The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Country Coordinator- Sierra Leone.

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. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

The Country Coordinator- Sierra Leone will provide strategic, technical, operational, and administrative leadership for the implementation of the I-Youth 2.0 Project in Sierra Leone. The role will oversee programme planning and execution, financial management, donor compliance, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, team supervision, and performance management. The Coordinator will serve as the country-level custodian of IITA’s Youth in Agribusiness (IYA) model and brand, strengthening the national network of youth agripreneurs, coordinating alumni engagement and mentorship, and linking country activities to the wider continental IYA network. The role will also represent the project nationally and foster strategic partnerships to advance youth employment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable agribusiness development.

Position Responsibilities

A.     Country Coordination — I-Youth 2.0 Project Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the implementation of I-Youth 2.0 within the assigned country.
• Lead the preparation and implementation of annual work plans, budgets, operational plans, procurement plans, and project implementation schedules.
• Coordinate and supervise all technical interventions, ensuring effective integration of capacity building, enterprise development, workforce development, partnerships, digital transformation, monitoring and evaluation, communication, and safeguarding.
• Provide leadership to the country project team, including field coordinators at the county level (Sierra Leone), ensuring effective coordination, performance management, staff development, and delivery of project results.
• Ensure timely implementation of project activities in accordance with approved work plans, donor agreements, institutional policies, and quality standards.
• Lead strategic engagement with national and sub-national government institutions, development partners, private sector organizations, financial institutions, research institutions, educational institutions, and civil society organizations.
• Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships that support project implementation, sustainability, investment, and scaling.
• Oversee the establishment and operational performance of Agribusiness Parks and enterprise incubation initiatives within the country.
• Ensure effective implementation of workforce development, enterprise support, school-based programmes, digital transformation initiatives, and ecosystem strengthening interventions.
• Monitor project performance against approved indicators and ensure timely achievement of project outputs, outcomes, and impact targets.
• Oversee project financial management, ensuring prudent utilization of resources, budget compliance, value for money, and adherence to donor financial requirements.
• Ensure compliance with IITA policies, donor regulations, safeguarding standards, environmental and social safeguards, procurement procedures, and statutory requirements.
• Lead project risk management by identifying implementation risks and coordinating appropriate mitigation measures, escalating strategic issues to the I-Youth Team Lead and PMO as required.
• Coordinate preparation of high-quality technical, financial, and donor reports, ensuring timely submission in accordance with reporting requirements.
• Represent the project at national meetings, technical forums, policy dialogues, conferences, donor engagements, and other high-level events.
• Identify opportunities for resource mobilization, strategic investments, and programme expansion within the country.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Supervisor.

B.      IYA Country Coordinator — Network and Brand Custodianship

• Serve as the country focal point for the IYA (Youth in Agribusiness) model, representing the IYA brand and network within the assigned country.
• Maintain and grow the national database and network of IYA-trained, incubated, and graduated agripreneurs, ensuring continued engagement, tracking, and support beyond initial training.
• Coordinate the in-country youth communication and mentorship networks, facilitating peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, leadership development, and youth agency in the agricultural sector.
• Support the identification, onboarding, and management of mentors linked to IYA agripreneurs and enterprise incubation activities.
• Link country-level IYA activities, alumni, and success stories to the broader continental IYA network and related IITA-led initiatives (such as ENABLE-Youth and the IFAD Agrihub), promoting cross-country learning and exchange.
• Promote the adoption, recognition, and scaling of the IYA and Agribusiness Park/incubation model with government, private sector, and development partners as a sustainable youth employment approach.
• Support the documentation, packaging, and dissemination of IYA success stories, case studies, and lessons learned for internal learning, donor reporting, and public communication.
• Coordinate country-level participation in IYA continental convenings, competitions, exchange visits, and knowledge-sharing events.
• Support resource mobilization and visibility-building for the IYA brand at country level, in coordination with the PMO communications function

Requirements

Educational Qualifications

The candidate should possess a Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies, Economics, Project Management, Public Administration, International Development, or a related discipline. Professional certification in Project Management (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) or Programme Management will be an added advantage. A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience managing large, multi-sectoral development programmes, with at least five (5) years in a senior management or leadership role.

Core Competencies

• Demonstrated experience leading donor-funded programmes involving multiple partners and stakeholders.
• Strong experience in youth employment, enterprise development, agribusiness, workforce development, agricultural transformation, or rural development.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams across multiple locations, including sub-national or provincial/district-level teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex project budgets and ensuring donor compliance.
• Proven experience establishing strategic partnerships with government, development partners, financial institutions, research organizations, and private sector actors.
• Experience building or managing alumni, mentorship, or community/professional networks is a strong advantage, given the IYA Country Officer network-custodianship function.
• Experience in programme planning, results-based management, risk management, and organizational leadership.
• Experience representing organizations at national and international levels.
• Strong strategic leadership and programme management skills.
• Excellent understanding of youth employment, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, and agricultural development.
• Strong financial and operational management capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and partnership development skills.
• Strong network and community management skills, with an ability to build and sustain engagement among a dispersed youth and alumni base.
• Strong policy engagement and advocacy skills.
• Excellent analytical, planning, and decision-making abilities.
• Strong people management, coaching, and team leadership skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and report-writing skills.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, diplomacy, and accountability.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and project management systems.

Benefits

Duty Station: Sierra Leone

General information: The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in US Dollars.

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, and 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 Director of People and Culture. Please complete our online application form using this link: https://apply.workable.com/iita/#jobs

Closing Date: 1 September 2026

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.