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 The Head of Finance, Personnel and Administration (CFPA) ensures that managers and their teams can carry out their tasks efficiently and effectively. She/He oversees the smooth functioning of the representation and leads all human resources processes. She/He supports the Head of Cooperation / Head of the Humanitarian Office in ensuring that resources are used transparently, economically and in line with organisational requirements. The CFPA is responsible for key services such as project cycle management (PCM), the internal control system (ICS), and the management of the office's assets. She/He implements the defined strategy and takes on essential operational duties. The CFPA is normally a member of both the senior management team and the Security Management Team (SMT). Tasks  Deployed within a Swiss Cooperation Office/Humanitarian Office, your main responsibilities may consist in:·       (Management) Leading the team in line with strategic priorities and ensuring effective use of resources. Defining roles, supporting staff development, and fostering strong communication and teamwork. Maintaining productive relations with authorities and partners.·       (Financial Management) Overseeing budgeting, cash and financial planning, and ensuring accurate SAP/Esprit data and timely financial closure. Supporting audits and strengthening control tools. Integrating financial insights into reporting and managing constraints linked to financial sanctions.·       (Administration and Logistics) Ensuring robust internal controls and improving administrative tools and processes. Overseeing archiving, assets, inventories, and building management with IT and logistics partners. Maintaining emergency preparedness and coordinating compound and infrastructure needs.·       (Project Cycle Management) Reviewing and approving budgets and accounts, ensuring compliance with SDC standards. Assessing financial and operational risks, analysing reports, and monitoring projects. Supporting procurement, contract management, institutional assessments, proposal development, and final reporting.·       (HR Management) Acting as HR focal point and ensuring smooth HR workflows. Coordinating staff training, supporting recruitment and employment conditions, and maintaining local staff management frameworks. Advising supervisors and coordinating the MbO process.·       (Support to Partners) Providing partners with training and guidance in finance, HR, administration, ICS, and PCM. Supporting audit processes and monitoring implementation of recommendations. Strengthening partners' systems for compliance and effective delivery. Examples of recent assignmentsCFPA deployed to the Swiss Cooperation Office in Juba, South SudanAdministrator deployed to the Humanitarian Bureau in Bangui, Central African Republic Skills and requirements5 years of professional experience, at least two of which must have ideally been abroad in the humanitarian context.Ideally, knowledge and experience in using SDC operational instrument, in particular PCM, financial, administrative and logistical management, budget management tools.Proven ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team in complex and dynamic environments.Political and diplomatic flair in relations with different parties and interest groups and ideally experience in collaborating with multilateral organisations, civil society and authorities. QualificationsUniversity degree or equivalent professional training in finance, business administration or any related field. If you are interested in taking part in SHA field missions, please consult the SHA page and send this  curriculum vitae (SHV CV (DOCX, 4 Pages, 59.8 kB, English)) along with a motivation letter stating the competences you bring to the SHA specialist group(s) of your interest to: rekrutierungskh@eda.admin.chSDC – Humanitarian Aid Department and SHASHA Personnel DivisionMrs Selina Lüthi

Background and objectives of the positionThe Mekong River Commission (MRC) is the intergovernmental organisation established under the 1995 Mekong Agreement, mandated to promote and coordinate the sustainable management and development of the Mekong River Basin's water and related resources. The MRC facilitates dialogue and cooperation among its Member Countries, promotes joint planning and data sharing, and supports compliance with basin procedures to ensure equitable and sustainable development across the basin.The Mekong River Basin is experiencing increasing pressures from land-use change, hydropower development, irrigation expansion, and climate variability. These drivers are altering sediment transport, nutrient dynamics, and salinity intrusion patterns, which in turn affect aquatic ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on the river system. Addressing these challenges requires sound scientific evidence and improved analytical tools to assess basin-wide water quality and its response to natural and human-induced changes.To support decision-making, the MRC has developed and recently upgraded the MRC's Decision Support Framework (MRC-DSF), which integrates hydrological and hydrodynamic modelling and scenario-based simulations using the MIKE suite of models. While the upgraded DSF provides simulations of flows, reservoir operations, and flood and drought conditions, it currently does not include water quality or sediment processes, creating a gap in the assessment of sediment transport, nutrient dynamics, and salinity intrusion. In order to address this gap, the expert will focus on extending the MRC-DSF to include comprehensive water quality modelling, covering on sediment budgets, instream sediment, nutrient, and salinity intrusion.The expert will also conduct the sediment budget assessment based on this devlopped modules and  training and capacity building to MRC and member countries to ensure effective use, interpretation and sustainable application of water quality models. Through these efforts, the expert will strengthen scientific evidence for transboundary water management, scenario analysis, policy formulation, and implementation of the MRC Strategic Plan 2026–2030. Expected outcomes The expert is expected to deliver the following outcomes:·     A harmonized and quality-assured basin-wide water quality (WQ) data, including sediment, nutrient, and salinity parameters, is established and maintained.·     Water quality modelling and simulation tools for the Mekong River Basin (e.g., MIKE+, ECOLab, or equivalent) are calibrated, validated, and integrated with hydrological and hydrodynamic models.·     Analytical reports and model-based assessments inform regional and national decision-making on sediment and nutrient management and salinity control.·     Enhanced capacity for both MRCS and MC  national modelling and monitoring teams to operate and maintain WQ models.·     Technical inputs provided to basin indicators, the State of Basin Report (SOBR) and Basin Development Strategy (BDS). Deliverables and responsibilitiesUnder the management direction of the Division Director and technical advice of the Chief Hydrologist, and in close collaboration with the other Modeller, the expert shall be responsible for delivering the indicative outputs and tasks. The final products shall be delivered within a reasonable timeframe following discussion and mutual agreement. Deliverables·     Inception report with detailed work plan and capacity building roadmap for both basin and site-specific water quality and sediment assessment.