Job Description

Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest, privately held, non-denominational and politically independent German non-governmental organisations in development cooperation and emergency relief. Primarily, in cooperation with local partner organisations, it is tasked with contributing to the improvement of the nutritional and income status of the poorest rural populations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Welthungerhilfe has been implementing projects in Zimbabwe almost continuously since 1980. Currently, the organisation together with its partners is having projects in all provinces in Zimbabwe. Sector focus is on, Food System Transformation incl. Food and Nutrition Security, Livelihoods, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and when required Emergency response.
This EU-funded multi-partner consortium project, Hubs for Agricultural climate Resilience, Value Chains, and Sustainable Transformation in Zimbabwe (HARVEST)- aims to strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods through the transformation of smallholder farming systems into commercially viable, inclusive, and climate-smart value chains. The initiative builds on the premise that mobilized and capacitated farmer groups, when linked to sustainable agribusiness hubs and community-based MSMEs, can drive systemic change towards improved and resilient household incomes. The project is committed to agroecological farming principles. The project operates in a dynamic environment where economic volatility, climate shocks, and policy shifts can challenge implementation. Its strategy includes strong private sector partnerships to navigate these risks commercially, and continuous dialogue with local governance structures to ensure alignment, ownership, and political sensitivity.

Position Summary
Welthungerhilfe seeks to recruit a Head of Project who will provide overall strategic, technical, and managerial leadership for the effective implementation of this complex consortium project. The role requires a visionary, and collaborative leader capable of translating the Theory of Change into tangible outcomes, fostering alignment among partners, and ensuring accountability and impact in a context of uncertainty.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic and Consortium Leadership
• Provide overarching direction and coordination for all consortium activities to ensure coherence, efficiency, and accountability.
• Lead strategic planning and decision-making processes within the consortium’s governance structures, ensuring alignment with EU contractual requirements and partner mandates.
• Champion agroecological principles across the consortium’s approaches, ensuring they underpin production, market, and capacity-building models.
• Promote a shared vision and a strong culture of collaboration, learning, and trust among partners.
• Uphold and model principles of impartiality, neutrality, and do-no-harm, ensuring the project remains politically sensitive and inclusive in its operations.

Programme Management and Delivery
• Oversee design, implementation, and monitoring of interventions that strengthen farmer associations, market linkages and value chain development and climate-smart practices.
• Ensure that training and capacity-building approaches are evidence-based, participatory, and foster behavioural change.
• Support the establishment and operationalization of commercially viable agribusiness hubs with inclusive ownership and benefit-sharing models.
• Guide MSME development around hubs to amplify local multiplier effects and employment creation.
• Ensure the integration of gender equality, youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, and governance principles throughout the project cycle.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Reporting
• Oversee the MEAL framework to ensure robust tracking of progress, outcomes, and learning against the Theory of Change.
• Facilitate adaptive management based on evidence and contextual shifts.
• Lead preparation of high-quality progress reports, success stories, and communication products for the EU and consortium partners.
• Promote data-driven learning and reflection within the consortium to enhance impact and accountability.

Financial, Contractual, and Risk Management
• Ensure sound financial management, compliance, and reporting in line with EU contractual requirements.
• Identify and manage project risks—including political, economic, and environmental—through proactive mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate audits, evaluations, and external reviews in collaboration with the lead agency and partners.

Stakeholder Engagement and Representation
• Represent the consortium in all official forums, maintaining constructive relationships with the EU Delegation, government counterparts, private sector actors, and civil society.
• Facilitate effective engagement with local authorities and community leadership structures while navigating political sensitivities with professionalism and neutrality.
• Promote visibility and credibility of the consortium through strategic communication and knowledge-sharing.

Team Leadership and Capacity Development
• Lead, mentor, and empower a diverse team across partners to deliver with excellence and integrity.
• Foster a safe, inclusive, and motivating work environment.
• Facilitate joint learning and capacity development among consortium partners and staff

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Environmental Management, or a related field.
• At least 10 years’ experience in managing complex, multi-partner development projects, including EU-funded initiatives.
• Proven experience in agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, Food System Transformation, value chain development, and livelihood resilience programming.
• Demonstrated success in consortium leadership and partner coordination, ideally in politically or economically sensitive environments.
• Strong understanding of market systems, private sector engagement, and inclusive business models.
• Experience with behaviour change communication (BCC) and participatory community approaches.
• Excellent command of project cycle management, financial oversight, and donor compliance (EU rules and PRAG familiarity preferred).
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills; political sensitivity and contextual awareness are essential.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication in English; Shona or Ndebele language skills are an advantage.

Core Competencies
• Strategic and Systems thinking
• Partnership facilitation and negotiation
• Adaptive management and learning orientation
• Integrity, accountability, and respect for diversity
• Results-driven and impact-focused management

How to Apply

During the application process, WHH will not charge any fee nor will it require any payment for an application to be considered. WHH is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, place of origin, ethnic origin, language, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status and or physical handicap: Persons with disability are encouraged to apply:

Interested candidates should submit a letter of motivation and their CVs to [email protected] Please state the position applied for in the subject line of the email. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted