Ref.
2025/CDP/13414
Job offer type
Field staff jobs
Type of contract
CDDU
Activity sectors
Climate and Territories ; Sustainable development ; Public resource mobilisation, management and accountability ; Environment and health
Sub-theme
Climate change ; Sustainable Development Goals
Deadline date
2025/07/31 23:55
Contract
Employee
Duration
1 year (renewable for the duration of the project until 2029
Project Manager - SWIOP (Sustainable Western Indian Ocean Program) (M/W)
Département Développement durable - DD > Pôle Biodiversité
Published on : 2025/06/30
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
MOZAMBIQUE
MAPUTO
Mission description
In close collaboration with the other members of the Project Management Unit, the Team Leader (TL) will have the following key responsibilities.
1) Strategic and operational management of the programme
• Strategic and operational steering of the programme implemented by Expertise France, by providing strategic direction and operational oversight of project activities in alignment with programme goals and donor requirements;
• Defining the guidelines and operational details: carrying out the technical and budgetary planning of the programme in conjunction with the partners and monitoring its implementation;
• Supporting operators and partners in the implementation of activities: project monitoring, operational synergies between operators;
• Mobilising short-term expertise: identifying needs, preparing terms of reference, selection, monitoring, quality control, etc.;
• Identifying and mobilising all the financial and operational resources needed to implement the project successfully;
• Ensuring accountability and learning from the project in close collaboration with the knowledge and communication officer;
• Ensuring the stakeholders engagement, by liaising with governmental bodies, NGOs, community groups, and international partners to foster collaboration and project support;
• Risk Management: Identifying risks and implementing mitigation measures to ensure project success.
2) Administrative and financial management of the programme
In close collaboration with the Finance & Administration Manager, he/she will be in charge of:
• Supervising the monitoring of various agreements and contracts (contracting, implementation, closure) in compliance with procurement procedures;
• Supervising financial monitoring, financial forecasts, budget closures and the production of financial reports by the F&A Manager;
• Producing technical and activity reports for the donor and compiling reports from operators or partners;
• Producing all documents required for internal EF reporting: monthly and half-yearly reviews;
• Supervising the quality of deliverables, intermediate and final technical and financial reports, and annual financial audits.
3) Management of the Project Management Unit
• Identifying and recruiting the project team members in liaison with and with support from the head office in Paris;
• Leading and coordinating the project team by recruiting project team members, defining the team's operational objectives, organising workload plans, monitoring, supporting and ensuring a good level of trust between team members;
• Ensure the proper administrative management of the team's staff in liaison with the staffing company;
• In liaison with head office in Paris, ensure the follow-up of related issues linked to the setting up of the project team in Maputo and Nairobi and good coordination with the setting up of future project teams in other technical departments of the agency: tax, offices, relations with the bank, etc.;
• Ensuring compliance with the security policy defined by the security department;
• Ensure that a calm, dynamic and positive working atmosphere is maintained. Ensure technical quality control of all deliverables in conjunction with the team.
This job description is not exhaustive. The Team Leader will be responsible for ensuring that the project's contractual objectives are met, and will be expected to carry out all activities necessary for the successful completion of the project.
Project or context description
The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region encompasses a vast expanse of ocean, stretching from the eastern coast of Africa to the islands of the Indian Ocean, including the Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar, as well as the coastal waters of Djibouti, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Somalia. The region includes both the marine and coastal areas of these countries, encompassing a total surface area of approximately 330 000 km2. The WIO region is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, home to diverse ecosystems such as coral reefs (≈15,180km2, i.e. 5,85% of world’s total), mangroves (≈745,518ha, i.e. 5% % of world’s total), seagrasses, and coastal wetlands.
However, these ecosystems are currently being jeopardized of severe deterioration due to a number of factors making sustainable management essential for maintaining their benefits to the economy and food security of the region, such as coastal development, climate change and ocean acidification, pollution (land-based and marine) overfishing and invasive species, among others.
The European Union (EU), share significant strategic, environmental, and economic interests with the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region in the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems. Taking into account this context, the eu has developed its Action around three complementary components to provide a structural and integrated response to the challenges encountered by the WIO region, under the Sustainable Western Indian Ocean Programme (SWIOP):
1. Ocean governance: This component will be implemented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and IOC.
2. Investment into a sustainable blue economy: This component will be implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
3. Improving ocean ecosystem resilience and blue carbon capture: This component will be implemented by Expertise France.
Expertise France (EF) is the French public agency for international technical cooperation. EF operates in the WIO region to support sustainable development, regional integration, and environmental governance. Through various programmes and partnerships, the agency contributes to strengthening institutional capacities, promoting marine and coastal conservation, and enhancing resilience to climate change across WIO countries.
The project SWIOP led by Expertise France will contribute to the following 3 Outcomes of the SO3 of the EU Action:
• Outcome 3.1: Management of transboundary areas and ABNJs to support ocean conservation initiatives improved;
• Outcome 3.2: Nature-based solutions (NBS) to prevent regional ecosystem degradation and/or restore degraded coastal and marine ecosystems implemented; and
• Outcome 3.3: Learning, research, outreach and knowledge of marine and coastal science improved.
These three outcomes will work in synergy to enhance the resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems in the WIO region. Transboundary management and marine special planning ensures collaborative protection of ecosystems across borders and beyond, nature-based solutions focus on practical restoration and prevention measures for ecosystems, and improved scientific knowledge underpins effective and adaptive management. Collectively, these actions will contribute to preserve and enhance the blue carbon capture function of marine and coastal ecosystems in the region, contributing to both environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation.
Required profile
Academic qualifications
• Advanced degree Master’s or PhD preferred in Project Management, International Cooperation, Marine Ecology, Environmental Science, Marine Biology, Oceanography, or related field.
Professional experiences
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in leading international projects related to biodiversity, climate resilience, or blue carbon initiatives;
• Proven track record in working on projects related to marine ecology, ocean/coastal ecosystems or equivalent fields;
• Demonstrated experience working in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region, with strong knowledge of at least one WIO country’s marine and coastal ecosystem context;
• Experience in similar projects focused on ecosystem resilience, blue carbon, and/or marine conservation;
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and complex donor-funded projects;
• Good knowledge of the European Union procedures, including project financial management, procurement, and reporting requirement.
Competences and skills
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and manage diverse teams;
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills;
• Deep understanding of the Western Indian Ocean marine and coastal ecosystems;
• Sound knowledge of ecosystem resilience concepts and blue carbon science;
• Familiarity with international environmental policies and frameworks (e.g., Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Nagoya Protocol, Nairobi Convention, NDCs…);
• Capacity to work in multicultural and multi-stakeholder environments;
• Proficient in project management tools and software;
• Ability to travel frequently to project sites.
Languages
• Fluency in English and Portuguese (both spoken and written) is mandatory;
• Proficiency in French is highly desirable.
Deadline for application : 2025/07/31 23:55
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.