Chief of Party – Water for Resilience Programme

About the role

The Chief of Party will provide strategic, technical and financial leadership for the four‑year Water for Resilience (W4R) programme in Somalia. Reporting to senior donors, the role ensures high‑quality implementation, donor compliance and effective partnership management across rural and peri‑urban agro‑pastoral communities.

Key responsibilities

• Lead overall implementation of the W4R programme across all target corridors, aligning activities with approved documents, donor commitments and budgets.
• Translate the programme Theory of Change into practical strategies that strengthen water market systems, private‑sector engagement and climate‑resilient governance.
• Oversee annual, quarterly and monthly planning cycles, operational plans, procurement, staffing and financial forecasts.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, identify bottlenecks and develop corrective action plans.
• Maintain donor relationships, represent the programme with government authorities, financial institutions, private‑sector actors and consortium partners.
• Ensure adaptive management by integrating learning, climate shocks, conflict dynamics and market changes into programme approaches.

Required profile

• Extensive experience managing large‑scale, multi‑donor development programmes in fragile or conflict‑affected settings.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and coordinate with diverse stakeholders, including governments and private sector.
• Strong understanding of water market systems, private‑sector financing mechanisms and climate‑resilience concepts.
• Demonstrated track record of achieving programme outcomes while maintaining donor compliance.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with fluency in English.

Required skills

• Strategic programme planning and adaptive management.
• Financial oversight and budgeting for multi‑donor projects.
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership development.
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems.
• Risk assessment and mitigation in humanitarian contexts.

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape water market systems in a high‑impact humanitarian environment.
• Leadership role within a leading international NGO operating across Somalia.
• Exposure to multi‑donor funding mechanisms and innovative financing approaches.
• Professional development in climate‑resilient water programming.