Team Leader - To’os Ba Moris Di’ak Program (TOMAK)

 

Terms of Reference

Title : Team Leader

Project : TOMAK (To’os ba Moris Di’ak) / Farming for Prosperity           

Duration : 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2024, with an option to further extend

ARF Level : B3/B4

Location :  Dili, Timor-Leste, with regular travel to municipalities

Reports to : DFAT Program Manager & ASI Program Manager

Manages : National Program Manager, 4 Long-Term Advisers, Operations Manager, Finance Manager, short-term advisers, sub-contracted organisations

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About TOMAK

The To’os Ba Moris Di’ak Program (TOMAK) is a 10-year agricultural livelihoods program funded by the Australian Government in Timor-Leste. Its goal is to ensure rural households live more prosperous and sustainable lives.

TOMAK Phase 1 (AUD25 million, 2016-21) aimed to enable more prosperous and sustainable rural livelihoods through an innovative mix of nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA), market systems development (MSD) and women’s economic empowerment (WEE) activities. Phase 1 was extended until June 2022 to allow for evaluative activities and the Phase 2 design update process. TOMAK Phase 2 (up to AUD20 million, 2022-26) is expected to formally commence in July 2022.

TOMAK Phase 2 will take an integrated ‘food system’ perspective to achieve inter-linked objectives relating to food security, nutrition and agriculture-based livelihoods. The program has a strong emphasis on gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), which is articulated in the program design and theory of change.

TOMAK is being implemented at community level in Baucau, Bobonaro and Viqueque municipalities, through government and NGO partners, with broader reach achieved through a range of systems strengthening activities with government and private sector partners.

 

Position Summary

The TOMAK Team Leader is responsible for leading the overall direction and implementation of TOMAK, managing stakeholder relationships, and ensuring the program delivers its End of Investment Outcomes. This includes ensuring that the program is implemented according to the contract and annual plans agreed with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and is aligned with the program design and approved program strategies.

The Team Leader is responsible for establishing, maintaining and nurturing key stakeholder relationships, especially with Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL) partners including the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), Ministry of Health (MoH) and Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion (SEII). The Team Leader will also play a pivotal role in supporting TOMAK’s collaboration and coordination with other programs and agencies including DFAT’s Market Development Facility (MDF), labour mobility programs, UN and other donor agencies working across the food system, as well as international and local NGOs. The Team Leader will take the lead in developing and updating Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and technical cooperation agreements with relevant ministries and municipal authorities as required, and ensuring program implementation is consultative and responsive to key partners.

The Team Leader is the primary contact point for the program’s donor (TOMAK is managed by the Australian Embassy in Dili) and ASI program management (based in Sydney), working in close coordination with both the DFAT Program Manager and ASI Program Manager to ensure efficient and effective implementation of the program. The Team Leader, in collaboration with key technical personnel, will lead the process to develop and submit the program’s annual plans, budgets and reports according to the agreed schedule. The Team Leader will ensure that all contract deliverables are thorough, accurate, and effectively communicate program activities, lessons, and achievements to a high standard. To do this, the Team Leader should have an excellent understanding of all aspects of the program including its gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) strategies, and approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).

The Team Leader works closely with the program’s key technical personnel (esp. long-term advisers) to set the technical direction of the program, articulate program strategies and develop coherent workplans. This requires a deep and comprehensive understanding of the program design and expected outcomes, key technical approaches (food systems, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, market systems, etc.), and long-term vision. The Team Leader is expected to provide daily oversight and support to the program’s technical and operational teams as well as regional offices in order to manage program risks, and ensure high-quality field implementation. The Team Leader is expected to assess the performance of the program, identify and respond to emerging challenges/opportunities and adopt an adaptive management approach to the delivery of the program.

The Team Leader will recruit and manage the performance of the program’s leadership team and relevant short-term advisers, and take overall responsibility for any local partner sub-contracts. The position requires a collaborative and thoughtful leader, with demonstrated skills and strategies to get the best from a high-performing, experienced team. As a complex, municipality-based, multi-year program, TOMAK requires high-level expert experience and leadership to deliver its planned results. The Team Leader should have exceptional leadership skills, whilst still being willing to roll up their sleeves to get work done. They will have the ability to collaborate with diverse teams and effectively communicate and oversee program implementation. Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines are a must. The Team Leader should be an excellent communicator, capable of expressing the program’s vision and expected outcomes through a range of formats and with a variety of stakeholders. They should be willing to travel regularly to the field (Baucau, Bobonaro and Viqueque, or other municipalities as required) including to rural/farming communities as required.

