conditions in Southeast Asia compels SEARCA and all of its key partners to initiate anew a paradigm shift towards accelerating transformation through agricultural innovation (ATTAIN) in its Eleventh FYP. SEARCA Priority Areas: 1. Agri-Business Models for Increased 2. Productivity and Income 3. Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management 4. Food and Nutrition Security 5. Transformational Leadership for Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD) 6. Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD 7. Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience EcoHealth/One Health Applications to ARD