Team Leader At Peace Paradigms Organization

Position Title: Team Leader

Duty Station: Erbil (Iraq), with frequent travel to various governorates.

Appointment Type: Full-Time

Starting Date: ASAP

Contract Length: 04/2025-12/2025, renewable for 12 months.

Reporting to: Climate Security Portfolio Manager

Organizational Background

Peace Paradigms Org. (PPO) is a private consulting company, established to deliver context-specific solutions for peacebuilding actors to achieve holistic and effective conflict mitigation and prevention efforts.

Our work is guided by three core values:

NEUTRALITY: The path towards positive peace is a collective one. We do not side with any actor or agenda and believe the unbiased inclusion of all actors is key to build peace. We trust that all parties to conflict can become peace actors.

ADAPTABILITY: In ever-changing contexts altered by complex dynamics, there is no “one size fits all”. To improve the relevance and the effectiveness of peacebuilding efforts, we believe that community and policy responses need to be driven and informed by localized realities.

HARMONY: The journey to peace needs to be reflective of its end goal. We work collaboratively by bringing together all relevant stakeholders and harmonize peacebuilding efforts with the community needs in order to achieve long-standing societal agreement, wellbeing and ability to coexist by choice.

Project Background

Peace Paradigms has been implementing the “Strengthening Iraqi Capacities to Respond to Climate Risks and their Impact on Existing Conflict Dynamics” project in partnership with Berghof Foundation, as part of the Weathering Risk Peace Pillar initiative since 2022. The project prioritizes an inclusive, participatory approach, engaging government actors, local communities, youth groups, and civil society to co-develop strategies that mitigate climate-induced conflicts. Significant milestones were achieved over recent years through inclusive dialogues, mediation efforts, and targeted capacity-building is selected locations including Al-Zubair, Hawija, Tal Afar, Kalar, and Balad districts. Locally owned agreements on critical issues such as water resource management and social cohesion were produced, leading to reduced tensions and tangible improvements in resource governance. These achievements were reinforced by targeted advocacy and technical support.

The project aims to support the development of a mid- and long-term strategy for sustainable peace in Iraq by integrating climate security into peacebuilding efforts. It is designed to achieve the following outcomes:

• Enhancing Awareness & Institutional Capacities: Increasing understanding of climate-related security risks and building local and national capacities for climate-sensitive conflict resolution and mediation.
• Expanding Inclusive Dialogues & Mediation Engagements: Supporting locally driven climate security dialogues and expanding mediation frameworks to promote peacebuilding efforts.
• Integrating Climate Security Considerations into Peacebuilding & Adaptation Measures: Facilitating engagement with Iraqi government authorities to mainstream climate adaptation strategies into conflict resolution policies.

Building on these successes, the upcoming project phase aims to scale up these efforts strategically. Key priorities will include expanding inclusive dialogues and climate-focused mediation to comprehensively address broader community challenges, capacity-building and mentorship for local mediators and community leaders, and enhancing cooperation with and among Iraqi governmental entities. The project aims to integrate climate security considerations into government policies and peacebuilding initiatives, promoting conflict-sensitive climate adaptation at both national and subnational levels.

Purpose of Hiring

To drive the successful implementation of this project, PPO is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Team Leader who will be responsible for leading the project execution, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring that the project meets its key objectives.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Manage the overall implementation of the project’s work packages under the supervision of the Climate Security Portfolio Manager.
• Support the deployment and coordination of short-term experts as needed.
• Ensure quality of services provided and achievement of project’s objectives.
• Consider cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, do-no-harm, and conflict sensitivity in implementation.
• Manage project staff and local experts assigned to the project.
• Be accountable for monitoring procedures and regular reporting.
• Be responsible for financial planning and management of the project in consultation with the relevant staff.
• Identify and manage project risks and challenges in coordination with the Climate Security Portfolio Manager.
• Work closely with the Climate Security Portfolio Manager to document success stories, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Act as a focal point for the project internally and externeally.
• Support the development of PPO’s climate security portfolio.

Key Qualifications & Skills

• Education/training: University degree, preferably in a relevant field such as conflict resolution, international development, sustainable development, or public policy.
• Language: Advanced English skills (C1 in the Common European Framework of

  Reference for Languages) including advanced written proficiency, Fluent Arabic skills (C2)

• Professional experience:
  • At least 5 years of experience in the development or peacebuilding sectors.
  • At least 3 years of experience in designing and managing peacebuilding projects in fragile contexts.
  • At least 5 years professional experience in Iraq.
  • Excellent knowledge of Iraq context, including political, security and social dynamics.
  • Proven experience in dealing with diverse stakeholders in Iraq, including but not limited to governmental officials, security actors, traditional leaders, and civil society actors.
• Soft skills:
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team and adapt to diverse audiences.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Excellent writing skills.
  • Flexibility and adaptability to work in a challenging environment while maintaining commitment to requirements and deadlines.