EOI - TEAM LEADER

                                      REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

                                                            Team Leader

                                           Mekong Land Initiative (MLI)

 Closing date: September 30, 2025, at 23:59 ICT.

 Location: Lao PDR

 Project duration: 4-years

Department purpose: The Oxfam in Asia regional platform contributes to and implements Oxfam’s Global Objectives and Strategy and leads the implementation of Oxfam in Asia’s Strategic Framework, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in Asia. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses and the localization of humanitarian leadership, long-term development programming, and influencing work. Responsible and accountable for the strategic direction and effective management of the programming in the Mekong Region, effective management of financial and human resources in line with Oxfam policy and providing high-level support and representation for advocacy, fundraising, and any other representational purposes in support of Oxfam’s work and interests while ensuring gender justice and feminist principles are adopted.

Team purpose: The Mekong Land Initiative Programme (MLIP) is to ensure that smallholder women and men farmers particularly those from ethnic minority groups enjoy secure, equitable, and sustained access to agricultural land and forests, while benefiting from responsible agricultural investments (RAI) and sustainable livelihoods.  Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) the programme operates across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV), delivering four interlinked outcomes:

• Capacitate and connect multi-stakeholder alliances to regional and global initiatives;
• Strengthen legal and policy frameworks on customary tenure rights and RAI through informed engagement.
• Enable alliances to leverage funding and to translate land governance reforms into action; and
• Foster cross-country learning and regional exchange.

Job purpose: Oxfam seeks an experienced Team Leader to provide strategic and operational leadership for this multi-country programme on land governance, responsible agriculture investment and tenure security.  The Team Leader will ensure delivery of high-quality outcomes across countries; manage a diverse team; and build trusted partnerships with government, civil society, private sector and regional bodies.  The role requires proven leadership in SDC-funded programmes, donor compliance, inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches, and the ability to drive policy influence and sustainable systemic change.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Programme Management

• Provide overall vision, strategy, and leadership across CLMV to ensure delivery of programme objectives.
• Manage programme planning, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation across multiple countries.
• Ensure alignment with Oxfam’s country and regional strategies and global influencing agenda.
• Drive the integration of humanitarian, development and peace where relevant, especially in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

Policy Dialogue. Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead structured policy dialogs with national/sub-national and regional bodies on customary tenure, land governance and RAI; ensure evidence-informed proposals and reforms.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with CSOs, national/sub-national governments, private sector, and regional institutions.

Donor Relations & Compliance

• Serve as the primary focal point for SDC and maintain strong donor relationships built on trust, transparency, and accountability.
• Ensure all programme planning, monitoring, reporting, and evaluations meet SDC’s standards and requirements.
• Provide high-quality narrative and financial reports to donors in a timely manner.
• Proactively identify opportunities for collaboration and funding expansion with SDC and other donors.
• Support Oxfam’s positioning and visibility within SDC networks and platforms in the Mekong region.

Financial & Risk Management

• Oversee programme budget, ensuring financial accountability, compliance with donor regulations (including SDC), and value-for-money.
• Identify and manage programme risks, ensuring adaptive responses.
• Mobilise and leverage additional resources from bilateral/multilateral donors and private sector actors.

People & Performance Management

• Provide leadership and line management to programme staff across countries.
• Promote inclusive, participatory decision-making and team learning.
• Build team capacity in adaptive management, gender integration, and results-based management.

Gender Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI)

• Mainstream gender equality, disability inclusion, and social justice in all aspects of programme design and implementation.
• Ensure women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalised groups have voice and agency in land governance processes.

Learning, Accountability & Knowledge Management

• Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL), and reporting systems that meet SDC’s standards.
• Document and disseminate best practices, lessons learned, and policy insights.
• Strengthen cross-country learning and knowledge exchange.

Job Requirements
Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Master’s or PhD in public policy, development studies, natural resource management, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ senior management experience in complex, multi-country development programmes of comparable size and scope.
• Proven thematic expertise in land governance, responsible agricultural investment, and tenure security.
• Professional experience in the Mekong region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) experience desirable.
• Demonstrated capacity to collaborate with governments, CSOs, private sector, and regional platforms.
• Substantial experience in managing SDC-funded programmes, with strong knowledge of SDC’s compliance requirements, adaptive management approaches, and partnership modalities.
• Proven track record in fundraising and resource mobilisation from diverse funding sources.
• Strong managerial and financial oversight skills in multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Expertise in inclusive project management, gender mainstreaming, adaptive leadership, and participatory processes.
• Excellent communication and representation skills with donors and international organisations (SDC, GIZ, EU, World Bank).

Desirable

• Fluency in a Mekong language (Khmer, Lao, Vietnamese, or Burmese) and a high level of competency in written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and adapt messaging for diverse audiences, including partners, policymakers, and communities.
• Experience with Oxfam or other international NGOs.
• Strong analytical and policy influencing skills at regional and international levels.

Key Behavioral Competencies (Oxfam Leadership Framework)

• Self-Awareness: Understands personal impact, manages emotions, and adapts to cultural contexts.
• Influencing: Persuades and inspires stakeholders to achieve common goals.
• Decision-Making: Makes evidence-based, timely, and inclusive decisions.
• Mutual Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for high-quality results.
• Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity: Thrives in complex, changing environments with adaptive solutions.
• Strategic Thinking: Develops long-term strategies aligned with Oxfam’s vision.

How to apply
If you’re interested in this opportunity, simply click “Apply” and upload your up-to-date CV and cover letter to https://jobs.oxfamnovib.nl/job-invite/14136/. The candidates allowed Oxfam to obtain your resume for future opportunity where it is aligned and kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
About us
Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 22 organizations (affiliates) plus the Oxfam International Secretariat, working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.

All our work is led by our core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Courage, Solidarity and Equality.
Our commitment to safeguarding
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam International Secretariat also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, if a job applicant has been employed by another member of the scheme, we will request information from that organization about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.