Team Leader

About SoCha

SoCha is an international monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) firm that delivers evidence-driven insights to help development and humanitarian actors make adaptive, impactful decisions. We bring experience from diverse regional contexts, including fragile and conflict-affected environments, combining technical rigour, trusted local partnerships, and innovative approaches to address complex challenges. Our expertise spans third-party monitoring, mixed-methods and complexity-aware evaluations, systems strengthening, and capacity-building, ensuring that programmes remain responsive to local realities and deliver meaningful results for vulnerable populations. Guided by principles of inclusion, equity, and learning, SoCha partners with donors, UN agencies, and implementing organizations to improve outcomes and maximize impact.

Background

SoCha is currently bidding to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to deliver the Verification and Technical Assurance Programme-Ukraine (VERITAS-UKR). This flagship programme will provide demand-led independent third-party monitoring (TPM) and portfolio-level evidence services across FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) portfolio in Ukraine. The programme will also pilot an innovative Civil Society Organization (CSO)-led monitoring model, designed to strengthen accountability and ensure aid is responsive to the needs of Ukrainians.

As part of our core team, SoCha is recruiting a
Team Leader
who will be based in Ukraine and serve as the overall lead for the contract. The Team Leader will provide strategic direction across all workstreams, ensure delivery of high-quality monitoring and research outputs, and lead engagement with FCDO, implementing partners, and stakeholders.

This position is
contingent on contract award
and is expected to commence on or around
30 November 2025
.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction across three programme workstreams (Third-Party Monitoring, Portfolio Evidence, and CSO Pilot);
• Coordinate joint delivery across workstreams, ensuring coherence, integration, and responsiveness to FCDO's priorities;
• Manage and mentor the Core Team, providing clear guidance, setting performance standards, and ensuring staff well-being;
• Lead on engagement with FCDO, implementing partners, government counterparts, and other stakeholders to maintain trust and facilitate smooth delivery;
• Translate FCDO's evolving requests into concrete, innovative, and deliverable TPM and research assignments;
• Oversee the development of monitoring methodologies and research frameworks, ensuring rigor, ethical compliance, and adherence to safeguarding and duty of care principles;
• Drive quality assurance systems, ensuring that all reports, research outputs, and monitoring products meet the highest standards of analytical depth, timeliness, and usability;
• Pro-actively identify risks and challenges to delivery, and provide mitigation strategies in close coordination with FCDO and partners;
• Promote learning and adaptation across the programme, including dissemination of evidence and insights to inform decision-making;
• Represent the programme at senior levels with donors, partners, and government counterparts, positioning SoCha as a trusted provider of independent evidence.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education:
  Advanced degree in international development, political science, public policy, social sciences, or a related field;
• Professional Experience:
  Significant experience leading large-scale TPM, MEL, or research programmes in insecure or conflict-affected contexts;
• Leadership Skills:
  Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage complex workstreams, and mentor staff across seniority levels;
• Technical Expertise:
  Strong background in monitoring, evaluation, research, and evidence generation, with proven ability to design and oversee robust methodologies;
• Contextual Knowledge:
  Based in Ukraine (or with past experience in-country), with a strong understanding of the political, humanitarian, and reconstruction environment;
• Languages:
  Fluency in Ukrainian (required) and strong professional proficiency in English (oral and written);
• Innovation & Adaptability:
  Demonstrated track record of developing innovative solutions to donor requests and ensuring programmes remain adaptive to changing contexts;
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  Proven ability to engage confidently with high-level donor representatives, government institutions, implementing partners, and civil society organizations;
• Analytical & Communication Skills:
  Strong analytical capacity, with excellent writing and presentation skills to produce high-quality, policy-relevant outputs;
• Safeguarding & Duty of Care:
  Knowledge of safeguarding standards and experience managing duty of care responsibilities in high-risk environments.

This position is open to both International and Ukrainian National candidates.

How to apply

To submit your application, kindly provide your CV using the form provided below.

To apply before
26 September 2025.