Trócaire is an International NGO. We work with local partners in the world’s most at-risk communities and with people in Ireland to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and injustice and respond to the crises they create. Together we bring about positive and lasting change for a just world. Trócaire works in up to 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Our work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and in our values of Solidarity, Courage, Participation, Perseverance and Accountability. We work towards five goals:  

•                 Promote Access to Justice;  

•                 Achieve Climate & Environmental Justice;  

•                 Ensure Women & Girls’ Protection, Voice & Influence;  

•                 Save Lives and Protect Human Dignity; and  

•                 Mobilise the Public on the island of Ireland to achieve Global Justice. 

In Sierra Leone since 1995, Trócaire works to achieve climate and environmental justice; ensure women and girls’ protection, voice & influence; and save lives and protect human dignity. Trócaire supports work on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, women’s political participation and leadership, sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment, natural resource management and environmental conservation, and humanitarian preparedness and response.

Trócaire works exclusively with local partners and actively supports localised development and humanitarian aid. Supporting local civil society organisations to strengthen their organisational, institutional, financial, technical, and managerial capacities is core to Trócaire’s partnership approach in Sierra Leone.

Project background

Trocaire in partnership with local NGO Cotton Tree Foundation (CTF) is piloting establishing a women-led agri-processing initiative in Lunsar, Marampa Chiefdom, Port Loko District. The initiative has been made possible through the generous support of a major private donor with deep roots in Ireland’s agrifood processing sector. The project aims to establish and operationalise a Women-led Agrifood Processing Centre which will serve as a hub for agro-processing, of key crops in Sierra Leone and women’s economic empowerment. It will also serve as a demonstration site for inclusive, market-driven value chain engagement by placing strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment, for women in and around Lunsar as the primary project participants. The project design has been informed by a comprehensive gender-sensitive market assessment. The project will embed a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach, ensuring women’s meaningful participation, empowerment, productive engagement, leadership, and equitable benefit across targeted value chains across all stages of the project. The initiative is designed to strengthen and empower women in local value addition and leadership, improve agri-food processing capacity, reduce women’s processing related labour burden and enhance market linkages, while building the foundations for a commercially viable and locally owned food-processing model that can continue to thrive beyond the life of external funding.

Trócaire is currently seeking to recruit a Project Manager – Agro-processing & Market System Development to join our dynamic and passionate Programme Team. The role will report to the Head of Programmes (HoP). The job opportunity will be offered on a fixed term contract for 18 months and is based in Freetown Sierra Leone with frequent travel to Lunsa, Port Loko District.

Role Summary

The Project Manager – Agro-processing & Market System Development will lead the delivery, coordination, monitoring, adaptive management and reporting of the Women-led Agro-Processing Initiative/Project. S/he will providing technical and strategic leadership to ensure effective delivery of project objectives related to establishing the centre, agro-processing, value addition, post-harvest management, market access, and enterprise development for women, in coordination with Trócaire Programme Technical Leads (PTL) - Climate Resilience & Economic Empowerment, and Women Empowerment. The role will be responsible for the oversight and management of the project local partner – CTF – providing technical assistance and accompaniment to ensure programme quality. Additionally, s/he will play a key role, with Country Director, HoP, PTLs and CTF in maintaining/building strong key stakeholder relationships at national and district level: government institutions, producer organizations, cooperatives, SMEs, private sector processors, financial institutions, development partners, and local communities - to ensure timely, quality, and results-driven implementation of project activities. The role requires strong project management, operational, financial and market systems developed skills combined with strengths in women’s empowerment. An engineering/construction qualification or experience is desirable.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Leadership and Management:

