Team Leader

Project: Management Plan Preparation and Restoration of Selected Wetlands in Rift Valley and Awash Basins (BRIGHT)

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, with frequent travel to project sites in the Rift Valley and Awash Basins.

Duration: One year depending on the continuation of BRIGHT project. Reporting to: Country Representative, Wetlands International Ethiopia

Job Purpose:

The Team Leader will provide overall strategic direction and leadership for the project, ensuring the successful coordination and implementation of all activities. This role is central to achieving the project’s objectives, managing a multidisciplinary team, and maintaining strong relationships with the client, government partners, and local stakeholders.

Reporting Lines:

This role reports to the Country Programmes Coordinator, Wetlands International Ethiopia.

Work Relationship:

Internal Context:

Within Wetlands International Eastern Africa, the holder of this position relates with all staff in the organization.

External Context

Local and national authorities, Stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities & Detailed Deliverables

Overall Project Leadership and Strategic Direction:

• Provide visionary leadership and strategic guidance to the entire project team, ensuring alignment with the project’s overarching goal of ensuring sustainable utilisation and ecological integrity of selected wetlands.
• Oversee the day-to-day coordination, technical oversight, financial management, and reporting of all project activities, with backstopping from Wetlands International’s global and regional offices.
• Chair internal kick-off and regular progress meetings to ensure a shared understanding of objectives, roles, and responsibilities.
• Deliverable: Successfully managed project achieving all its stated outcomes and impacts within the defined timeframe and budget.

Stakeholder Engagement and Governance:

• Act as the primary liaison with the Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC), Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE), Basin Administration Offices (BAOs), and other key government and non- government partners.
• Lead the establishment and facilitation of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Technical Working Groups (TWGs) as per the project’s governance structure.
• Ensure a participatory approach is maintained throughout the project lifecycle, fostering ownership among local communities and government bodies.
• Deliverable: Functional and effective governance structures (PSC, TWGs) with documented meeting minutes, decisions, and action points. Strong, positive, and documented working relationships with all key stakeholders.

Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting:

• Lead the finalisation and submission of the comprehensive Inception Report, integrating outcomes from the inception workshop and detailed desk review.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the project’s work plan, ensuring all activities and phases (A-F) are executed on schedule.
• Ensure the M&E Officer develops and implements a robust M&E framework; lead the review and submission of all M&E reports, including baseline, mid-term, and final evaluations.
• Take ultimate responsibility for the quality and timely submission of all key project deliverables as outlined in the technical proposal (Table 3), including Assessment Reports, Management Plans, and Restoration Plans.

Deliverables:

• High-quality, approved Inception Report (Due by November 2025).
• Timely and comprehensive quarterly and annual progress reports submitted to WLRC.
• Finalised and endorsed Integrated Wetland Management Plans and Restoration Plans for all target wetlands (Due by February 2026).
• Restoration Progress and Mid-term Review Report (Due by December 2026).
• Final Project Completion Report documenting achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations (Due by December 2027).

Quality Assurance and Risk Management:

• Implement and manage the project’s Quality Assurance Plan, ensuring all outputs undergo rigorous internal and external review.
• Proactively manage the project’s Risk Matrix, regularly identifying, assessing, and mitigating political, social, environmental, and operational risks.
• Champion an adaptive management approach, making informed adjustments to project strategy based on monitoring data and emerging challenges.
• Deliverable: A regularly updated Risk Matrix and mitigation plan. Documented evidence of adaptive management decisions. All key deliverables meeting the quality standards of Wetlands International and WLRC.

Team and Financial Management:

• Lead, manage, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of experts, fostering a collaborative and high- performing work environment.
• Oversee the project budget, ensuring strict adherence to financial management policies, transparent accounting, and efficient use of resources.
• Approve project expenditures and ensure compliance with both donor and Wetlands International’s financial procedures.

​Deliverable: A motivated and effective project team. Clean internal and external audit reports. Financial reports demonstrating budget adherence and value for money

Key Performance Indicators

• Project Milestones: 100% of key deliverables (Inception Report, Management Plans, Mid-term Report, Final Report) submitted on time and approved by WLRC.
• Budget Management: Budget variance maintained within +/- 5% annually.
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: Positive feedback (rated >80% satisfaction) from WLRC, MoWE, and BAOs in annual reviews.
• Team Performance: High team morale and low staff turnover (<15% annually).
• Quality Assurance: Zero major non-compliance issues identified during internal or external audits.

Qualification, Experience & Skills

Professional Qualifications

Advanced degree (PhD or Master’s) in Water Resources Management, Wetland Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or a closely related field.

Relevant Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in leading and managing complex environmental or natural resource management projects.
• At least 8 years of specific, demonstrable experience focused on wetland conservation, restoration, and/or integrated water resource management (IWRM).
• Proven track record in project planning, results-based management, budgeting, and team leadership for large-scale, multi-year projects.
• Demonstrated experience in high-level stakeholder coordination and liaison with government agencies (at federal and regional levels), donors, and local communities in Ethiopia or a similar context.
• Experience with donor-funded projects (e.g., World Bank, SDC, EU) and familiarity with their reporting and compliance requirements is highly advantageous.

Essential Competencies & Skills

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities, with a proven ability to solve complex problems
• In-depth understanding of participatory approaches, community-based natural resource management, and gender integration.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills in English.
• Proven ability to work effectively in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Amharic and/or other local languages is a significant asset.

Organizational Core competencies

• Professionalism
• Accountability for results
• Integrity and leadership
• Teamwork
• Relationship building
• Communications
• Organization and self-control