Team Leader

Vacancy Announcement

Position: Team Leader

Number of Positions: 1

Programme: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening 

Location: Kathmandu (with frequent travel to and within Madhesh and Lumbini province) 

Type: Full-time

Line Manager: Programme Director, coordination with Samartha Programme Management Unit (PMU) 

Start Date: 15 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor) 

End Date: 31 March 2026

ORGANISATION PROFILE

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory firm that works with governments, international development partners, and the private sector to deliver long-term, transformative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Operating across more than 30 countries, ASI specialises in governance, economic reform, climate resilience and inclusive development - applying rigorous analysis, technical expertise, and locally led strategies to achieve sustainable impact.

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI). The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local governments to deliver social sector services. Samartha is explicitly designed as a flexible and adaptable programme, that uses a problem-driven approach to address governance challenges.

This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Team Leader (TL) will provide strategic and operational leadership to the programme team, ensuring cohesive and results-driven implementation across all workstreams. This includes direct oversight of technical delivery, team management and coordination with the Programme Management Unit to ensure activities are delivered efficiently, on time, and to a high standard.

The TL will serve as the primary liaison with the BEK team, fostering strong collaboration and alignment on programme objectives, timelines, and reporting. In addition, the TL will maintain close coordination with relevant government counterparts, development partners, and beneficiaries to ensure the programme remains responsive to local priorities and stakeholder needs.

The TL will directly line manage Samartha’s provincial teams in Madhesh and Lumbini, Health Systems Lead, Education Systems Lead, Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) lead, Innovation, Evidence and Learning (IEL) Lead and other members in Samartha’s federal team.

The TL will also maintain close relationships with and provide technical assistance to relevant federal ministries such as Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), etc.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Technical Leadership (40%)

• Overall strategic and technical leadership of the programme across all interventions, including development of effective delivery model, results framework, and work plans.
• Ensuring technical quality across programme activities with overall responsibility for ensuring achievement of programme outputs, outcomes and targets.
• Represent the programme to BEK, governmental counterparts and associated stakeholders.
• Lead the quality assurance process for all deliverables and outputs before submission to the client and stakeholders
• Lead learning reviews and synthesise lessons to inform programme adaptation and policy influence
• Lead and contribute to the development of knowledge products, policy briefs, and technical guidance documents
• Oversee programme reporting, innovation and learning cycle with evidence generation to support programme adaptations

Team and Operational Leadership (40%)

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership to the Delivery Team, including technical and thematic Leads and Delivery Partners, ensuring alignment with programme goals and organisational values.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and inclusive team culture that promotes accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of programme activities, ensuring timely, efficient, and high-quality delivery in line with agreed work plans and donor expectations.
• Act as the primary escalation point for delivery-related issues, proactively identifying risks and implementing mitigation strategies in collaboration with the Programme Management Unit (PMU).
• Ensure that delivery teams are adequately resourced, supported, and equipped to meet performance targets and adapt to evolving priorities.
• Lead regular delivery reviews and progress tracking, using data and evidence to inform decision-making and drive operational excellence.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing across workstreams and delivery partners to maximise impact and learning

Stakeholder Engagement (20%)

• Lead the operationalisation of various programme governance structures at Federal, provincial and local government level.
• Coordinate with sectoral ministries, development partners and civil society to ensure alignment, synergy and partnership in social sector governance as detailed in Samartha’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Communications and Policy Influencing Strategy.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms and working groups to promote inclusive social sector governance dialogue

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education and Professional Background

• A Master’s degree in public policy, governance, public health, education, or related field.
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in social sector governance with a clear understanding of Nepal’s governance systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience working with subnational governments on service delivery, systems strengthening, planning and budgeting processes or institutional capacity development.
• Experience of successfully leading the delivery of complex, large-scale social sector and governance programme, preferably for FCDO.
• Proven experience working with government systems in Nepal, especially subnational government systems.

Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated track record in leading, motivating and empowering large teams and effectively engaging with donor counterparts.
• Understanding of working, management, operations of health and education service delivery, from subnational to federal level
• Capacity and influence to convene stakeholders and shape national policy implementation
• Strong understanding of Nepal governance system, social sector delivery, fund flows, procurement and human resource systems.
• Strong understanding of GEDSI, resilience, and inclusive governance principles.
• Strong problem solver and analytical thinker
• Demonstrated skills in stakeholder coordination, government engagement and technical support for systems strengthening
• Ability to facilitate participatory planning processes and communicate technical content effectively to non-technical audiences, including community actors.
• Ability to work in an adaptive, experimental manner, thinking creatively to design and deliver interventions
• Excellent communication, analytical, and report writing skills in both Nepali and English language

Other Requirements

• Willingness to travel frequently to Madhesh and Lumbini province and across rural/ municipalities.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in dynamic, collaborative settings, and to adapt strategies based on real-time feedback and contextual learning.
• Ability to work independently in complex and evolving political and institutional environments.
• Strong personal commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and strengthening of systems through evidence-based approaches.

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR)

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to asi.nepal@adamsmithinternational.com by 5 August 2025. Please include “Team Leader-Samartha” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps.

Note: Women, candidates from marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.