Team Leader

Team Summary

Search for Common Ground (Search) is a non-governmental organization based in Washington DC and Brussels. Search is the world’s largest peacebuilding organization, working on the

frontlines of today’s most consequential conflicts where millions of lives are at stake. Our core methodology is called the Common Ground Approach, through this we help adversaries learn to trust each other, create avenues for collaboration, and generate breakthroughs for peace.

Search in the DRC works to strengthen peace in the DRC by transforming the behavior of both key stakeholders and the general population, targeting decision makers and key influential individuals at the national, provincial, and community levels. Search’s program approaches are developed with the necessary flexibility to be able to respond to emerging problems and needs, recognizing DRC’s fluid and uncertain political and security environment. Search has a main office in Goma, three bases in Bukavu, Kinshasa and Mombasa, and sub-bases in Kalemie, Gbadolite, Bunia and satellite offices in Kananga, Minembwe, Mikenge and Epulu, with a total staff of more than 70 persons and experts, currently working on 8 different projects in 7 different provinces (North Ubangui, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika, Kasai-Central and Kinshasa), with the financial support of a number of European, American, and multilateral donors.

*Please note that the position is contingent upon contract award*

Search seeks an experienced Team Leader for an anticipated Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development (FCDO) stabilisation programme in DRC. The Team Leader will provide strategic, managerial, and technical leadership and oversight to the project. This position will lead the team through the project’s inception phase, and then through project implementation, including programme quality, staffing, and financial oversight, including sub-grants. This position is the lead liaison on behalf of Search with project partners in country and key stakeholders, as well as serving as the principal liaison to the donor. This position will be based in Goma, DRC. The successful candidate will report to Search’s Country Director in Kinshasa.

Main Responsibilities

• Set overall programme strategy and direction in consultation with the project management team and partners, with overall accountability for ensuring that programmatic goals are met.
• Lead the inception phase, including any necessary revisions to the approach, assumptions, and other key aspects, as well as the detailed formulation of the activity planning, in collaboration with regional colleagues, country team members, consortium partners, the donor, and other stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and coordination on matters related to this project for consortium partners, FCDO, DRC counterparts, other stabilisation actors, and other stakeholders, and maintain productive, positive working relationships.
• Lead the operational and programmatic aspects of the project’s inception phase, including the coordination and regular convening of consortium partners.
• Manage the project team across all target locations (North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri)
• Ensure that research, learning, and adaptive management are applied as key principles throughout implementation.
• Serve as lead ‘fund manager’ responsible for ensuring funds are disbursed to civil society organisations within the timeframes established in the activity terms of reference.
• Oversee and contribute to development of programme deliverables including but not limited to: monthly reports, quarterly reports, annual reports, learning plans and reports, annual work plans, and financial reports.
• Identify implementation problems/challenges quickly, and proactively develop mitigation strategies and solutions independently.
• Collaborate, develop working networks and platforms of coordination with DRC government authorities, DRC partners, donors, and other INGOs working on stabilisation and peacebuiding in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri as well as across eastern DRC to ensure that synergies between the project and other stabilisation interventions are maximised.
• Motivate the project team to perform effectively toward program objectives through strong communication, team building incentives, and responsiveness.
• Work with the Central and East Africa regional team to ensure adequate human resources, including short-term technical assistance, as well as compliant grant and financial management.

Type and Nature of Contacts

• Maintains relationships with programme and country colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolves situations with tact.
• Represents the programme and develops relationships with stabilisation actors in DRC.
• Develops and maintains relationships with country office, regional, and technical expert staff.

Education and Experience

Typically BS/BA with minimum 9 years’ experience.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Usual office environment conditions; ability to travel programme locations at least 30%.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

Manages the staff and/or consultants affected to the project and is responsible to manage the budget of the project.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.