• Lead the overall management, coordination and delivery of the Women-led Agro-processing Initiative in line with approved workplans, budgets, donor requirements, and organizational policies as well as ensure effective coordination across technical, operational, financial, and administrative functions.
• Develop and update annual, quarterly, and monthly implementation plans, procurement plans, and risk mitigation plans; Ensure all project activities are implemented on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
• Provide oversight and leadership to milestone deliverables as agreed with the donor; escalate delivery, operational, budget risks to the HoP in timely manner with suggested mitigation measures.
• Coordinate with the Head Finance Operations & Compliance to ensure procurements follow the country procurement process and Trócaire’s Global Procurement Policy.
• Conduct regular field visits to assess activities, evaluate resource utilization, and ensure adherence to project plans and donor expectations.
• Collaborate with Trócaire PTL and Advisers (in-country and HQ respectively) to align programming approaches with best practices and emerging innovations, ensuring consistency and documentation.
• Lead and organise project Technical Working Group (TGW) and participate/ provide updates to project governance structures.
• With Business Development & Grants Manager (BDGM) support in hosting visitors to the project including the donor, Ministry and Trócaire HQ, including logistics and visibility materials.
• Maintain accurate and updated project files (both on Salesforce, Box Office Operations and hard copy.)
• Participate in recruitment process of staff through the local NGO – CTF ensuring that staff meet minimum work package recruitments and have the required work experience to take up role related to the project.
• Design and produce ToR for hiring consultant/service providers and support the Trocaire procurement team in managing consultants until the final report is received and validated.

Local Partner Management

• Lead in the oversight and management of the local implementing partner – Cotton Tree Foundation - ensuring transparent, open and respectful two-way communication and joint problem solving. This includes developing MOUs, and paperwork/processes for timely grant transfers.
• Providing technical assistance and accompaniment to CTF to ensure programme quality – in coordination also with Trócaire’s PTLs in respective areas of expertise.
• With Trócaire’s Partnership and Localisation Manager, support coordinated implementation of technical and organisational capacity-building plans for CTF in areas jointly identified.
• Conduct frequent monitoring visits (at times jointly with MEAL, Finance and PTL) to field sites and partner offices in Lunsa, to monitor, document, and strategically support partners delivery of activity implementation, work planning, coordination, problem solving and budget management.
• Collect and review partners’ narrative, MEAL and financial reports (jointly with MEAL and finance). Ensure timely submission, quality assurance and compliance with norms and standards and provide constructive feedback.
• Work with CTF to address issues from reporting and monitoring visits, revising project strategies and plans as needed.
• Support CTF in the establishment and operations of the Community Based Organisation (CBO) that will be responsible for overseeing the day-day operations of the agri-processing centre in Lunsar. Ensuring that the CBO is effective and functional in processing and value addition of agricultural products reaching the centre.

Technical Oversight – Agro-processing and market system development:

• Provide technical leadership for the design, engineering, construction, commissioning, and scaling of agro-processing centre including associated value chain infrastructure, land acquisition, facility development, equipment selection, specifications, and procurement, aggregation and storage systems, waste management solutions, market integration, financial partnerships, and social enterprise incubation.
• Provide tailored capacity building for the women-led  (CBO), and project staff from CTF on technical areas related to the operation, and effective functioning of the agric-processing centre.
• Provide technical oversight and support on the centre’s business model development and commercialization including developing and strengthening the centre’s women-led governance models; technical assessment and guidance on viability and sustainability of the proposed models.
• Guide the identification and strengthening of viable women-led agro-processing business opportunities and investment pathways.
• Ensure interventions are aligned with local market demand, value chain constraints, and private-sector opportunities and importantly women’s priorities and needs.
• Ensure quality checks during and after processing in place and are of the highest standards, and health, environment, and safety measures are observed based on national and international regulations.
• Work closely with the PTL - Women’s Empowerment (WE) and PTL -GBV & Inclusion, to ensure quality delivery of the projects WE interventions and integration women’s empowerment and inclusion – as fundamental to the project success.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with national stakeholders and jointly with CTF at district level: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs / relevant government agencies; Local councils and district authorities; Farmer-based organizations (FBOs), cooperatives, and community groups; market actors (off-takers, traders, and private investors, financial institutions and business development service providers), Donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and development partners
• Convene and facilitate coordination meetings, TWG, and stakeholder forums.
• Represent the project in relevant national and sub-national meetings, workshops, and sector platforms.
• With BDGM and MEAL manager support the identification and development of visibility and communications materials including case studies.

MEAL, Reporting and Budget Management:

• Work with the MEAL Manager to maintain, and apply MEAL frameworks that effectively track results, document learning and support adaptive management
• In collaboration with HoP and finance, manage project budgets and expenditure. This includes leadership in monthly Budget versus Actual Review Meetings with the relevant finance and programmes staff, including reviewing transaction coding, updating project expenses plan, providing explanations for variances, to avoid under/overspending and ensure accurate budget forecasting.
• With Line manager and BDGM ensure timely financial reporting, documentation, and audit readiness.
• Draft donor narrative reports to ensure timely, accurate and quality report.
• Develop Service Level Agreements and lead on reporting and correspondence with the relevant line Ministry.
• In coordination with MEAL manager lead the generation, documentation, and dissemination of strategic learning and evidence from programme implementation to inform organizational improvement, replication, scaling, and expansion of the market systems development (MSD) approach across the organization.

