Systems Resilience Lead

We are searching for an experienced Systems Resilience Lead at our Lilongwe, Malawi office. 

Project Overview and Role:

The USAID and Ireland-funded Feed the Future Malawi Growth Poles Project (“Growth Poles Project”) is a 5.5 year project that will accelerate environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, resilient, and more inclusive wealth generation in Malawi by mobilizing rural based private sector investments and partnerships with anchor firms and their surrounding communities, smallholder organizations, cooperatives, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in a growth pole approach, with a youth and gender lens. In short, the Growth Poles Project is a partnership with private sector to drive resilient prosperity that will improve food security, incomes, jobs, and exports in Malawi.

For the Growth Poles Project, systems resilience will be strengthened through improved climate and natural resource management. Below are the five intermediate results the Systems Resilience Lead will achieve in order to strengthen systems resilience:

Facilitate rehabilitation and recovery of forests, watersheds and micro-catchments, including assisted natural regeneration. Result: 150,000 hectares of forests and watersheds rehabilitated and conserved.
Improve natural resource management (NRM), including soil and water management
Result: 40,000 arable hectares under improved soil and water management
Improve climate resilience through integrated, private sector-led approaches related to climate-smart agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food systems, watershed management, regenerated forests, and governance.
Result: Improved climate-smart seed and/or seedlings accessed by 500,000 farmers
Increase contribution to greenhouse emissions mitigation and reduction
Support the establishment of profitable businesses that are forestry- and/or NRM- and biodiversity-friendly

The Systems Resilience Lead will lead implementation of activities under the Growth Poles Project Objective 2: System resilience strengthened through improved climate and natural resource management. The Lead will manage a small team carrying out direct implementation of resilience activities in partnership with private sector and communities. The Lead will also manage relationships with anchor firms to carry out resilience projects, and provide technical assistance and capacity building for these partners. The Lead will be part of the project’s senior leadership team, which oversees project strategy and operations.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate significant experience implementing landscape-level resilience initiatives utilizing a public-private partnership (PPP) approach engaging with a range of partners, including private sector, government, local communities, and civil society. They should have strong technical knowledge of evidence-based approaches to soil and water management; strong knowledge of climate finance mechanism and resilience monitoring and evaluation is highly desired. They should also have excellent knowledge of the climate resilience and natural resource management stakeholder landscape in Malawi, and experience managing complex, long-term partnerships with diverse stakeholders.  Candidates should have strong professional skills including project planning, management, and communications, and should be passionate about addressing climate, environment, and biodiversity challenges in Malawi.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Strategic Planning and Implementation:

Develop, design, and oversee implementation for activities falling under Objective 2, including preparing annual and quarterly work plansServe as a subject area expert and strategy development lead for Growth Pole Project’s work related to resilience, including natural resources management, watershed management, agroforestry, soil health, and climate finance

Bring value as a strategic thought partner for the project’s senior leadership team.

Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management:

Lead the Growth Pole Project’s partnership with Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) to work with communities to implement the LWB’s catchment management strategy and related watershed management activitiesSupport high level technical engagement with anchor firms and other stakeholders related to climate resilience, in coordination with the private sector engagement team and project managementRepresent the Growth Poles Project in resilience and natural resource management communities of practice in Malawi, and support knowledge sharing and collaboration with these partners

Lead the design, planning, and implementation of events to support stakeholder engagement, coordination, and learning dissemination.

Team Leadership and Management:

Lead a dynamic and high-performing team and contracted service providers at both the strategic and operational levels; work with project management to identify and fill resource needsSupervise, train, and mentor team members

Effectively engage Project’s diverse team of technical and operational Directors and Leads (including project subcontractors), and global headquarters team ensuring a highly collaborative, well informed, and cross-disciplined approach to the project’s resilience and natural resource management portfolio

MEL, Communications, and Knowledge Management:

Provide accurate and timely reporting on all Objective 2 activities and indicators for donor reporting purposesIn coordination with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Director, set indicators and targets for activities for both accountability and learning purposes; design data collection mechanisms; and ensure data are collected on time and to a good quality standardIn collaboration with the communications team, support capturing, documenting, and disseminating project successes, case studies, lessons learned, and impact stories for activities under Objective 2

Required Qualifications:

The following qualifications are required to be hired at the level of Systems Resilience Lead:

University degree (or higher) in a related field10 years or more of related experienceVery strong management experience, including managing teams, field activities, events, grants and subcontracts, and senior-level partner relationshipsExperience working with the private sector on initiatives focusing on environmental sustainability, good natural resource management, and biodiversity conservation or protection.Strong technical knowledge of evidence-based approaches to landscape-level water and soil management, natural resource management, and biodiversity conservation; as well as application of water and soil management practices within commercial agriculture systemsGood knowledge of the climate resilience, natural resource management and biodiversity landscape in Malawi, including legal and policy frameworks, key stakeholders, existing programs, and body of research and evidenceExperience with leading large-scale watershed and natural resource management initiatives through grassroots approaches that engage, empower, and build the capacity of local communitiesAdvanced writing skills, organization, task management, communication, and other essential work skills etc.Experience designing and implementing monitoring, evaluation and learning activities for resilience programsGood knowledge of national and regional climate finance landscapes and initiatives, including legal and policy frameworks, key stakeholders, and existing programsProficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and OutlookFluent written and spoken English and Chichewa; other local languages strongly preferredPassion and ambition to address large-scale challenges in Malawi through creative approaches that leverage a wide range of resources including climate finance and private sector contributionsThe Systems Resilience Lead is a full time, 40 hours per week position based in the Project’s Lilongwe, Malawi office. The Systems Resilience Lead will report to the Growth Poles Project Deputy Chief of Party or their designee.

HOW To Apply:

Interested applicants must send their Curriculum Vitae with cover letter and copies of certificates indicating position being applied for in the subject matter to HR@ftfagdiv.com or hand deliver to The Finance & Operations Director, Feed the Future Malawi Growth Poles, Area 3/121, Laws Avenue Off Colby Street Lilongwe Malawi by 17:00hrs on Monday, 10th February 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified for the interviews.

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.