The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation.
Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
To find out more about IITA, visit our websites at http://www.iita.org.
POSITION: Project Officer
Job Description
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) seeks to recruit a PROJECT OFFICER under the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Project.
The Position
The successful candidate will support the Project Lead to carry out Project Management duties throughout the project life.
Primary Responsibilities
- Work with the PM to generate and submit all required outputs in collaboration with Finance Office and PDAU
- Work with PDAU (Grants Finance Manager) and project account officer for timely and proper disbursement of funds to National Agricultural Research partners
- Communicate regularly with BSF budget holders on the status of their financial position and reporting, including MEL inputs
- Engage BSF Scientists in annual planning and reporting and populating the collaborative platform MEL
- Collaborate with IITA cluster leaders on the preparation and timely submission of cluster reports
- Collaborate with BSF – PMU and other PMOs from other BSF Centres to represent IITA in cross-center activities and report BSF activities in the 3 project countries
- Develop capacity and assist project managers in developing work breakdown structure for projects to assist with planning, execution, and reporting project outputs
- Engage with the project team on financial planning, management, and reporting.
- Communicate regularly with BSF budget holders (including NARES budget holders) on budgeting and the status of their financial position, their deliverables, and corresponding strategies for effective execution of activities
- Monitor project deliverables overall and per different components of the project and report monthly to the project coordinator
- Working with the Project account officer (FD), review, and prepare the submission of financial reports to project donors in accordance with agreed reporting timeline
- Prepare monthly financial reports for project’s coordinator’s review and knowledge
- Facilitate developing cost estimations for the different operational units and conducting annual reviews of those costs for efficiency
- Lead, design and implement Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities for the projects
- Lead the team to successfully organize annual and mid-year meetings of BSF project
- Perform any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the BSF project coordinator and IITA management.
Duty Station: IITA Accra, Ghana.
Required Skills or Experience
Educational Qualifications
- The candidate should have a Master’s Degree in Project Management, Agric-Economics, Economics, Statistics, or a related field with
- at least eight (8) years experience in project management and finance in a well-structured environment or donor-funded organization.
Core Competencies
- Technical expertise in managing and developing Monitoring & Evaluation systems, including the theory of change and results-based management
- Experience in managing scientists/teams for deliverables and milestones on time and within budget
- Good organizational skills and a high level of efficiency in work processes.
- Experience working with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning platform.
- Solid knowledge of financial planning, management and reporting
- Experience in project proposal development.
- Excellent quantitative skills, including advanced proficiency in the use of Microsoft Excel and other project management software
- Ability to work with a range of national partners.
- Highly motivated, innovative, adaptable, and able to work independently.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to mentor colleagues.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and French
HOW TO APPLY
Applications: Applications must include a cover letter, which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae (5 pages maximum), names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work.
Applications should be submitted by EMAIL ONLY to:
The Station Administrator, IITA-Ghana, iita-ghanahr@cgiar.org.
CLOSING DATE: January 22, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted
Terms of appointment: This is Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position. The initial appointment is for one year with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding.