Other duties as required

• Undertake additional tasks as agreed with the Head of Programmes, and/or Country Director to support Trócaire’s overall work in Sierra Leone.
• Actively contribute to team initiatives, including annual planning, program reviews and trainings.

Requirements

Qualification

• Master’s degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Food Technology, Business Administration, Rural Development, Project Management, Market Systems Development, or a related field.
• Specialized training in agro-processing systems, value chain development, enterprise development, infrastructure development, or market systems development will be an added advantage

Experience

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in agribusiness, market systems development, agro-processing, or value chain development, including leadership of  multi-stakeholder programmes involving infrastructure development, enterprise incubation, private sector engagement, and organizational learning for scaling and replication.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in NGO setting managing a similar agriculture related market system development programmes
• Experience of supporting grass roots farmer-based organisations (FBOs) and social enterprises
• Proven experience managing partners, budgets, workplans, and donor reporting
• Experience of integrating womens empowerment in programmes.
• Experience working with local civil society partners or in partnership-based programming.
• Experience working in strategic value chains such as groundnuts and cassava is highly desirable

Skills

• Strong knowledge and familiarity with market systems and private-sector engagement in agricultural value chains and agro-processing systems
• Strong knowledge and familiarity agro-processing, post-harvest management, food safety, storage, and processing technologies
• Proven experience of managing/overseeing agricultural related constructions to hold service provider to account (technical qualification an added advantage)
• Knowledge of service provider models, agribusiness models, FBOs, social enterprise development/incubation, and SME support
• Strong project cycle management skills
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills;
• Highly organised, with excellent planning, prioritisation and problem-solving skills;
• Strong communications and facilitation skills;
• Excellent report writing and documentation skills;
• Competent in Microsoft packages (Word, Excel)
• Fluency (written and spoken) in English. Local language in Port Loko an advantage

Qualities

• Flexibility and ability to multi-task under pressure
• Delivery-oriented and results-focused
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision but also a team player.
• Commitment to social justice and promoting youth and women's engagement, inclusion, and empowerment.
• A strong commitment and empathy with Trócaire’s values and safeguarding policies

Others:

• Ability and willingness to travel frequently within country, and internationally if required
• Commitment to principles of safeguarding of programme participants
• Commitment to gender equality principles
• Financial integrity and stewardship of project funds

Desirable:

• Demonstrated excellent understanding of Sierra Leone’s agriculture transformation agenda, including priorities related to food systems transformation, value addition, agro-processing, womens’ economic empowerment and market systems strengthening.
• Engineering qualification
• Knowledge of climate risks associated with agro-processing an added advantage
• Monitoring, Learning, Accountability and Evaluation skills

Core Competencies

• Integrity and commitment to Trócaire's values and safeguarding standards.
• Excellent planning, coordination, and team-working abilities.
• Strategic thinking with attention to detail and strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build respectful and empowering relationships with donors.

Safeguarding – Preventing Abuse and Exploitation

Trócaire is committed to safeguarding people from exploitation and/or abuse by our employees or others working on our behalf or as a result of our programmes or activities. Trócaire has specific policies on this commitment (including a Global Code of Conduct, Global Safeguarding Policy) which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all employees, consultants and other organisational representatives. As an employee of Trócaire you are required to abide by these policies. More information on Trócaire’s safeguarding policies available here.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We welcome diverse applicants to join our inclusive workforce.

Trócaire is an equal opportunities employer. We are an organisation that embraces diversity and inclusion. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to bring their experiences and perspectives to Trócaire.

Diversity and Inclusion statement available here.

We particularly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including women.

Benefits

For the candidate with the required technical knowledge, experience, and passion for the role, Trócaire offers a competitive package of salary and benefits on local terms and conditions for 18- months fixed term contract. Applicants must have rights to work and live in Sierra Leone. We particularly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, including women.

Application will be reviewed on a rolling basis

Closing Date: 24th July 2026