<p>POSITION TITLE: Trade Facilitation Lead</p> <p>LOCATION: Dhaka, Bangladesh</p> <p>GROUP: Agriculture, Resilience, and Water</p> <p>REPORTS TO: Chief of Party</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>PROJECT SUMMARY:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The Systems for Expanded Trade and Uptake (SETU) project is a five-year USDA Food for Progress initiative implemented by Winrock International in Bangladesh. SETU seeks to expand international trade in agricultural goods by improving the efficiency, transparency, predictability, and effectiveness of trade related processes and institutions. The project will strengthen the trade enabling environment through four complementary areas of work: improving legal frameworks and processes for trade and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures; operationalizing risk management systems; increasing private sector engagement in trade related reforms; and strengthening trade infrastructure and access to finance. Through these activities, SETU will work with Government of Bangladesh (GoB) agencies, private sector stakeholders, financial institutions, and other partners to reduce unnecessary trade costs and delays, improve regulatory coordination and compliance with international standards, and create a more predictable environment for agricultural trade and investment.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>POSITION SUMMARY:</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p>The Trade Facilitation Lead will serve as the senior technical lead for Activity 1: Improve Legal Frameworks and Processes for Agricultural Trade and SPS, <strong>under the strategic and technical direction of the Chief of Party</strong>. The position will lead and coordinate implementation of Activity 1, including support to the Government of Bangladesh to modernize trade and SPS laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; simplify and automate agricultural trade processes; strengthen SPS and laboratory systems; and improve coordination between government institutions and the private sector.</p> <p>The Trade Facilitation Lead will supervise and coordinate the Activity 1 technical team, including the SPS Advisor, Technical IT Coordinator, Trade Facilitation Coordinator, and relevant consultants and technical service providers. <strong>As part of the project’s senior technical team, and in collaboration with other SETU technical leads,</strong> the position will translate project priorities into practical, sustainable institutional, regulatory, and operational reforms and ensure that Activity 1 contributes effectively to SETU’s overall objectives.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:</strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Technical Leadership and Activity Management</strong></p> <ul> <li>Provide technical leadership and day-to-day management of Activity 1, ensuring timely, high-quality implementation aligned with SETU objectives and USDA requirements.</li> <li>Lead the Activity 1 technical team, including the SPS Advisor, Technical IT Coordinator, Trade Facilitation Coordinator, consultants, and technical service providers.</li> <li>Develop Activity 1 inputs to work plans, implementation strategies, scopes of work, and budgets in collaboration with relevant project teams.</li> <li>Coordinate with other Activity Leads, the MEL Manager, and cross-cutting functions, including Government Engagement, to ensure coherence across SETU.</li> <li>Coordinate with other Activity Leads, the MEL Manager, and cross-cutting functions, including Government Engagement, to ensure coherence across SETU.</li> </ul> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Legal, Regulatory, and Institutional Reform</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead technical support to Government of Bangladesh agencies to review, update, draft, and advance laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and other instruments governing agricultural trade and SPS measures, including reforms related to the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC).</li> <li>Lead technical work supporting the proposed Trade Facilitation Act and related institutional reforms, including strengthening the legal and institutional basis of the NTFC.</li> <li>Support SPS agencies to strengthen the legal and regulatory basis for harmonization, risk-based compliance, automation, and alignment with applicable international standards.</li> <li>Facilitate government and private-sector consultations to ensure proposed reforms respond to operational trade constraints and are practical to implement.</li> <li>Support relevant agencies in advancing remaining WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement commitments and strengthening mechanisms for tracking and coordinating implementation.</li> </ul> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Trade Process Simplification and Automation</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead technical assistance to GoB agencies to simplify, standardize, and automate priority agricultural import, export, and transit procedures.</li> <li>Use Time Release Studies, business process analyses, baseline data, stakeholder consultations, and other evidence to identify priority bottlenecks and opportunities to reduce trade time and costs.</li> <li>Work with SPS agencies, NBR, and other rele