Vietnam Country Team Leader

DAI seeks expressions of interest from interested candidate for a Vietnam Country Team Leader role on the COAST Facility project.

1. Summary

The COAST Facility is seeking an experienced senior professional to lead the implementation of our Viet Nam country programme. This role is suited to candidates with a strong track record in climate, coastal, marine or development programmes. The Country Team Leader will be responsible for managing an integrated delivery portfolio while leading engagement across stakeholders at all levels, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment and the British Embassy in Ha Noi.

This role offers the opportunity to play a central part in shaping how coastal communities, ecosystems and livelihoods are supported and sustained in Viet Nam.

2. About COAST Facility

The Climate and Ocean Adaptation and Sustainable Transition (COAST) Facility is a UK Government programme to strengthen coastal resilience and sustainable marine and coastal development in 4 focal countries in Southeast Asia and East Africa. In Viet Nam, COAST is implemented through a government‑approved bilateral ODA project led by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment.

We operate through an integrated delivery platform that connects national systems with provincial and community-level implementation. It brings together a coordinated portfolio - combining grants, technical assistance, and programme support - to deliver practical results and generate approaches that can be sustained and scaled through government systems.z

In Viet Nam, COAST focuses on strengthening ecosystem protection, supporting climate-adaptive aquaculture and coastal livelihoods, and improving how policies and management systems are implemented in practice. Our integrated methodology is founded on five core delivery principles to ensure a high standard of programme and activity management tailored to the complexity of COAST. Our core principles are a holistic approach, community-centred solutions, collaborative partnerships, legacy and sustainability, and learning and adaptation.

COAST Facility is delivered by a consortium of organisations led by DAI Global UK Ltd., which is responsible for overall programme delivery. The selected candidate will be contracted by DAI Global UK Ltd.

3. Overview of the Role

The COAST Facility Country Team Leader (CTL) in Viet Nam is responsible for managing the country programme in line with the UK-Viet Nam bilateral ODA project, COAST's strategies, and in response to national priorities.

The CTL will apply their strong technical ability, deep stakeholder networks, and operations expertise to provide effective leadership to the country team. Through a vision of transformative and inclusive change, they will ensure the integrated delivery of grants and technical assistance projects, and the implementation of COAST strategies - including MEL, GEDSI, Sustainability and Value for Money.

The successful candidate will manage the in-country team and oversee programme implementation, ensuring that reporting accurately reflects programmatic progress and informs overall analysis and decision making.

The CTL is a member of the COAST Facility Programme Leadership Team, contributing to the management of learning, adaptation and risk across the programme, and supporting overall delivery through their technical and leadership expertise.

4. Person Specification

The postholder will be expected to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and experience set out below. Assessment will be through the application, interview and, where applicable, task based exercises.

4.1. Essential

Stakeholder engagement and collaboration

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with senior Government of Viet Nam counterparts and to engage credibly with donors, including the UK, and delivery partners.
• Significant senior leadership experience delivering complex development, climate, environment, ocean or coastal programmes, including strategy development, planning, delivery and adaptive management in collaboration with government and national stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey vision and strategy to diverse audiences and facilitate learning and feedback.

Programme delivery and technical expertise

• Demonstrated technical expertise relevant to COAST Viet Nam priorities, including coastal and marine ecosystem management, sustainable aquaculture, coastal tourism, fisheries value chains, and mobilisation of finance for sustainable and inclusive blue economy development in Viet Nam. Experience in central or southern provinces is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate cross cutting priorities, including monitoring, evaluation and learning, gender equality, disability and social inclusion with a focus on marginalised and underrepresented groups, sustainability, and value for money, into programme design, implementation and reporting.
• Strong understanding of portfolio delivery, with the ability to prioritise, manage risk and assure quality from concept through to close out.

Team leadership and operational management

• Demonstrated people leadership, including the ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, set objectives, manage performance and maintain an inclusive and respectful workplace culture.
• Strong operational and management capability, including oversight of work planning, budgeting, forecasting, reporting and compliant country office operations.

4.2. Desirable

• Experience working across multi country programmes and with geographically dispersed teams, ensuring effective collaboration across locations and time zones.
• Experience contributing to senior programme leadership forums, including decision making based on evidence, learning, innovation and risk management.
• Experience delivering UK Government funded programmes, with familiarity with compliance and reporting expectations, including FCDO funded delivery.
• Experience leading safeguarding, security and duty of care risk management in a country programme context.

5. How to apply

Please submit an up to date CV and a supporting letter outlining your suitability for the role to [Confidential Information]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the advert will close once suitable candidates have been shortlisted.