Land Access and Resettlement Manager

Duties

• The position reports directly to the E&S Director and will work closely with the Stakeholder Engagement Manager, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Manager, Government Authorities, and the Construction/Legal teams.
• The main activities of the function include:

Strategy, Planning and Compliance

• Lead and manage the Project's entire land access and resettlement portfolio, including the design, development, and execution of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP); ensure 100% compliance with all applicable Mozambican legislation, Project policies and procedures, and international standards, specifically IFC PS 5 (Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement) and relevant aspects of PS 7 (Indigenous Peoples); develop and/or revise existing land access and livelihood restoration strategies, implementation plans, budgets, and schedules to ensure timely delivery of land to the Project; develop technical protocols and guidelines for census and socioeconomic surveys, eligibility determination, valuation methodologies, cut-off date establishment, transitional assistance, and resettlement site feasibility assessment, ensuring alignment with IFC PS5 and Mozambican laws and regulations; act as the Project's focal point on all resettlement-related subjects with Government, Lenders, the Independent Environmental and Social Consultant (IESC), and Project-Affected Persons (PAPs)

Implementation and Livelihood Restoration

• Oversee and direct the implementation team and Implementation Partners (IPs) responsible for all RAP components, including socio-economic baseline data management, asset valuation, compensation payment delivery, and grievance resolution; develop and manage the Relocation Plan, ensuring all physically displaced households receive appropriate support and are successfully relocated to their replacement properties; lead the planning and execution of Livelihood Re-establishment and Development Programs, ensuring that these programs meet the goal of improving or restoring the livelihoods and standards of living of PAPs; design and oversee the implementation of technically sound Livelihood Restoration Programs, including agriculture, fisheries, small business, and wage-based opportunities, using baseline data and IFC PS5 livelihood indicators; ensure specialised technical measures are incorporated to address reservoir-related impacts, riverine livelihood changes, and loss of access routes caused by inundation; ensure all data, documents, and agreements related to compensation, land entitlements, and resettlement are accurately recorded and deposited into the Project's central data management system

Team and Contractor Management

• Lead the onboarding, coaching, upskilling, and mentoring of the internal Land Access and Resettlement team, fostering a culture of high integrity and technical excellence; manage the procurement, contracts, and performance of external Implementation Partners (IPs) and consultants, providing technical guidance to ensure effective execution of their scopes of work; ensure all technical deliverables from IPs—including valuation reports, compensation agreements, socioeconomic datasets, land parcel maps, and GIS shapefiles—meet lender audit standards and Good International Industry Practices; coordinate the formal handover of land to the Construction/Project teams, ensuring all supporting documents and clearance certificates are complete and compliant; ensure the safety, health, environmental, and social aspects of all field activities performed by the internal team and IPs adhere to Project standards

Requisites

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in Rural Development, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, or a relevant field
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience managing the implementation of large-scale land acquisition and involuntary resettlement programs, preferably in a developing country context
• Proven experience in managing multi-million-dollar project components, including human resources (contractors/IPs), budget, and schedule adherence
• In-depth, demonstrated knowledge and practical application of IFC Performance Standard 5 (Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement)
• Experience implementing resettlement for large-scale hydropower, dam, transmission line, or other major infrastructure projects involving both physical and economic displacement of >500 households
• Proficiency in GIS and spatial data systems used for parcel verification and household tracking
• Experience with Mozambique’s Land Law, DUAT processes, and valuation legislation
• Extensive experience with land tenure, customary land ownership, and statutory requirements pertaining to land access and resettlement in Mozambique is highly desirable
• Superior negotiation, conflict resolution, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Additional Requirements:
• Professional fluency in Portuguese and English (both written and spoken) is a mandatory requirement
• The position is initially based in Maputo (CHMN office). However, the Manager will be required to relocate and be based in Tete Province once the implementation phase of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) commences
• Ability to travel frequently to the Project footprint area and host communities in Tete Province, often in challenging field conditions

Benefits

• The possibility of working in a Company that offers salary conditions compatible with the level of experience and responsibility of the role, as well as opportunities for personal development

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted