JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
NATIONAL TECHNICAL LEAD
Introduction
The Department of Water Resources Management (DWRM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM), is implementing the Enhancing Water Security, Biodiversity, and Resilience of Livelihoods through Integrated Water Resources Management and Ecosystem Restoration in Viet Nam’s Red River Basin Project (the Red River Project).
This five-year project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) under the Global Biodiversity Framework Integrated Programme, aims to strengthen water security, restore degraded ecosystems, and enhance the resilience of livelihoods and biodiversity across the Red River Basin. The basin, which is home to over 33 million people, faces mounting pressures from land use change, urbanisation, deforestation, and climate change, all of which threaten water quality, ecosystem health, and community resilience.
The project seeks to develop an integrated basin-wide approach that balances water use, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable livelihoods. It will generate the scientific and institutional foundations for longterm management of the Red River Basin through improved data, modelling, and policy coordination. Practical interventions will demonstrate how nature-based and ecosystem-based solutions can reduce land degradation, improve water security, and strengthen community resilience to floods and droughts. In doing so, the project will contribute to Viet Nam’s commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework and the National Biodiversity Strategy to 2030.
ICEM is now seeking to fill the following position to provide support for the implementation of the project:
National Technical Lead
The National Technical Lead will be the Technical Team Leader for the project team. He/she will be responsible for ensuring that the project is executed with high technical standards, including providing high level policy advice, in coordination with the international and national consultants/experts and will work in close cooperation with DWRM and FAO.
Specifically, he/she will be responsible for:
- Coordinating with relevant initiatives to realize synergies in the scale and sustainability of the project impacts;
- Track the project’s progress and ensure timely delivery of inputs and outputs;
- Prepare terms of references for subcontracts in support of all activities of concern to the project implementation including ecological health assessments, hydrological modelling, water accounting, decision support systems, ecosystem restoration, river basin management, nature-based solutions for protection and conservation, community resilience and resilient livelihoods;
- Facilitate the convening of regular meetings and briefing sessions with DWRM and with government counterparts and other parties concerned;
- Support and facilitate coordination between key project stakeholders, particularly the environment and agriculture sector leads of MAE, and between central, provincial and district-level Governments.
- Provide technical oversight and monitoring of subcontracted projects and activities, ensuring high quality technical delivery and integration of national and international good practice;
- Lead in the oversight of implementation, M&E and scaling up of innovative pilots on nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration, promoting community and private sector involvement and investments;
- Identify capacity building and knowledge management needs in areas such as IWRM, integrated river basin management, protection and conservation, and support the organization of capacity building and knowledge dissemination events for Government and non-Government partners;
- Document lessons learnt and best practices related to ecosystem restoration and river basin management; and
- Support the DWRM, FAO and project team in providing input supports for technical reports, presentations, tables, maps and project knowledge products.
Background/qualifications
- Master’s degree related to water management, water resource modelling, river basin planning and management, ecology, environmental protection or related fields
- At least 15 years of professional experience in water resources engineering, natural resources and water management, conservation planning and management, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable land and forest management
- Ability to work with various stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector, NGOs, and community groups;
- Demonstrable experience in the implementation of multilateral donor funded or government funded international development projects;
- Demonstrable experience in project organization and ability to serve as an effective communicator and negotiator with excellent oral presentation skills;
- Experience in project management and results-based management;
- Strong report-writing skills in English;
- Extensive experience working with national and local government agencies in complex projects in Vietnam.
- Knowledge of FAO’s project management systems is preferred
To apply, send a cover memo and updated CV with contact details of two references to ICEM at Ms Nguyen Thu Phuong ([email protected]).
Applications close on 10 December 2025. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
ICEM is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from women, and individuals from underrepresented or marginalized groups. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to gender, age, ethnicity, religion, or background, and we actively support flexible and family-friendly work arrangements to ensure equal opportunity for all.
For more information about ICEM, please visit www.icem.com.au