Senior Project Lead - Mozambique

The Senior Project Lead provides strategic and operational leadership for the implementation of the EKN HIV Instrument Project in Mozambique and serves as the senior in-country representative for the project. The role is accountable for country programme performance, delivery of programme outcomes, operational effectiveness, stakeholder engagement, government collaboration, resource stewardship and leadership of the Mozambique project team, ensuring that implementation remains aligned with donor commitments, national priorities and community needs while promoting while promoting high-quality, community-led, rights-based and gender-responsive, youth-friendly approaches, with particular strategic oversight of the AGYW programme.

As the senior representative for the EKN programme in Mozambique, the role maintains strategic relationships with the Embassy of the Netherlands, government stakeholders, partners and external stakeholders, and strengthens mothers2mothers' visibility, credibility and influence within the country. It does not carry regional programme strategy, programme-wide donor contractual accountability, resource mobilisation ownership, regional governance, budget allocation, or organisational country leadership beyond the scope of the EKN programme.

Key Performance Areas

Strategic Country Leadership, Project Delivery and Performance

- Provide overall leadership and direction for implementation of the EKN project in Mozambique.
- Lead the development and execution of country implementation strategies, workplans and operational priorities.
- Ensure delivery of project outcomes, targets, milestones and contractual commitments.
- Ensure that HIV prevention, SRHR, GBV, psychosocial support, community engagement and referral interventions are appropriately integrated to address the needs of AGYW for the AGYW project
- Provide strategic oversight of the application of the m2m peer-led model to AGYW programming, including effective linkages between AGYW, communities, health facilities and relevant social and protection services.
- Ensure that programme implementation is age-appropriate, gender-responsive, youth-friendly and responsive to the diverse needs of vulnerable AGYW.
- Provide strategic oversight of AGYW SBCC and communications approaches, ensuring that messaging and engagement strategies are culturally appropriate, gender-responsive and relevant to different AGYW audiences.
- Drive a culture of accountability, excellence and results across programme teams.
- Promote innovation and adaptive management approaches that improve the accessibility, acceptability and effectiveness of services for AGYW.
- Monitor programme performance and initiate corrective actions where required.
- Ensure effective coordination across technical, operational and support functions.
- Lead implementation readiness, mobilisation and adaptive management processes.
- Ensure programme delivery remains responsive to community needs and changing contexts.
- Oversee the writing and timely submission of annual, and ad-hoc donor progress reports, in line with objectives, indicators and targets ensuring they match donor branding and visibility guidelines

Programme Quality, Learning and Results Management

- Ensure implementation quality across all programme interventions.
- Provide senior oversight of the quality and fidelity of the m2m AGYW implementation model across programme locations.
- Promote effective use of programme data, evidence and learning.
- Lead programme performance reviews and continuous improvement processes.
- Strengthen the use of strategic information to improve programme performance.
- Support the implementation of quality assurance systems and standards.
- Promote innovation and adaptive management approaches.
- Facilitate learning, documentation and the sharing of best practices.
- Ensure programme reporting reflects accurate, high quality and timely information.

Government, Donor, Strategic Partnerships and External Representation

- Serve as the senior in-country representative for the EKN programme.
- Build and maintain productive working relationships with the Embassy of the Netherlands and other donor stakeholders.
- Support donor stewardship through proactive communication, relationship management and programme visibility.
- Represent mothers2mothers and the EKN programme in senior external forums, consultations and strategic engagements.
- Ensure that engagement with the Embassy of the Netherlands and other strategic stakeholders appropriately communicates progress, learning, challenges and opportunities relating to AGYW programming.
- Build and maintain relationships with government ministries, departments and national stakeholders.
- Ensure close working relationships with MOH and partner organizations to ensure harmonized efforts and coordination of project activities
- Strengthen strategic relationships with development partners, civil society organisations, academic institutions and community stakeholders.
- Support the effective operation of Country Advisory Committees and other stakeholder engagement mechanisms.
- Promote the visibility, credibility and influence of mothers2mothers within Mozambique.
- Identify opportunities that strengthen strategic partnerships and support future sustainability and growth.

Country Operations, Financial Stewardship and Resource Management

- Oversee country programme operations and implementation systems.
- Monitor budget performance, expenditure and resource utilisation.
- Ensure effective operational planning and resource allocation.
- Support forecasting, financial management and operational decision-making.
- Strengthen operational efficiency and effectiveness across programme functions.
- Ensure programme resources are utilised appropriately and responsibly.
- Support procurement, logistics and operational readiness activities.
- Ensure compliance with organisational policies and donor requirements.

People Leadership and Organisational Effectiveness

- Lead, coach and develop programme managers and staff.
- Create a culture of accountability, collaboration and inclusion.
- Drive effective performance management and talent development practices.
- Build leadership capability across programme teams.
- Support succession planning and workforce development.
- Foster employee engagement, wellbeing and retention.
- Strengthen organisational effectiveness through strong leadership and people management.
- Model mothers2mothers values and leadership behaviours.

Risk Management, Compliance, Sustainability and Strategic Positioning

- Ensure effective management of programme, operational, safeguarding and compliance risks.
- Ensure staff and partners understand and apply safeguarding standards.
- Monitor implementation risks and oversee mitigation strategies.
- Ensure compliance with donor requirements, organisational policies and programme standards.
- Promote safeguarding, accountability and ethical programme implementation.
- Support the implementation of localisation and sustainability objectives.
- Monitor the external environment and identify emerging risks, trends and opportunities.
- Contribute intelligence and insight that supports future programme growth and partnership development.
- Strengthen mothers2mothers' strategic positioning and long-term presence within Mozambique.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

Must Have

- Master's Degree in Public Health, International Development, Health Systems, Social Sciences, Programme Management, Business Administration or a related field.
- Minimum ten years' progressively responsible experience in public health, international development or donor-funded programmes.
- Significant experience leading complex programme implementation.
- Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and managers.
- Experience engaging with senior government stakeholders and development partners.
- Experience managing programme performance, operations and results.
- Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement, partnership development and external representation.
- Experience working within HIV, SRHR, AGYW, AYP community health or related sectors.
- Strategic programme leadership, programme performance management and results-based management capability.
- Donor and stakeholder engagement, government relations and partnership development capability, with political acumen and diplomacy.
- Financial and resource stewardship, with risk and compliance management capability.
- Health systems strengthening knowledge together with HIV and community health programming expertise.
- Strategic thinking, external representation and donor stewardship, with strong influencing, negotiation, relationship building and decision-making.
- People leadership, including coaching and the development of others.
- Accountability, results orientation, integrity, resilience, adaptability, initiative, cultural sensitivity and learning agility.

Nice-to-Have

- Additional qualification in HIV/AIDS, SRHR, Community Health, Leadership, Management or Health Systems Strengthening.
- Project Management qualification.
- Experience working in Mozambique.
- Experience engaging directly with bilateral donors or embassy-funded programmes.
- Experience managing large-scale community-based or service delivery programmes.
- Experience within NGOs, INGOs or donor-funded environments.
- Experience supporting systems strengthening, localisation and sustainability initiatives.

Reporting and Team Structure

- Reports to: Project Director (EKN Programme)
- Collaborates with: Embassy of the Netherlands and other donor stakeholders; government ministries, departments and national stakeholders; development partners, civil society organisations, academic institutions and community stakeholders; Country Advisory Committees; EKN programme teams and Head Office support functions
- Supervises: Mozambique programme team, including provincial managers

Working Conditions

- Employment Type: Full-time
- Location: Mozambique