Job Description

Scope of Work
The Trade and Investment Officer will play a central role in developing, coordinating, and expanding ZELA’s Trade and Investment portfolio, with a particular focus on ensuring that trade and investment frameworks at national, regional, and global levels uphold environmental justice, transparency, equity, and human rights. The Officer will also contribute to strengthening ZELA’s institutional sustainability through strategic fundraising, partnership building, and effective program implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

The specific scope of work includes, but is not limited to:
1. Trade and Investment Policy and Legal Analysis
• Lead ZELA’s strategic research, monitoring, and analysis of international trade and investment regimes, including, World Trade Organization (WTO) law, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocols and frameworks; SADC and COMESA trade arrangements; Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms.
• Provide expert analysis of trade and investment-related legal frameworks, particularly as they impact natural resource governance, sustainable development, and environmental rights in Zimbabwe and the broader Southern African region.
• Track key developments in global economic governance and generate ZELA’s policy positions and submissions to national, regional, and multilateral platforms.
2. Project Implementation and Coordination
• Lead the design, implementation, and coordination of trade and investment-related projects, ensuring alignment with ZELA’s strategic plan, theory of change, and results frameworks.
• Coordinate cross-thematic project inputs (e.g., legal, policy, advocacy, gender, youth) across departments and ensure integrated delivery of results.
• Manage the execution of project activities, including research, community dialogues, multi-stakeholder forums, workshops, and legal clinics.
• Prepare periodic project reports, including donor reports, outcome harvesting, and performance assessments.
3. Fundraising, Resource Mobilization, and Strategic Growth
• Proactively scan the funding landscape to identify new and emerging funding opportunities that support ZELA’s trade, investment, and sustainable development goals.
• Lead and actively participate in proposal development processes, including concept note writing, full proposal drafting, budgeting, and logical framework development.
• Maintain excellent relationships with existing and potential donors and partners by responding to information requests, providing project updates, and organizing briefings or field visits.
• Support the planning and execution of high-impact fundraising campaigns, events, and knowledge dissemination activities.

4. Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy
• Serve as the key liaison between ZELA and relevant government ministries, trade negotiators, investment agencies, civil society partners, private sector actors, regional bodies (SADC, AfCFTA), and international organizations.
• Facilitate inclusive engagement processes by ensuring that all activities and stakeholder dialogues prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion, particularly the meaningful participation of marginalized groups, women, and youth.
• Ensure that the project grievance mechanism is understood, accessible, and effectively implemented among project stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships that contribute to advocacy, policy reform, and sustainability of ZELA’s work in the trade and investment domain.
• Serve as the focal point between the Trade and Investment Program and ZELA’s communications unit to ensure clear, accurate, and timely dissemination of research findings, policy positions, and event summaries.

6. Knowledge Generation and Capacity Building
• Produce high-quality research outputs, including legal briefs, policy papers, articles, blogs, and advocacy toolkits that influence regional and international policy discourse.
• Organize and facilitate capacity-building sessions for civil society, community members, parliamentarians, and government officials on topics such as, Trade justice and environmental governance, Investment agreements and natural resource protection.
• Represent ZELA in national, regional, and international platforms, conferences, and technical committees to advocate for trade and investment policies that are rights-based, climate-resilient, and inclusive.

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements:
• Master’s degree in International Trade Law, Investment Law, International Economic Law, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in trade and investment law, policy, or advocacy preferably within civil society, government, intergovernmental organizations, or academia.
• Demonstrated knowledge of:
o WTO frameworks and dispute mechanisms
o Regional trade arrangements such as AfCFTA, SADC Trade Protocol, COMESA
o Bilateral investment treaties and investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms
o The interface between trade/investment and sustainable development, environment, and human rights
• Experience in project management, including planning, reporting, and budgeting.
• Proven research and writing skills, with published work an added advantage.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and policy advocacy at national or international level.
• Strong fundraising experience, including proposal writing and donor liaison

How to Apply

Applicants to send CVs and cover letter to [email protected] , no later than 9 September 2025. Applicants to clearly write the job title in the subject line.