Team Leader, Venezuela Scoping Mission

We are urgently recruiting a Team Leader to lead our Venezuela Scoping Mission.

This position will be an initial one-month consultant role based in Caracas, with travel to earthquake-affected areas and remote engagement as needed.

Depending on the nature of services of this contract, if the consultant is traveling to RI field operations they will require Advanced pre contracting checks.

About Relief International

Relief International is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing. We provide Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.

Scope and Nature of Services

About This Assignment: This role supports a time-bound Venezuela scoping mission. It does not establish a Relief International country program or authorize registration, fundraising commitments, hiring beyond approved mission support, procurement, or implementation in Venezuela.

Context: Following the June 2026 earthquakes in Venezuela, Relief International is assessing how its experience in post-earthquake health recovery, inclusive rehabilitation, emergency preparedness, and partner-led recovery could complement Venezuelan-led efforts. Relief International does not currently operate in Venezuela. The scoping mission is therefore intended to establish networks and develop a plan for how Relief International can meaningfully and responsibly participate in humanitarian response and recovery through a partnership approach, which is well-coordinated with all relevant stakeholders.

Position Summary: The Team Lead will be Relief International’s in-country coordination and engagement focal point for the Venezuela scoping mission. The role will lead day-to-day planning and delivery of the mission, coordinate locally engaged support personnel, facilitate stakeholder meetings, site visits, and consultations, guide partner and operational mapping, and contribute to the final scoping report and options paper. Under the supervision of the U.S. Partnerships & Resource Mobilization Lead, the Team Lead will work closely with designated Relief International technical, operations, compliance, security, and resource mobilization colleagues. The Team Lead may represent Relief International in agreed meetings but will not make commitments on Relief International’s behalf regarding registration, funding, implementation, or partnership agreements unless separately authorized.

Information, services or resources to be provided by the consultant

• Position Relief International as ready and available for response / early recovery interventions with donors and peers.
• Identify partnership opportunities for Relief International to engage and deliver in Venezuela.
• Engage with authorities in matters related to registration, access, set up costs, response planning as needed.
• Lead the day-to-day coordination of the Venezuela scoping mission, including meeting planning, local logistics, task tracking, consultation scheduling, and management of locally engaged support personnel as approved.
• Support structured review and validation of existing earthquake-response and recovery assessments, facilitate targeted consultations, and help identify priority gaps without duplicating work already undertaken by Venezuelan institutions or other actors.
• Lead strategic analysis of the recovery landscape, stakeholders, partner roles, technical opportunities, and practical feasibility of potential Relief International contribution.
• Contribute local context, partner input, and feasibility assumptions to any approved concept notes, proposals, or technical-cooperation discussions, in coordination with Relief International resource development colleagues.
• Represent Relief International in agreed meetings with public institutions, health-sector actors, Venezuelan civil society, professional associations, UN agencies, donors, and national/international organizations, while clearly communicating the exploratory nature of the mission.
• In coordination with Relief International security and compliance focal points, maintain awareness of access, security, safeguarding, legal, reputational, and operational risks, promptly flag material changes and recommend adjustments to mission activity.
• Prepare clear inputs for Relief International senior management on whether and how we should proceed, including partner options, technical focus, operational dependencies, risks, indicative resource requirements, and next steps.
• Maintain oversight of approved local operational arrangements, including travel, meeting logistics, local vendors, site visits, safety and security requirements, and proper documentation of scoping-related expenditures.
• Carry out other duties reasonably required to support a safe, ethical, timely, and well-documented scoping mission.

Key Deliverables

• A pre-mission stakeholder-engagement plan, initial contact map, and local logistics/access plan.
• Weekly written updates on meetings held, emerging findings, material risks, access constraints, and follow-up actions.
• A preliminary stakeholder and partner map, including recommended organizations for further due diligence.
• Contributions to the technical opportunity matrix and operational/legal/compliance feasibility assessment.
• A documented close-out of key meetings and contribution to the final Venezuela Scoping Report and Options Paper.
• A structured handover of contact records, meeting notes, risk issues, and recommended next actions to Relief International.

The Team Lead will be based in Venezuela, preferably Caracas, with travel to selected earthquake-affected locations subject to access, counterpart agreement, security guidance, and Relief International approval. Remote engagement may be used where travel is not feasible or would place undue burden on counterparts.

Requirements

Experience and skills required for the role:

• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian, health, recovery, development, or civil-society programming in Venezuela, including stakeholder engagement and operational coordination.
• Must already be based in Venezuela and legally authorized to work there. Strong knowledge of Venezuela’s public institutions, health and rehabilitation landscape, civil society, and practical operating environment is required.
• Demonstrated leadership, stakeholder-management, facilitation, and representational skills, including the ability to engage professionally with public institutions, health providers, civil-society organizations, donors, and international actors.
• Fluent Spanish and strong professional English communication and writing skills are required.
• Experience supporting scoping missions, assessments, partnership development, due diligence, early recovery, disaster response, health systems, rehabilitation, MHPSS, WASH, or related fields is strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, sensitive relationships, deadlines, and detailed follow-up in a fluid operating environment.
• Strong planning, documentation, analysis, and problem-solving skills, with close attention to safeguarding, compliance, financial controls, and risk management.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Venezuela as required and approved for the assignment.
• Ability to facilitate inclusive, culturally appropriate consultations with diverse stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities, women-led organizations, community representatives, and other groups facing barriers to care or participation.
• No actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that would compromise impartial scoping, partner assessment, or RI decision-making.

RI Values.

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

We value:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability

How To Apply

To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job advert page.

• You will be asked to upload a CV and your proposal (as a cover letter).
• Your proposal should briefly outline the timeframe and activities plan for completing the consultancy, and include your daily rate in USD.

Closing Date

As this is an emergency response role, we will be reviewing applicants on a rolling basis, please apply today as we may withdraw the position from the jobs board before the closing date.

As a humanitarian organization, Relief International is committed to the safeguarding of all those we come into contact with through our work. We are committed to the core humanitarian principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Relief International expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviors outlined in the Code of Conduct.

Recruitment to all roles in Relief International include a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.