Manager

Swisscontact is an independent non-profit development organisation established in 1959 by representatives of the Swiss private sector and civil society. Our development work focuses on private sector-led, sustainable economic development with improved quality of life for all in developing and emerging countries. A key focus is to strengthen the skills of individuals and foster the competitiveness of businesses.

Swisscontact, registered as an International Non-Governmental Organisation in Nepal, has been operating in Nepal since 1991. Currently, Swisscontact Nepal has six development programmes across all seven provinces, with a wellfunctioning country office that employs over 145 staff members.

The primary goal of the DIGO project is to create additional jobs and income in the tourism sector while generating positive environmental impacts. The project intends to achieve the desired goals by supporting enterprises in selected tourism destinations in Gandaki Province to transition towards more sustainable practices and products and supporting enablers to strengthen destination planning for sustainable tourism.

To do so, Swisscontact will carry out activities across two interlinked intervention areas that results in strengthened sustainable tourism offer and competitiveness of the selected destination and the tourism enterprises.

•  Intervention Area (IA) 1: Destination Assessment and Policy and Planning Support
• Intervention Area (IA) 2: Strengthening Capacities for Sustainable Tourism.

IA 1 follows Swisscontact’s Sustainable Tourism Destination Management (STDM) approach to strengthen local capacity in tourism destination governance. The structured approach through its collaborative process in assessing tourism destinations and visitor behaviour culminates in tourism stakeholders gaining a shared and improved understanding of opportunities and challenges in their destinations and subsequently allowing them to develop and implement appropriate actions.

IA 2 focuses on building the capacities and supporting local communities and the private sector to transition to more sustainable practices and products in tourism. DIGO will support mainly accommodation enterprises to launch and promote innovative business models, products, and practices centred around sustainable tourism. It will also work with training service providers to provide sustainable tourism and green skills training for key occupations in the accommodation sector.

Manager – Destination Sustainability and Innovation (DSI)

Location: Pokhara (with frequent travel to project areas)
Reports to: Team Leader
Time: 100% (8 hours a day and 5 days a week)
Duration: One year with the possibility of extension

Purpose of the Job

The DSI Manager is responsible for the planning, designing, and monitoring of interventions which aim at strengthening destination governance and specifically supporting relevant and public stakeholders and local communities to assess, identify, and implement priority sustainability actions that stregthen destination competitiveness and sustainability. The DSI Manager is also responsible for liasing and coordinating with private stakeholders and partners for the delivery of project outputs and supporting the Team Leader in providing oversight to overall project interventions.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Partake in internal training to develop knowledge and expertise on Swisscontact’s STDM approach and tools, such as the strategic visitor flow (SVF) analysis and community coaching for sustainability (COCOS).
•  Lead the design, planning, implementation, and monitoring of strategies and interventions consistent with the overall objective of the project aimed at strengthening destination governance and sustainability.
•  Lead assessment and analyses of selected destinations, including SVF analysis, to understand challenges and barriers in tourism sector and in sustainable tourism in the destinations.
•  Conduct stakeholder analysis and support in conducting environmental assessment of selected destinations and the impact of accommodation sector in destinations.
•  Support in strengthening of key stakeholder capacities in SVF analysis and lead the conduction of SVF workshops.
•  Support in conducting SVF analysis and generating recommendations for key enablers for sustainable tourism development in selected destinations.
• Support the development of SVF applications.
• Lead the adaptation, pilot, and implementation of COCOs in selected destination. Identify participants and subject matter experts to deliver the training.
•  Support in development of new sustainable tourism products together with local communities, entrepreneurs, and
  stakeholders.
•  Identify opportunity and collaborate with tour operators, booking platforms, and public stakeholders to promote business models and tourism products.
• Facilitate coordination and promote best practices amongst wider stakeholders.
•  Develop intervention and partnership work plans and budget.
•  Ensure that activities are delivered on time and on budget.
•  Develop, build, and maintain strong relationships with implementing and strategic partner agencies including government, private sector, and NGOs. Seek co-financing for project activities as feasible.
•  Coordinate with project partner NGO and ensure timely implementation of activities and submission of quality deliverables and reports.
•  Provide support and guidance to the Project Officer as their line manager.
• Provide relevant input to progress reports.
• Coordinate and exchange information/ideas with other Swisscontact projects.
• Support timely monitoring and streamlining of data collection and analysis in collaboration with the Monitoring and Results Measurement Officer.
•  Support in developing research, learning, and communication collaterals.
•  Ensure adherence to relevant policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and guidelines of Swisscontact Nepal (Financial and Operation Manuals, Code of Conduct Against Corruption, Conflict of Interest, Local Security
• Management Plan, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Guideline, PSEAH guideline, Communication Guideline and other specific policies guidelines and manuals of Swisscontact).
• Other tasks as determined relevant by the Team Leader.

Key Competencies

• Master’s Degree in relevant field with at least 5 years of experience designing, implementing, and managing similar initiatives
• Demonstrated experience in working in the tourism sector and with government agencies.
• Should be familiar with the understanding of challenges of sustainability in the tourism sector.
• Experience in developing innovative tourism products and building capacity of tourism enterprises and/or communities.
•  Experience in building and maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner agencies is required.
•  Advanced communication skill in both English and Nepali (verbal and written).
• Excellent negotiation and networking skill.
• Ability and willingness to work in a team to deliver high quality outputs within deadlines in a dynamic and fast‐ paced work environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel.

Conditions and Environment

• In accordance with the Swisscontact Finance and Operations Manual.

Application Procedure

Please submit online Job Application Form by clicking the link below.

Job Application Form Manager DSI Pokhara

The deadline for submission of the application is February 4, 2025.

Swisscontact will not entertain any phone enquiries or other such solicitations for these positions. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the selection process. Swisscontact reserves the right to reject any and all applications.

Swisscontact is an equal opportunity employer. Women and applicants from disadvantaged groups are encouraged to apply.