 

Duties and responsibilities

• Lead the overall management and strategic direction of TOMAK, and ensure that the program achieves its intended objectives and outcomes;
• Provide sound support and guidance to technical and operational leadership within the program, working collaboratively to mitigate risks, respond to challenges/opportunities, and resolve problems;
• Lead the preparation of key outputs including annual plans and budgets, progress reports, and other outputs as detailed in the program contract, anticipating and driving changes in program direction as necessary throughout the evolution of the program;
• Oversee the delivery of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan and work with technical teams to ensure data and learnings are used for adaptive programming. Liaise with DFAT’s M&E personnel to ensure the delivery of relevant results measurement information to feed into DFAT’s own performance monitoring and reporting;
• Review and quality assure all outputs that are submitted to DFAT, working to ensure consistency and logical alignment throughout these outputs;
• Build and lead a strong and motivated team within TOMAK, with appropriate capacity-building, mentoring and performance management activities;
• Develop effective coordination and communication strategies and productive relationships with DFAT, existing DFAT programs in Timor-Leste and other stakeholders, including GoTL agencies, development partners, NGOs, and the private sector;
• Provide strong leadership on GEDSI, women’s economic empowerment and inclusive development generally, and ensure compliance with DFAT’s policies;
• Maintain and further develop TOMAK’s strong reputation in Timor-Leste (including by representing the program in a confident, professional manner at public events and in coordination forums) and ensure that DFAT ownership of the program is always visible and acknowledged;
• Support best practice management and business processes and procedures within TOMAK, including planning, reporting, procurement, financial management, contracting and administration and ensure that they are carried out effectively, adhering to DFAT compliance policies;
• Lead the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks, ensuring that all program risks are managed effectively and communicated with DFAT as required;
• Act as primary local contact in the event of any safety or security event(s) and be responsible for the implementation of any Standard Operating Procedures in response to such events;
• Oversee the development and negotiation of agreements with advisers and sub-contracted organisations, and ensure that organisations and advisers contracted by the program fulfil their responsibilities, contributing competently to the achievement of program and DFAT’s objectives;
• Oversee the development of communications strategies to ensure that the work of the program is widely disseminated and represented in local and international development forums; and
• Build a strong understanding of GoTL policy areas that are relevant to the program team and delivery of the program, and play an active role in supporting the program’s institutional strengthening objectives;
• Participate in relevant networks (including those convened by DFAT) to ensure regular communication and coordination with other programs, organisations and agencies.

 

Skills and experience required:

1. Ten to fifteen years demonstrated experience working in international development (agriculture, rural development, health, etc.), with at least 7 years experience in senior management (especially in the development and implementation of complex multi-sectoral programs);
2. Outstanding performance history as a Team Leader and/or senior manager with demonstrated capacity to lead and coordinate large, multi-location teams;
3. Demonstrable technical knowledge in at least two of the following areas: agricultural economics, market systems development, rural development, food security and nutrition, social and behaviour change, communications (particularly cross-government coordination), and/or GEDSI and women’s economic empowerment;
4. Demonstrated ability to develop and nurture productive relationships with critical stakeholders including governments/departments, DFAT and other bilateral/multilateral-funded programs, and to manage effective partnership arrangements (existing relationships in Timor-Leste would be an advantage);
5. Demonstrated high level organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks, competing priorities and complete assignments within timeframes;
6. Excellent strategic communication skills, analytical and report writing skills, with experience in influencing policy or communicating effectively with governments;
7. Exceptional interpersonal and cross-cultural skills and the ability to develop highly productive relationships within a large team and across key stakeholders;
8. Commitment to gender equality principles and ability to apply these within complex projects;
9. Post-graduate qualifications relating to international development, nutrition, agriculture, rural/development economics, or similar;
10. Prior working experience in Timor-Leste is preferred and fluency in Tetum language is desirable.

 

To apply:

For further information or to submit your application, please contact Tammy Theikdi tammy.theikdi@adamsmithinternational.com  with email subject as “TOMAK Team Leader”.

Applications should include a cover letter which addresses the Terms of Reference and an up-to-date CV. Adam Smith International is an equal opportunity employer – women and candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications received, only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

Applications close COB Friday 15 July 2022.