·     Comprehensive basin-wide water quality database covering sediment, nutrient, and salinity, including metadata, quality assurance, harmonization of historical and current datasets, and integration of monitoring data.·     Sediment assessment outputs including:•      Basin-wide sediment budgets (source, transport, and deposition estimates).•      Instream sediment dynamics for key river segments and hydropower reservoirs.•      Identification of hotspot areas of sediment accumulation or erosion.·     Nutrient and salinity dynamics assessment including:•      Spatial and temporal distribution of key nutrients (N, P) across the basin and critical sites.•      Salinity intrusion mapping for Mekong Delta.·     Calibrated and validated water quality models (e.g., MIKE+, ECOLab, or equivalent) integrated with hydrological and hydrodynamic models, capable of supporting scenario analysis for development, land-use, and climate changes.·     Scenario analysis reports on sediment, nutrient, and salinity impacts under different development and climate conditions, including site-specific case studies for hydropower reservoirs, irrigation schemes, or other critical locations.·     Technical guidelines and QA/QC procedures for WQ monitoring and modelling.·     Training materials and workshops for national modeling and monitoring teams (at least one regional/national workshop per year).·     Final synthesis report summarizing basin-wide and site-specific assessments, model results, lessons learned, and recommendations for transboundary management and policy support. Tasks and Responsibilities1.   Data Review and Harmonization·     Collect, review, and harmonize historical and current water quality datasets from Member Countries, hydropower monitoring, and research studies.·     Conduct QA/QC of sediment, nutrient, and salinity datasets, including filling gaps and ensuring metadata standards.2.   Sediment Modelling and Assessment·     Develop and calibrate sediment transport models for the basin, including instream dynamics, deposition patterns, and sediment budgets.·     Conduct site-specific sediment assessments for hydropower reservoirs and critical river segments.·     Analyze sediment connectivity, hotspot erosion/deposition areas, and cumulative sediment impacts from land-use changes and infrastructure.3.   Nutrient and Salinity Modelling·     Calibrate and validate nutrient transport and cycling models, considering point and non-point sources, land-use impacts, and hydrological variability.·     Model salinity intrusion and variations under low-flow and high-flow scenarios, including site-specific assessments for estuarine and upstream areas affected by infrastructure or water regulation.4.   Integration with Hydrological and Hydrodynamic Models·     Link water quality models with existing MRC-DSF models for scenario analysis and decision support.·     Develop model applications for both basin-wide and site-specific scenarios, supporting planning, development, and operational decision-making.5.   Scenario Analysis·     Conduct scenario simulations of sediment, nutrient, and salinity dynamics under key development plans (hydropower, irrigation, flood protection), climate variability, and land-use changes.·     Produce reports highlighting potential impacts, risks, and mitigation options for transboundary and site-specific water quality management.6.   Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer·     Develop training materials and conduct workshops for national and regional technical teams on water quality monitoring, modelling, and interpretation of results.·     Provide ongoing technical support and advice to national experts to strengthen local capacity in water quality assessment.7.   Reporting and Documentation·     Maintain detailed documentation of models, input data, calibration procedures, and outputs.·     Contribute technical inputs to basin indicators, the State of Basin Report (SOBR), and other transboundary case studies.·     Prepare synthesis and technical reports summarizing findings and recommendations for the Technical Guidelines on the Implementation of the Procedures for Wate Quality (TGWQ). Intellectual property rightsIntellectual property and copy rights - IPR: All the codes and scripts develop and use in developing  the Mobile App, Information, data, database, knowledge resources in the forms of briefings,  reports, proceedings, articles, essays, etc. issued by and for the MRCS will be the MRCS property.  The expert may not share or use for personal gain in anyway. Any utility, announcement and disclosure that are without MRCS highest levels of authority'  permission is considered illegal and will be charged by relevant local and international legal  procedures. Declaration of non-fraudulence and protection of personal dataThe expert shall adhere to the MRC's relevant rules and regulations of the MRC on personal  data protection, business exclusion, and fraud prevention and anti-corruption principles, and  shall be under strict disciplinary measures should any violation occurs.  Working arrangementThe secondment expert will be working under the overall guidance of the Director of Technical Support Division and technical advice of the Chief Hydrologist, and in close collaboration with the other Modeller and other relevant divisions. Qualifications and requirementsEducation•      Master's degree (or higher) in Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Hydrology, Environmental Science, or a related field (PhD preferred). Experience & Skills•      Minimum 7 years of professional experience in water quality assessment and modelling.•      Proven expertise in sediment and nutrient dynamics, and/or salinity intrusion processes.•      Demonstrated experience in using modelling tools such as MIKE HYDRO Basin, MIKE+, MIKE 11, MIKE ECOLab, SWAT, or similar.•      Experience with large river basins or transboundary water management projects.•      Familiarity with MRC-DSF or comparable systems is an asset.•      Experience in capacity building and working with multi-country technical teams.•      Strong data analysis, QA/QC, and geospatial integration skills.•      Excellent communication and report writing in English.•      Proven ability to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments. Duty station: MRC Secretariat, Vientiane, Lao PDR Starting date and duration: Asap (or after mutual agreement) for 12 monthsSwiss citizenship or a 'C' residence permit for Switzerland is mandatory.MiscellaneousFor reasons of duty of care (increased risks due to other privileges and immunities) and to avoid conflicts of interest and potential bias, employees and their accompanying persons who hold dual or multiple citizenships shall, as a matter of principle, not be assigned to countries of which they are nationals. Contact/Application:Please submit your application by email no later than July 1, 2026 to Ms. Odette Mauron, odette.mauron@eda.admin.ch