Project Coordinator - Urban Futures

CONFIDENTIAL – INTERNAL VACANCY ONLY

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Hivos is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals. We are currently seeking suitably qualified, highly competent, and motivated internal candidates to serve as Regional Coordinator - Urban Futures and lead effective implementation, coordination, and delivery of the program. The job listed below is based in Harare, Zimbabwe or Lusaka, Zambia

REGIONAL COORDINATOR - URBAN FUTURES

 

Scope:               Africa region, with responsibility for Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Location:           Harare, Zimbabwe or Lusaka, Zambia  

Hours:                Full Time (37.5 Hours Per Week)

Reports to:        Global Program Manager - Urban Futures

Team:                 Programs

Contract Type:   Fixed – Term

Term:                  This appointment is for an initial term of one year, with possibility of annual renewal for the life of the project, subject to donor funding availability, performance and organizational needs.

Programme:      Urban Futures: Youth Action For Inclusive, Climate-Resilient Urban Food Systems

Deadline:           8 June 2026

JOB CONTEXT

Hivos five-year Urban Futures program aims to contribute to more inclusive, climate-resilient cities and urban food systems, where young people collaborate to voice their priorities, influence decisions, and seize opportunities in the food sector, with shorter value chains providing healthy, sustainable food that is accessible, affordable and attractive.

 

We aim to achieve this in 10 cities in 5 countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Zambia, Zimbabwe). Program implementation will be led by local partners in each city and take a climate justice approach, in line with Hivos strategic compass. To realize this, we aim to achieve the following outcomes:

 

1. Inclusive youth-friendly urban food policies and strategies are developed and implemented, with decision-makers held to account
2. Youth-led narratives on inclusive climate-resilient food systems inspire behaviour change
3. Increased public and private financial flows to inclusive, climate-resilient food systems

 

As fund and program manager, Hivos will engage partners and innovators (especially young people) and provide grants and demand-led technical assistance, capacity building, and lead on linking and learning, advocacy and communications, including through the expertise of the RUAF Global Partnership on Urban Agriculture and Food Systems.

 

 

ROLE PURPOSE

The Regional Coordinator will be responsible for the planning, design and delivery of activities in their region, including partner engagement and grant-making, with strategic management oversight from the Global Program Manager and technical support from the Urban Food Systems Technical Lead. The Regional Coordinator will lead on facilitating the localization of the Urban Futures theory of change in each target city, informed by local priorities and experiences. With the Global Program Manager, Regional Coordinator will be expected to source, select, and contract local partners and coalitions to deliver on this theory of change. This will require interest and expertise in urban food systems, youth engagement, and climate justice issues.

 

The Regional Coordinator is expected to work closely with local partners, who will lead implementation in each city, and with municipalities, private sector and other actors to engage in multi-actor collaboration for urban food system transformation. They will be the primary contact point for program partners per region.

 

The Regional Coordinator will liaise with counterparts in other regions and globally to ensure cross-learning, sharing of best practices and strategic coherence across the program, under the supervision of the Global Program Manager and Linking and Learning team.

 

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The key responsibilities of the role include:

 

• Coordinates implementation of regional program.
• Secures stakeholder/donor satisfaction according to contracts in terms of results, budget and competencies
• Reviews & tracks progress against milestones
• Promotes agenda in professional forums by sharing and profiling results/experiences and supporting partners (inc. young people) at these levels
• Supports local co-funding efforts
• Establishes and maintains good relationships with stakeholders in-country (civil society, local/national government, private sector, media, co-founders, research)
• Identifies and selects local partners and consultants as required, in collaboration with Global Program Manager and other colleagues.
• Ensures timely and high-quality reporting of partners contracted by Hivos.
• Identifies training and other needs of national partner(s) to improve program delivery and enhance local ownership
• Leads, motivates, trains, appraises, guides and/or inspires regional staff and enables effective teamwork, achieves objectives and works according to Hivos’ guiding principles
• Coordinates local research(ers), facilitate gathering/use of data, adequate monitoring and drawing lessons to continuously improve in-country program.
• Ensures the program is constantly innovating, e.g. through multi-actor collaboration, unusual partnerships, narratives and behaviour change & open data.
• Ensure that city and regional implementation generate clear evidence of progress against the Urban Futures Theory of Change, outcomes, indicators, and donor commitments.
• Work with partners to improve the quality of narrative reports, evidence, stories of change, youth testimonies, policy influence examples, and learning documentation.
• Coordinate with the Global Program Manager, MEL colleagues, and Linking & Learning team to ensure timely data collection, validation, analysis, and use of findings for adaptive management.
• Support the preparation of donor reports, annual plans, regional updates, and strategic reflection processes.
• Ensure that young people are meaningfully involved in city-level and regional decision-making, advocacy, communications, monitoring, and learning processes.
• Oversee regional partner grant management, including workplan review, budget follow-up, compliance, risk identification, and coordination with finance and operations teams.
• Support partners to meet contractual obligations, reporting deadlines, financial requirements, and agreed quality standards.
• Identify implementation risks early and propose practical mitigation measures in coordination with the Global Program Manager.

 

 

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

This is a position for nationals or residents of the concerned countries (see above) with the following requirements:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in sustainable development, food systems/policy, urban studies, environmental studies, climate governance or other relevant field.
• Minimum of five years’ relevant experience in international development, ideally in (urban) food systems, youth engagement, multi-actor collaboration and/or climate justice.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in an international (NGO) context, especially in project management, partner engagement and managing project budgets.
• Good understanding of food systems approach, climate justice and multi-actor platforms/collaboration, preferably in an urban context
• Demonstrable in-country network, experience and track record engaging municipal governments, local (youth) partners and other stakeholders in the food and climate sector.
• Keen understanding of relevant country/city political and social dynamics; analytical and conceptual skills, and ability to translate these into relevant, timely actions.
• Ability, experience and commitment to support local ownership of partners including youth engagement and leadership.
• Experience managing sub-grants, partner contracts, budgets, and compliance processes.
• Donor-funded program reporting, preferably with philanthropic donors or multi-country programs.
• Experience supporting youth-led advocacy, policy influence, or participatory governance processes.
• Ability to lead a small regional team, ensure an open, creative, dynamic and effective working environment, and collaborate closely with remote global colleagues
• Excellent networking, relationship building and negotiation skills
• Experience coordinating complex programs to ensure effective design, implementation, adaptive/flexible management and reporting including monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Excellent verbal, writing and communication skills in English and local languages per region
• Level skills: cooperation, influence, leadership, collaboration