Practice Lead – Peace, Stabilization & Governance

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
The Practice Lead, Peace, Stabilization & Governance plays a senior leadership role within Cowater’s North America Business Unit, responsible for shaping and advancing the firm’s positioning, delivery quality, and business development efforts in fragile, conflict-affected, and politically complex environments.

The Practice Lead provides strategic and technical leadership across a portfolio of projects focused on peace building, stabilization, security, and governance-related programming in fragile and politically complex environments. This includes supporting the design and delivery of initiatives that address conflict drivers, strengthen resilience, improve institutional trust, and contribute to safer and more stable environments in partner countries, including where public administration, service delivery, or institutional strengthening are relevant to peace and stabilization outcomes.

The role combines three core functions: (i) technical leadership and quality assurance, (ii) practice development and positioning, and (iii) business development and pipeline growth. The Practice Lead works closely with Project Directors, technical teams, and business development colleagues to strengthen delivery, expand Cowater’s footprint, and position the firm as a credible partner in this area.

The role requires strong technical credibility, sound political judgement, and the ability to operate effectively in sensitive and complex environments.

• Provide leadership and direction for Cowater's practice in peace, stabilization, and governance within the North America Business Unit, in close collaboration with the Managing Director.
• Define and evolve priority thematic areas, which may include peace building, conflict prevention, stabilization programming, and selected areas of governance and institutional strengthening.
• Ensure technical approaches are grounded in context analysis, conflict sensitivity, and evidence-based practice.
• Maintain and deepen expertise in fragile and conflict-affected settings, ensuring Cowater remains well positioned in this space.
• Provide senior-level technical advisory support on complex or high-risk assignments.

• Provide technical oversight and quality assurance across assigned projects, ensuring delivery excellence, risk management, and client satisfaction.
• Support project and BD teams on program design, implementation challenges, and adaptive management in politically sensitive environments.
• Contribute to strengthening results-based management, learning, and knowledge capture across the portfolio, including in fragile contexts.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical and operational risks, with particular attention to conflict dynamics, political economy factors, and fiduciary considerations.
• Ensure consistent application of Cowater policies on safeguarding, duty of care, and risk management.

• Lead business development efforts in peace, stabilization, and governance within the North America Business Unit.
• Develop and actively manage a pipeline of opportunities, including early positioning, partner engagement, and opportunity shaping in partnership with the Lead, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development.
• Lead or contribute to proposal development, including technical design, team composition, and quality assurance.
• Strengthen relationships with key donors, partners, and stakeholders working in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, including governance-focused programming.
• Identify opportunities to expand Cowater’s work beyond traditional donor-funded programming, including with non-traditional partners…