Technical Advisor at Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) is an international enterprise owned by the German Federal government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries.

In Nigeria, GIZ's portfolio includes among others, a programme to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its regional integration goals. The programme aims to strengthen sector-specific capacities in the areas of Peace and Security, Customs and Trade as weir as Strategic Management and Organizational Development in the ECOWAS Commission.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Advisor

Vacancy No: 096
Location: Abuja
Organization: GIZ Nigeria, AgSys, ClimA and FO Hub West Programme

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work.

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world.
• GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.
• We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• The registered offices of GIZ are in Bonn and Eschborn. Our approximately 23,500 employees, almost 70 percent of whom are national personnel, work in around 120 countries (July 2020) GIZ has worked in Nigeria since 1974. Since 2004, GIZ has maintained a country office in the capital city Abuja.
• Currently 466 national and 63 international employees, 37 regional staff, 4 integrated specialists and 3 development workers are working in the country (January 2025).

The Project
The global project "Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Agricultural Policy" (GV AgSys)
Driving ambitious climate action in agri-food systems" (GP ClimA) Farmer Organizations for the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems (FoHub)

• The global project "Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Agricultural Policy" (GP AgSys) supports partner countries in transforming their agricultural systems toward sustainability. The goal is to ensure food security while respecting planetary boundaries, which requires a fundamental shift in current agricultural practices and policy frameworks.
• At the country level, AgSys builds on existing partnerships and innovations from German and international development cooperation, adding policy advice at both state and federal levels. At the global level, contributions are linked to regional exchange formats and supported by expertise from global knowledge hubs, thereby enhancing the feasibility of reform efforts and aligning them with global agendas.
• The global project "Farmer Organizations for the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems" strengthens the participation of selcted organizations in regional and global forums. Their knowledge contributes to shaping systems in a fair and sustainable way.
• The global project "Driving ambitious climate action in agri-food systems" (GP ClimA) advances the transformation of agricultural and food systems to address hunger and enhance climate action.
• It focuses on strengthening ambitious climate commitments within the agricultural sector, aligned with key international frameworks including the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Particular attention is given to supporting the development and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme, which promotes climate action in agriculture and food system.
• The project aims to enhance institutional, strategic, and financial frameworks on national and regional and global levels to elevate the ambition and effectiveness of climate mitigation policies.
• All three projects are part of a GIZ cluster comprising initiatives that operate towards agricultural and food systems of Nigeria and the ECOWAS region.
• These initiatives aim to strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and support its broader transformation.
• A strong emphasis is placed on CSO and gender empowerment.

Responsibilities and Tasks
Responsibilities:
The Advisor is responsible for:

• The planning and implementation of gender-related activities of the AgSys project output 3 "Involvement of civil society/change agents in the transformation of agri-food systems" and 5 on civil society engagement "Connecting national and global initiatives for the transformation of agri- food systems".
• Support a climate policy advisor in the design and implementation of CSO, youth and gender engagement of the GP ClimA.
• The monitoring and technical implementation of project activities under the global FO HUB West programme, with supervision from the Gender and Advocacy advisor.
• Carrying out specific tasks in connection with gender, civil society engagement and knowledge management for AgSys and FO Hub West and GP ClimA.
• Carrying out project activities in Nigeria and other locations as required Steering international grant agreements with a non-governmental farmer organization.
• Supporting FO HUB West's and GP ClimA communication and public relations activities.
• Coordinating all gender-related activities across the three projects and acting as the project's gender focal person towards the project's steering units and the GIZ country office.
• Actively strengthening synergies and thematic linkages between AgSys, ClimA, FO Hub West in the GIZ Cluster Transformation of Agri-Food Systems and context of Nigeria's agricultural transformation agenda.

Tasks:
CSO and gender empowerment:
The Advisor:

• Plans and implements activities related to CSO and gender empowerment of the projects AgSys, FO HUB West programme in western Africa and the GP ClimA.
• Ensures the achievement of results for the related projects as defined by the project proposal and results matrix/log-frames.
• Ensures the full alignment of interventions with other project activities and other projects in the agricultural cluster.
• Cooperates proactively with the advisors responsible for other outputs of the projects and partners related.
• Provides all information and data required for monitoring and evaluation as well as annual reporting.
• Supports project monitoring and updates information on project progress, documents and reports regularly on the status of results.
• Deals with the design, preparation and implementation of workshops, seminars and other events on issues connected with related project outcomes.
• Proactively suggests and supports communication and PR activities (incl. social media posts).
• Documents, manages and shares knowledge internally and externally steers the gender and advocacy advisor in the role as gender-focal person of the projects and as such oversee the project in gender-related working groups at the steering unit, with other country measures, in the cluster and at the GIZ country office in the absence of the advisor and as advised for both projects.
• Oversee and steers grant agreements with a non-governmental organization within the region with a proven track record in engaging CSO in agricultural policy making. 
• Steers the translation and facilitating communication between farmer organizations, civil society organizations and GIZ.

Required Qualifications, Competence and Experience
Qualifications:

• Masters in Agricultural Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, Social Science, Communication, Gender Studies or closely related field.
• Experiences in knowledge management as well as CSO, youth and gender empowerment.

Professional experience:

• At least 5 years' professional experience in relevant thematic areas of the three projects described (policy advise in agriculture or food systems, climate change in agriculture).
• proven experiences in CSO, youth and gender empowerment
• Strong ability in leading on communication in complex project settings focused on policy design.
• Experience in the development of strategic frameworks on knowledge management
• Effective project management skills and experience managing or working in complex multi-faceted projects.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and highly political context.

Other knowledge, additional competences:

• Strong communication and coordination skills, including the ability to work with multidisciplinary teams across various sectors.
• Excellent organizational skills with high attention to detail, accuracy, and reliability.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), familiarity with GIZ tools and digital collaboration platforms (e.g., MS Teams, SharePoint, IDA) is an advantage.
• Strong service-oriented mindset and flexibility to support evolving project needs.

Personal Skills:

• Effective written and verbal communication, including the ability to draft clear, professional documents.
• Constructive and proactive team player with a high degree of personal responsibility.
• Capacity for critical self-reflection and commitment to continuous learning.
• High motivation to support processes that improve the quality and efficiency of project implementation.

Languages:

• Business fluency in English is vital.
• Business fluency in French is a strong advantage.

Salary
According to GIZ Salary Scale for Band 4.

Application Closing Date
5th December, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and letter of motivation as one document with complete contact details to: recruitment-nigeria@giz.de using the Job Title and Vacancy Number as the subject of the mail.

Note

• GIZ is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity. All qualified candidates, regardless of disability, age, sex, ethnicity, race,and religion are encouraged to apply.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.