TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF A DEPUTY TEAM LEADER

I. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

The Government of Rwanda and Agence Française de Développement are collaborating through projects aiming at improving the quality and attractiveness of Higher TVET in Rwanda. As part of their collaboration, the TVET Development for Transformation (TDT) was developed. The TDT project was signed in June 2025 between the Government of Rwanda and Agence Française de Développement, and will be implemented by Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) with the Technical Assistance of Expertise France. First activities have been launched, with the focus being on the administrative launch of the project.

The main purpose of the project is to strengthen the attractiveness of RP, in particular on the two RP colleges of Kigali and Gishari. This overall objective is expressed through the following outcomes:

• Outcome 1: The student reception conditions, including upgraded and expanded student accommodation facilities and improvement in catering, study and recreational facilities in RP Kigali and Gishari colleges campuses have improved
• Outcome 2: The learning and living environment in the colleges is safer and more inclusive for female students
• Outcome 3: A student accommodation management and accommodation framework enables RP to manage student accommodation sustainably
• Outcome 4: The Government of Rwanda has adopted a sustainable policy for decent and inclusive student accommodations
• Outcome 5: The training offer and employability of Higher TVET graduates are better known by the TVET students and the private sector.

A second project, AFTER 2, is implemented by Rwanda Polytechnic and Rwanda TVET Board with the Technical Assistance of the same team from Expertise France. AFTER 2, launched in March 2023, is a 5-year project financed by Agence Française de Développement and the Government of Luxembourg. AFTER 2 aims to improve technical and vocational education and learning conditions in order to strengthen the skills of youth in line with labor market requirements.

To support in the general implementation of the Technical Assistance, Expertise France is looking to recruit a Deputy Team Leader to assist the Technical Assistance Team Leader, to support Rwanda Polytechnic in the implementation of the project activities of both TDT and AFTER 2.

II. Description of the assignment

The Deputy Team Leader is designed to support the overall program, accros both projects, by providing an operational support to activities and administrative and financial management of the Technical Assistance.

Support the operational management of the projects 

• Assist the Project Manager in the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects activities, as well as the coordination between both projects and members of the team;
• Lead the development of activities on the Student Housing component, supporting Rwanda Polytechnic in the preparation of Concept Notes or Terms of Reference and supervising the organization of the activities;
• Support Rwanda Polytechnic in the preparation of Concept Notes or Terms of Reference for the implementation of activities;
• Support Rwanda Polytechnic in the integration of the AFD guidelines in their procurement processes;
• Recruit and supervise the work of national and international experts mobilized on the project, in support of the project activities;
• Ensure activities are in line with the project feasibility study and subsequent workplans.

Support the administrative and financial management of the project 

• Contribute to project budget preparation and monitoring, including tracking budget execution, supporting forecasts, and ensuring alignment with financial planning;
• Support the project manager in ensuring alignment with project goals, and compliance with HQ and donor requirements, together with the Head of Project;
• Support the country office (Project Support Unit – USP) in managing procurement and contracting processes, ensuring compliance with donor and agency procedures;
• Monitor suppliers contract from signature to closure;
• Monitor the invoicing process end-to-end, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely processing, in liaison with the Project Support Unit;
• Ensure effective coordination with the Project Support Unit for the timely execution of logistical tasks (travel, procurement, events, workshops), guaranteeing consistency with project budgets and operational plans;
• Support in the integration of new administrative processes led by the Expertise France Project Support Unit.

Ensure correct reporting, monitoring and evaluation of the project 

• Lead the reporting processes of the Technical Assistance project, both for Expertise France internal processes (annual budget reviews, bi-monthly project reports…) and donor reporting;
• Support Rwanda Polytechnic in the organization of the project’s Technical and Steering Committees;
• Follow-up on the project monitoring tools to ensure the project is reaching its objective in a timely and impactful manner.

III. INFORMATION ON THE POSITION

• Location: Kigali, in the Technical Assistance office hosted in the RP offices (RP Kigali college campus). Field missions to the different campuses are to be expected;
• Supervision: the position will be under the direct supervision of the Technical Assistance Team Leader, and in close collaboration with the RP and RTB teams, as well as the rest of the Technical Assistance Team (in Rwanda and Paris);
• Duration: one-year renewable up to five years;
• Conditions: conditions of the position will be based on the candidate’s profile and experience.

IV. MINIMUM DESIRED PROFILE OF THE CANDIDATE 

The candidate should meet the following criteria:

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in project management, business administration or international development, or any other relevant field;
• At least 10 years of experience in development project management, with previous experience in a senior position.

Professional experience

• Demonstrated experience in working within the framework of international donor procurement guidelines;
• Demonstrated experience in managing project budgets and workplans;
• Previous experience working on a Technical Assistance project;
• Previous experience managing the recruitment and follow-up of national and international experts;
• Previous experience working in the Education sector. Experience in TVET will be a plus.

Skills and abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Proactive and self-driven;
• Good communication and writing skills, with the ability to produce quality reports and documentation;
• Ability to work in a multicultural team;
• Full proficiency in MS office suite;
• Full written and spoken proficiency in English and Kinyarwanda; French would be an asset.

The candidate who meets the qualifications should submit the following documents:

• A Curriculum Vitae (maximum 3 pages) indicating all relevant experiences and assignments;
• Supporting documents such as Diplomas and Work certificates;
• 3 references that can be contacted.

Interested candidates should submit their applications on the following link: https://expertise-france.gestmax.fr/14374/1/deputy-team-leader-development-for-transformation-tdt-project-h-f/en_US

The deadline for receiving applications is December 21st 2025.

Applications not including all the above information or sent after the deadline will not be reviewed. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.