Under the supervision of the Head of the Biodiversity Division and in close collaboration with the Project Manager (Chargée de projet) and the Unit Coordinator based in Paris, the Team Leader will be responsible for the general coordination as well as the operational and financial management of the Sargassum regional management and coordination activities. Project activities will be implemented in line with the rules and regulations of Expertise France and the French Development Agency. 

Based in Fort-de-France in Martinique, he/she will be responsible for the team management, the relationship with consultants/experts, service providers and partners, and overall quality control. He/she will also be in charge of the coordination and completion of all activities, achievements and objectives, as well as internal and external reporting.

The main tasks assigned to the Team Leader are: 

Team Management:

Reports directly to the Head of the Biodiversity Division at HQ. He/she will work in close collaboration with a Project Manager at HQ and could also liaise with the cross-functional services of Expertise France depending on the needs (legal affairs, finance, communication, monitoring and evaluation, etc.). He/she will:
-    Recruit and directly supervise a team of four to six people based in Fort-de-France, in Martinique, and Saint Lucia;
-    Lead on the recruitment of technical experts in coordination with the headquarters of Expertise France; 

Overall coordination:

-    Ensure technical coordination with the donor (The French Development Agency, AFD), partners as well as complementary with other donors’ relevant programmes in the Caribbean;
-    Ensure the representation of Expertise France to Caribbean public stakeholders;
-    Ensure the organization, preparation and participation of Expertise France in steering committees, other project coordination bodies with implementing partners, and other meetings relevant to the project, and monitor the implementation of recommendations;
-    Ensure the quality and internal and external coherence of the project, especially with other cooperation programmes ongoing in the region.

Strategic and operational project management:

In close collaboration with the partners involved in the project, and the Sargassum value chain manager (Component 2), the Team Leader will ensure the overall planning and technical management of the activities carried out by Expertise France in line with the framework agreement approved by the donor (i.e the Project Description, logframe). He/she will:

-    Define the operational direction and strategies, in collaboration with the HQ Project Manager and the Unit Coordinator;
-    Carry out the technical and financial planning of the project in coordination with the partners. Manage its implementation and update all relevant project documents;
-    Facilitate the development of a shared vision within the project and support ownership by project partners;
-    Ensure the effective coordination with other Expertise France programmes implemented in the Caribbean, and in particular the EUROCLIMA Caribbean programme;
-    Identify needs in terms of short-term expertise, prepare the terms of reference, recruit and deploy experts;
-    Supervise the experts and service providers recruited and coordinate the successful completion of assignments;
-    Prepare steering committees with project partners;
-    Oversee project progress and quality of deliverables. Monitor project indicators in accordance with the project’s logical framework;
-    Co-lead, guide and monitor the work of partners in implementing activities;
-    Support project leaders and partners in the implementation of activities and ensure the monitoring of supported initiatives;
-    Coordinate the evaluation and capitalisation of the project as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism, in collaboration with the Scientific knowledge management and learning officer and the MEAL expert (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning) ;
-    Support the implementation of the communication strategy;
-    Ensure good communication between team members, stakeholders and the donor;
-    Comply with the security instructions provided by Expertise France’s Operations Safety Department;
-    Provide HQ with any relevant information that may have an impact on the management of the security and safety of staff, equipment and the office, in a timely manner.

Administrative and financial management:

In coordination with Administrative and Financial Officer/Manager, he/she oversees the administrative and financial management of the project and ensures compliance with contracting procedures. He/she is in charge of:

-    Coordinating administrative and financial monitoring for the mobilization of short-term expertise, technical assistance contracts, grants, framework contracts, logistics, travel, audits, accounting, etc.;
-    Tracking project expenditures, consolidates the project budget (forecast) and update a work plan for field disbursements (cash flow); 
-    Coordinating and participating in the management of various contracts in compliance with procurement procedures (services, goods, works, expertise, etc.) and validation thresholds of Expertise France: procurement plan, contract negotiations, contribution to documents relating to tenders, contract quality control and monitoring of contractual commitments, financial monitoring, etc.;
-    Reporting on the project to the donor: quality of deliverables, intermediate and final technical and financial reports of the project (in collaboration with the HQ project manager);
-    Participating and contributing to the internal reporting exercises of Expertise France coordinated by HQ: monitoring activities, financial monitoring, forecasts and budget closure.

This description is not exhaustive. Overall, the Team Leader is responsible for ensuring that the project's contractual objectives are met, and for carrying out all the activities required for the project to run smoothly.