Ref. No: DDG-P4D/TAAT/PO/01/23

Background:

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of TAAT Program Officer.

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 the One CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food-secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), is a major continent-wide program designed to boost agricultural productivity across the continent by rapidly delivering proven technologies to millions of farmers. The overall goal of TAAT is to double crop, livestock, and fish productivity by expanding access to productivity-increasing technologies to more than 40 million smallholder farmers across Africa. TAAT aims to generate an additional 120 million metric tons (MT) of food while lifting 130 million people out of poverty. Getting certified seeds of the most modern varieties into the hands of tens of millions of farmers is the primary objective of TAAT.

The program supports the Feed Africa Initiative of the AfDB by providing the needed, proven agricultural and food processing technologies and implementation strategies for inclusion within the Bank’s loans to Regional Member Countries (RMCs). It is implemented by the Regional Technology Delivery Infrastructure (RTDI) made up of the Commodity Technology Delivery Compacts (CTDCs); the TAAT Clearinghouse (CH); the Program Management Unit (PMU), and a Program Steering Committee (PSC). The CTDC is currently composed of eleven CGIAR centers, three Advanced regional R&D African centers, National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) institutions, private sector partners, and NGOs. IITA is the executing agency of TAAT.

The Clearinghouse is co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and AfDB and is responsible for linking TAAT Compact activities with country-level programs, positioning these countries’ governments as TAAT’s Primary Scaling Partners. This is achieved through the provision of technical assistance in regional and country project design, ensuring the inclusion of proven technologies and robust partnership arrangements within the resulting projects.

The program is looking for a qualified individual to fill the vacant position of TAAT Program Officer.

Position Responsibilities

The tasks of the TAAT Program Officer will include:

Main Responsibilities

• Manage projects plans and staff work plans to optimize the effectiveness of Country Engagement by the Clearinghouse, ensuring clear objectives are defined, known, and attained, and useful and timely reporting is produced.
• Manage effectively the missions of a large team of Country Engagement Officers, facilitate effective follow-up and supervision, coordinate communications, and monitor program activities and the team’s core deliverables.

Specific Responsibilities

• Use tools such as annual work plans, meeting reports, mission reports, evaluation reports, and financial reports to track project performance and maintain up-to-date the status of project implementation.
• Help create and maintain program strategies and staff work plans, capture all relevant information to document progress and achievements against the plans, and raise the need for course correction when required, in a timely manner.
• Prepare meeting agenda, organize meetings and distribute minutes; conduct regular program reviews and produce reports for the TAAT Clearinghouse.
• Organize and manage staff deployment, missions, follow up back-to-office reports, and assess reporting against work plans.
• Collect and analyze MEL data for Clearinghouse activities for project evaluations to prepare regular project reports.
• Prepare quarterly and annual reports, as required by the TAAT and Clearinghouse grant agreements.
• Assist senior team members in the TAAT Clearinghouse in identifying, developing, and managing contacts with project stakeholders, including RMC governments, donors, project implementation partners, and others.
• Contribute to TAAT public relations efforts and to knowledge dissemination and utilization, including participation in public and scientific fora.
• Identify and build relationships with Compact lead centers, their implementation partners, RMC governments, and funding/investor institutions that are critical to the Clearinghouse delivering on its objectives.
• Identify and track emerging opportunities through the institutional funding strategy and action plan.
• Work closely with the fundraising and communications team to share information about the program portfolio, pipeline, specific projects, and program impact.
• Participates in the resource mobilization activities of the CH.
• Work in close collaboration with all TAAT Clearinghouse Country Engagement team and other staff members, Compacts, the TAAT Project Management Unit to build effective coordination and partnership.
• Undertake any other job-related duties as may be assigned by the Head of the CH.

Educational Qualifications and Experience

• A post-graduate degree in Program Management, Business Management, agricultural economics, or related agriculture field from a recognized university.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in Executive Office Management or Project Management or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• Working experience with AfDB-supported projects at the national level and on the African Continent is an added advantage.

Core Competencies

• Good understanding of agricultural development and Public Private Partnership development in Africa.
• Excellent project and program management skills, including Gantt charts or equivalent project management tools.
• An excellent knowledge of project development and marketing to diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in a multicultural team environment.
• Good IT skills and report writing.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French.

Duty Station: Cotonou, Benin Republic

General information: The contract will be for an initial period of two years based on performance and availability of funding.

Applications:

Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, 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). The application should be addressed to the Head, Human Resources Service. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/careers

Closing Date: 25th January 2023

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce, particularly welcoming applications from women.

While all applications will be acknowledged, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.