Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
RECRUITMENT OF PROGRAMME MANAGER FOR LIFE-AR
Context
To overcome the pressing and unprecedented challenge of climate change, the least developed countries (LDCs) require a long-term focus to ensure that resilience and adaptation are consistently built over time. To date, climate responses have often been short-term, projectized and sectoral with climate action defined and led externally and not by LDCs or local communities. This approach limiting long term sustainability and the building of LDC systems for inclusive planning, cross-sectoral and cross-level coordination, and resourcing.
Business as usual climate finance transfers to LDCs have proved inadequate and expensive due to the cost of channelling finance through intermediaries. There also remains a gap in knowledge and a lack of an evidence base of what is working in practice to deliver long-term climate-resilient development at scale.
In response, the LDCs have launched their 2050 Vision for a climate resilient future: all countries to be on climate-resilient development pathways by 2030 and deliver net-zero emissions by 2050. One initiative to support LDCs in achieving this vision is called the LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR).
LIFE-AR is an LDC-led, LDC-owned initiative with the objective of developing long-term climate adaptation interventions and investments that reach local level, strengthening national institutions, domestic systems and capabilities, and further refining National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and wider national efforts to build resilience and address poverty by 2050.
Malawi, Uganda, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Bhutan are the six front-runner countries for the initiative.
The Front Runner Countries (FRCs) will lead and manage the establishment and implementation of LIFE-AR in-country, promoting a shift away from business-as-usual practice, and set the direction for the delivery of the LDC Vision, pioneering approaches consistent with their national priorities and contexts; and generating learning for other LDCs, development partners and global finance architecture. In Malawi the initiative is being piloted in three districts of Rumphi, Salima and Mangochi.
The initiative is being coordinated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change through the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) with technical support from the LIFE-AR interim Secretariat (currently the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)). The Ministry seeks to recruit a Programme Manager to support the implementation of the initiative for the duration of 24 months to be based in Lilongwe.
This is a highly demanding position that requires persons who have demonstrated capacity in project and financial management.
Job details
| Initiative | LIFE-AR (LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience) |
| Reports to | Director of Environmental Affairs |
| Contract type | Full-time |
| Location | Lilongwe, Malawi |
| Category | Project Manager |
Main responsibilities
1. Management and coordination (roughly 80% of the role)
- Lead the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), ensuring the day-to-day functioning and management of the initiative, including through providing oversight and coordination of the implementation of project activities in liaison with the LIFE-AR national focal point and task team.
- Provide overall management guidance to the PIU in the execution of the project for quality assurance and timeliness of project work.
- Ensure strict adherence to the LIFE-AR Principles and PIU Operating Manual during the entire implementation of the project activities.
- Provide guidance and direction to all stakeholders where such principles may not be clear and/or where there seems to be an apparent motive to divert from the LIFE-AR Principles or core project obiectives.
- Provide overall technical guidance and formulating guidelines for the participatory identification, demonstration, testing/adoption and replication of sustainable environmental and climate change management practices.
- Support the various LIFE-AR National Platform bodies and actors, liaise with the national focal point, task team, and area leads (MEL focal point, communications focal point, etc.) in carrying out project activities.
- Develop, strengthen and maintain effective working relationships and synergies with co-operating allies and partners (MDAs, donors and all stakeholders).
- Draft, process and monitor contracts and subcontracts between the LIFE-AR Implementation Unit and donors, partners, consultants, etc.
- Carry out regular inspections of all sites and activities.
- Liaise with relevant government agencies, and all stakeholders for effective coordination of all project activities.
- Ensure maintenance of adequate records on technical and financial aspects of project operation, including monitoring of project activities and their outcomes; as well as minutes, decisions and recommendations of meetings and workshops.
- Ensure the team’s input into the finalisation of minutes and track progress against the agreed actions before the next meeting.
- Oversee the timely preparation and quality assurance of project progress and implementation reports by the project team, ensuring their submission to the LIFE-AR National Platform and the donor through the global LIFE-AR Secretariat, in accordance with established reporting procedures and formats
- Lead the risk management process for the unit and ensure that safeguarding policies are embedded in all LIFE-AR activities.
- Ensure LIFE-AR progress against milestones are effectively captured and flag any deviation from plans to the Director of Environmental Affairs.
- Coordinate activities closely with other climate change projects executed by Government. Oversee the exchange and sharing of experiences and lessons learned with these and other relevant conservation and sustainable development projects.
- Ensure LIFE-AR adherence to the quality assurance plan
- Facilitate independent annual verification exercises
- Pro-actively work alongside the global LIFE-AR Secretariat to ensure that the team is kept up to date on developments in Malawi and has the information needed to provide the support to successfully implement LIFE-AR.
- Ensure compliance of the Implementation Unit to the National Operating Procedures and communicate with the Malawi LIFE-AR National Platform and the global LIFE-AR Secretariat on any amendments that documents may need going forward.
2. Communications and event management (roughly 20% of the role)
- Lead or support the organisation of LIFE-AR events (as required according to national plans and for the purposes of awareness raising or dissemination of updates, and also those organised by the LIFE-AR global secretariat around international climate change events, such as Community Based Adaptation (CBA), Conference of Parties (COPs), Bonn meetings, etc.).
- Ensure roles and responsibilities are developed and communicated with the relevant persons for smooth running of the events (identification of facilitator, presenters, interpreters, rapporteurs etc..).
- Other event support could include, but is not limited to: developing ToRs for participants, developing an agenda for the event, ensuring presentations are developed in a timely and high-quality manner, making accommodation and venue bookings etc.
- Facilitate sessions or act as a rapporteur when required.
- Attend events, workshops and other meetings as required and support with facilitation, reporting, communications and follow-up.
- Work with the communications lead and oversee the production, dissemination and marketing of publications and online material as relevant.
- Support LIFE-AR in-person visits to Malawi; such as visits from the interim Secretariat or Peer Learning Visits from other LIFE-AR countries.
Person specification
Skills and experience
| Essential | Desirable | |
| Qualifications | Master’s Degree in Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management or Climate Change Management | Relevant Project Management skills and Training |
| Knowledge | Knowledge of project management approaches, budgeting, and simple financial management as well as performance management systems. | Familiarity with M&E systems and due diligence processes |
| Good understanding of governments’ economic development processes and experience in working with government development programmes, especially on environment and climate change issues. | ||
| Excellent knowledge of office software (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software and databases). | ||
| Keen interest in sustainable development issues and the national goals | ||
| Experience | At least Ten (10) years relevant experience in implementing development programmes operating in environmental programmes and climate change management, resources management or related fields with recognised technical expertise. The candidate must be familiar with and have sound technical knowledge and skills of planning, coordinating, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes mainly in the field of environment, natural resources and climate change management | Experience of working in an international context. |
| Other | Experience in event administration and coordination of arrangements. | |
| Maintain outstanding communication skills (Oral and Written) | ||
| Demonstrable personal commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) | ||
| Demonstrable alignment with LIFE-AR core principles. |
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
How to apply
Interested applicants who meet the requirements stated in these Terms of Reference should submit a signed application letter indicating the position they are applying for on the envelope with an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV); Names and contacts of three traceable referees; Copies of Certificates by 04:30PM (CAT) by 10th November, 2025 to:
The Director of Environmental Affairs
P/Bag 394,
Lingadzi House, City Centre,
Lilongwe 3.