Team Leader, Vietnam

Job Description

KEY INFORMATION
Position: Team Leader, Vietnam
Sector: Facility Management, Expert Deployment Mechanism and Framework Agreements
Duration: 25 months
Base City: Hanoi, Vietnam
Start Date: 10 June 2025
Reports to:  Contractor Representative, Cowater 
Contractual arrangement : Eligible for both Vietnamese residents/citizens and international applicants.

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
The Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program is a flagship initiative of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).  The Program promotes sustainable women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in the ethnically diverse north-west region of Vietnam by applying a market systems development (MSD) approach. The primary beneficiaries are women living in the provinces of Son La and Lao Cai, while an overarching emphasis is placed on the inclusion of women from ethnic minority communities.

The Program is in its second five-year (2022-2027), AUD 33.7 million, phase (GREAT 2) continuing its focus on agriculture and tourism - sectors that lend themselves to opportunities for advancing WEE. The Program works with multiple private and public sector stakeholders to address constraints, generate opportunities, drive market growth and increase the productive value of the sectors. Cross-sector strategies such as women’s leadership, access to finance, digital transformation, policy advocacy, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and social norm and behaviour change inform and complement sector interventions.

The Program works in close collaboration and coordination with provincial government agencies to ensure alignment with national and provincial Government of Vietnam plans and goals.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
The Team Leader will provide overall strategic leadership to the Program ensuring Program coherence, compliance, and delivery of high-level, long-term and impactful engagement with the Government of Vietnam, DFAT, and all implementing partners and relevant stakeholders.
As the Program enters its final two-year period, the role will be essential in providing the necessary leadership, oversight and decision making in support of the team including managing robust partner contracting, monitoring and evaluation of partnership agreements, and closing out the Program in an effective and efficient manner.
Reporting directly to the Contractor Representative, s/he provides oversight, advice and direction to the implementation and ongoing development of the Program.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical Leadership:
Lead ongoing efforts to strengthen and implement GREAT’s Market Systems Development approach to Women’s Economic Empowerment and provide strategic and technical oversight to ensure that Program interventions are designed and delivered in line with MSD principles.

• Broker successful collaborations and/or negotiations with private sector; government stakeholders; and implementing partners at both provincial and central levels.
• Lead and coordinate strategic planning across the Program portfolio.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination between all Program stakeholders, including the internal team, implementing partners, Government of Vietnam, international and local short-term advisors, and Cowater International.
• Provide mentoring and quality assurance support to the Program’s technical team and implementation partners.
• Lead documentation, consolidation of GREAT’s achievements, lessons learnt in MSD approach for WEE for communication, advocacy and policy influence with Government of Vietnam and DFAT.

Leadership and Managerial:

• Ensure the Program is implemented, delivered, and completed professionally to achieve expected results and targets, based on approved plans and in a timely and value for money manner warranting coherence and synergies across Program objectives including through responsibilities outlined below.

Relationships and Coordination:

• Maintain and manage strategic relationships with key stakeholders, Government of Vietnam officials (centrally and provincially), DFAT, and implementing partners.
• Provide high level advice to DFAT and the Government of Vietnam on strategic direction and implementation of the Program.
• Ensure the Program is accountable to DFAT, provincial and central Governments in Vietnam, and Cowater.
• Lead and support coordination of the Program’s partner investment committee.
• Ensure the Program cooperates with other relevant DFAT, donor and government funded programs and that strong working relationships are developed, particularly with DFAT and the Government of Vietnam at national and provincial levels.
• Supporting the Steering Committee to fulfill their functions including by ensuring timely, evidence-based, high-quality secretariat function and support.

Managing resources:

• Leading the senior management team, providing performance management, motivation, learning, development opportunities and direction.
• Managing Program resources (human and financial) effectively, efficiently, ethically, and economically to ensure optimum delivery.

Political Economy and Risk Management:

• Continually assess, evaluate, and interpret the wider context, including the policy landscape and other social, political, and economic changes that may have an impact on Program delivery for adaptive management
• Proactively managing Program risks, through regular monitoring and updating of the risk register and implementation of effective mitigation strategies, in consultation with DFAT and other key stakeholders
• Managing cross-cutting issues and DFAT environmental and social safeguards relevant to the Program.

Operations Management and Support:

• Ensure contract oversight with sub-contractors and implementing partners follow DFAT and Cowater’s contract, procurement guidelines, and best practice.
• Ensuring Program activities are in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Program’s design and agreed strategic plans.
• Ensuring efficient and accountable operational management systems are in place with high quality reporting and forecasting.
• Providing high quality deliverables to DFAT, including but not limited to progress, completion, and ad-hoc reports, technical notes, briefings  
• Ensure effective implementation of the Program’s monitoring and evaluation systems in line with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning plan (MERL), as well as the documentation of lessons and results to be disseminated effectively including clear, interesting, and evidence-based progress reports to DFAT, Government of Vietnam, and other partners.
• Ensure the program is smoothly completed as per DFAT-Cowater contract, DFAT and Government of Vietnam’s instructions and relevant laws and regulations.

JOB REQUIREMENTS
The Team Leader will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Experience in management and implementation of large development programs.
• Experience closing out a large development program.
• Experience leading multi-cultural teams of 15-20 team members and establishing an effective working environment through mentorship, delegation and capacity building.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in market systems development, gender equality and social inclusion, and/or women’s economic empowerment.
• Experience working in agriculture value chains and/or tourism development programs.
• High level policy, analytical and political economy analysis skills.
• Experience engaging directly and effectively with host-country Government officials and departments.
• Proven experience managing multiple partnerships and developing and maintaining strong stakeholder relations.
• Demonstrated success working with the private sector to improve inclusive business practices, particularly for women.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to convey concepts clearly and concisely.
• Experience working with DFAT and working in Vietnam would be highly regarded.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Please attached your cover letter and CV​​ through the “Apply Now” link on our Cowater website below.

Closing Date: Applications will close on 1 April 2025.

Only applicants shortlisted will be contacted for interview.

Women, persons with a disability and Indigenous Peoples are highly encouraged to apply.

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law. Individuals with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the recruitment process by including their request in the cover letter. Cowater International adheres to the highest standards of protection of children and vulnerable adults in the delivery of programs and services. Cowater is committed to the prevention of sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. 
Cowater International upholds standards of ethical conduct and has zero tolerance against fraud and bribery. Prior to any offer of employment, applicants will be subject to appropriate background checks

About the Organization

ABOUT US

Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2017. 

We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow with Cowater International.