Palladium  recruits a Team Leader, Asia Pacific Climate Resilience Platform in India

Palladium  recruits a Team Leader, Asia Pacific Climate Resilience Platform in India

Company Overview:

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved – and is committed to continuing to improve – economies, societies and most importantly, people’s lives.

Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.

Project Overview and Role:

 Palladium are looking to build teams for an up-coming regional climate change resilience programme working across Asia (south, southeast and central) and the Pacific, and are seeking a highly experienced Team Leader (TL) to lead and manage the programme in-country on a full-time basis. The regional programme will begin in mid-2021 and will run for 6-7 years. Activities will include (but are not limited to):
Building capacity and providing tailored support at regional, national and subnational levels to integrate climate change into planning, budgets and investments;
Ensuring vulnerable communities have the information, capacity and resources to adapt to climate change; and
Strengthening natural resource management (including transboundary landscapes) for disaster prevention, water and food security, and regeneration.
There is also scope for the TL to support proposal development, including but not limited to formulation of implementation strategy, team recruitment and partnership scoping.

The TL is responsible for leading and managing programme delivery, as part of the senior management team and will provide supervision to the core team. Ideally, the TL will be based in India, however there is some flexibility on location if the candidate can ensure reasonable availability for frequent travel. He/she will report to the Project Director based in the UK. The role will involve providing strategic programme guidance and representing the programme at meetings with representatives of country governments, donors, civil society and private sector partners.
The role ensures that project objectives, outcomes and deliverables are met and that financial, operational and reporting requirements of the client are adhered to. The role works closely with and manages the project team of technical and administrative professionals and other support staff. The TL is a senior representative of Palladium and as such ensures that risks are minimized, company policies, processes and procedures are adhered to. The TL will be the primary client point of contact and represents the company with other donors, partners and stakeholders, including the country governments.

Primary responsibilities
Client and Stakeholder Relationships
– Maintain an excellent working relationship with the client in order to ensure agreement of the program’s strategy, plans, resource requirements and any other contract amendments required;
– Political / strategic engagement with country governments, regional institutions, multilaterals and private sector;
– Participate in multi-stakeholder platforms within the programme’s strategic scope and ensure programme learnings are captured and disseminated effectively; and
– Lead the timely and accurate reporting to Palladium and the client.

Program Leadership and Management
– Provide overall guidance and strategic direction to all aspects of the programme, ensuring that work stream activities are implemented to a high quality within expected timeframes and expected results are achieved;
-Ensure timely delivery of quality services and contractual commitments in the head contract, including milestone deliverables;
– Assume overall responsibility for the effective and professional management of the project team;
– Convene and chair strategic meetings and dialogues to disseminate knowledge, facilitate peer learning and broker financing for projects;
– Ensure cross-cutting elements are incorporated throughout the programme lifecycle, and proactively inform the programme strategy; and
-Oversee and ensure high quality of technical inputs, including capacity building and institutional support to national institutions involved in climate and environment policy and planning; technical assistance and analysis to support national policy and planning, regional cooperation and preparation of investment projects; and leveraging catalytic finance for climate-resilience investments (e.g. investment grants, concessional finance, guarantees, etc.)

Personnel Management
– Lead, guide, mentor and manage the performance of technical and administrative direct reports and ensure appropriate processes are in place for induction, guidance and management of other staff;
– Participate as required in HR management including but not limited to recruitment and contracting, performance management, disciplinary and grievance proceedings, and learning and development;
– Optimise benefits of diverse and inclusive teams, including understanding and planning for others’ positions and needs, providing formal recognition of team member contributions, and coaching and nominating team members for development opportunities; and
– Develop and maintain a positive and productive work environment with subcontractors.

Financial and Operational Management
– Assume responsibility for the use of reimbursable financial project resources, excluding lines associated with Palladium expenditure;
– Oversight of annual project forecast, and reviewing monthly forecast updates;
– Oversight of in-country cash, including the review and approval of monthly fund transfer requests and weekly field vouchers, and ensuring programme cash holdings are appropriate; and
– Minimise financial risk to Palladium and DFID and ensure project performs satisfactorily in internal and external audits.

Support and Reporting Lines
As a core member of the Senior Management Team, the role will report directly to the Project Director.

The TL will be supported by the following programme support staff:

The Project Director will provide support to high-level decision making and engagement with the client and key stakeholders. The TL will report to the Project Director.
The Project Manager will provide support relating to operational and financial management.

Required Qualifications:

– A post-graduate qualification in a relevant field e.g. climate change adaptation/resilience, disaster risk reduction, natural resource management, international development, political science, public policy, economics, or a related field;
– Extensive experience working in a senior position on climate change, disaster resilience, natural resources governance, international development, public administration, or a related field;
– Extensive experience working in Asia, with established climate networks, namely: government ministries, civil society organisation, private sector stakeholders and donors;
– Strong understanding of climate change resilience and expertise in two or more of the following areas: government planning and investment, community-based approaches, climate information services, transboundary land and water management, climate finance reform, green economy/greening investment/trade;
– Experience managing large-scale (>£20m) donor programmes and/or technical assistance facilities with multiple partners: proven track record of successfully delivering planning and budgeting responsibilities, using flexible and adaptive approaches, and delivering positive results that translate into good value for money;
– Ability to develop, nurture and manage relationships with partnership organisations in line with the programmes’ and clients’ working principles and standards;
– Interest and ability to spearhead approaches that can improve women’s empowerment and gender and inclusivity awareness across staff and programme activities;
– Fluent written and spoken English;
– Ability to communicate effectively, negotiate persuasively and manage relationships with high level decision makers in a politically-sensitive manner, including donors, programme partners and key stakeholders throughout the region;
– Excellent leadership, representation, organisational and interpersonal skills, both in-person and remotely;
– Strong management and people skills, and ability to provide programme delivery guidance to team members in complex, multi-stakeholder environments; and
– Financial acumen and the ability to interpret and analyse financial reports.

Apply here