Deputy Program Director, Operations, Soil Values - Office of Programs at the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) - 4 Openings

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soils on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.  

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Deputy Program Director, Operations, Soil Values - Office of Programs

Job ID: 20121477
Location: Abuja
Job type: Full-time

About Program / Project   

• Soil Values is a 10-years program funded by the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) with a vision to catalyze sustainable and resilient agricultural transformation across West Africa by embedding soil health and fertility management into broader agricultural development efforts.
• With an ambitious aim of supporting 1.5 million small-scale food producers, restoring 2 million hectares of degraded land, and catalyzing a transformative shift in soil health and agricultural resilience across the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Northern Nigeria).
• Soil Values has three types of partners that work closely together with the national partners for implementation 1) The three Consortium partners (IFDC, SNV, WUR) are directly involved with the implementation of the program, 2) Convening partner (AGRA) and Knowledge partners (ICRAF, IITA, ISRIC, and IWMI). Strong collaboration with World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) among other partners is key for the success of the program.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the timely development, preparation and submission of complete and high-quality work plans, quarterly and annual reports, financial reports, and any other required documents, in close coordination with the Program Director and Program Management Team (PMT); 
• Oversee Country Coordinators and provide support to ensure timely and quality implementation of agreed workplan activities in project countries; 
• Oversee the program Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Sharing (MELS) team to design and implement systems that rigorously assess the sustainability, impact, and return on investment (ROI) of program interventions, ensuring data-driven decision-making and continuous program improvement; 
• Oversee program staff and provide workflow support in the areas of operations, security, grants, contracts, and finance & budget; 
• Oversee implementation of activities related to partnerships in accordance with the program’s protocol and related procedures; 
• Develop and implement operational standards, tools, and procedures that ensure quality, consistency, and sustainability of interventions; 
• Provide organizational development to ensure the program operates efficiently and effectively; 
• Coordinate and communicate on a regular basis with the Program Director and PMT concerning country implementation, operational and strategic matters; 
• Respond to questions and requests for information about the program. 

Location:

• This is a national recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC office based in one of the IFDC offices in Africa. 

Reporting and Work Relationships 

• The Deputy Program Director Implementation reports to the Program Director.
• He/She will supervise the Country Coordinators and work closely with other project colleagues as well as IFDC staff and colleagues from other project consortium members. 

Requirements 

• Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Business Management, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics; Rural Development; 
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in international development in West Africa, specifically in agricultural program implementation and evaluation; 
• Substantial experience managing complex, multi-country, multi-year donor-funded programs in a senior capacity; 
• Demonstrated commitment to provide quality operations, administrative, finance, grant, and security support to both management and staff; 
• Key knowledge of agriculture in West Africa, specifically soil fertility; 
• Ability to collaborate effectively with public and private sector partners, including donor agencies, government officials, and industry groups; 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders; 
• Experience in multicultural, multilingual environments; 
• Fluency in speaking and writing English and preferably French; 
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the West African region. 

Salary Clauses 

• The salary grade for this position is BG 10. 
• The determination of new employee salaries considers numerous factors. These include the salary range linked to the assigned job grade, the candidate's qualifications in relation to the job's responsibilities and prerequisites, internal fairness, the competitive state of the job market, as well as potential organizational and budgetary considerations. 

Benefits 

• IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security and pension contribution in compliance with local laws and end-of-contract benefits. 

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online