Terms of Reference: Team Leaders (Open Call)

Terms of Reference: Team Leaders (Open Call)

Location: Africa, Middle East, South Asia

Engagement: Full-time or part-time long-term consultancy

Programme size: Medium to large (multi-year, multi-component programmes)

Adam Smith International (ASI) is seeking experienced Team Leaders to lead upcoming and ongoing programmes across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia for clients such as the UK FCDO and the EU. These programmes span security sector reform, combatting serious organised crime, counterterrorism, supporting defence reforms, and strengthening judicial systems and government accountability. Across ASI’s portfolio, the Team Leader role provides strategic leadership, technical direction, stakeholder engagement, and quality assurance.

Team Leaders ensure successful delivery of programme outcomes by providing:

• Overall strategic and technical leadership, including development of programme vision, workplans, and delivery models

• Day-to-day oversight of programme implementation, ensuring quality, timeliness and alignment with client objectives

• High-quality stakeholder engagement, representing the programme to government, donors, and partners.

Key responsibilities

• Strategic & technical leadership

1. Provide overall strategic direction and ensure technical coherence across programme components.

2. Lead development of results frameworks, workplans and learning agendas.

3. Ensure technical quality of deliverables, with responsibility for approvals prior to submission to the Client.

• Programme delivery

1. Oversee planning, coordination and implementation of programme activities.

2. Maintain robust oversight of performance, risks, and mitigation plans

3. Ensure compliance with ASI, donor and contractual requirements.

• Team leadership & people management

1. Lead, mentor and motivate multi-disciplinary teams including technical leads, delivery partners, and operational staff.

2. Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture aligned with ASI values, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.

• Stakeholder engagement & project representation

1. Lead engagement with senior government counterparts, donors, civil society and private sector stakeholders, in accordance with project objectives.

2. Ensure coherent, coordinated communication across programme leadership structures.

3. Build and maintain trusted relationships with high-level stakeholders to support programme outcomes.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• 15+ years of relevant international experience, including leadership of complex, donor-funded programmes.

• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-year programmes with diverse teams and stakeholders.

• Proven track record in strategy development, programme management, and technical leadership.

• Experience working in fragile, conflict-affected or politically complex environments.

• Strong relationship management skills with governments, donors and partners.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Desirable

• Regional experience in Africa, the Middle East or South Asia.

• Experience across one or more thematic areas: governance, justice and security, defence, stabilisation, counterterrorism, or combatting serious organised crime.

• Experience working with FCDO or similar donors.

• Additional languages (Arabic, French, Hindi/Urdu, etc.).

Ways of working:

Our Team Leaders are expected to adhere to the following values and obligations:  

• At all times work collaboratively and openly with staff and consultants on the programme, proactively providing guidance, advice and sharing experiences to solve problems, overcome challenges and manage risks together.  

• Free and open sharing of information gained from the Client, beneficiaries, or other international projects with other members of the team. 

• Adhere to decisions taken by the project’s leadership and taking collective responsibility for implementing those decisions and communicating them to co