Company Info
Large organization
200 + Employees
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a non-profit organisation that develops agricultural solutions to address Africa's most pressing concerns, including hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. We work with a variety of partners across Sub-Saharan Africa to improve lives, improve food and nutrition security, increase employment, and protect natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of One CGIAR, a global agriculture research alliance dedicated to ensuring food security in the future.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a non-profit organisation that develops agricultural solutions to address Africa’s most pressing concerns, including hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. We work with a variety of partners across Sub-Saharan Africa to improve lives, improve food and nutrition security, increase employment, and protect natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of One CGIAR, a global agriculture research alliance dedicated to ensuring food security in the future.
1). Financial Controller – Operations
Ref. No: P4D/IITA/FC/02/24
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Employment Type: Full-time
General information: The contract will be for an initial period of three years
Job Description
- We are looking for a talented, creative, and dynamic individual who will report to the Director of Finance and provide professional and administrative support to the directorate in preparation for the Annual Institute budget and projection.
- The successful candidate will oversee the accounting bookings and report to internal and external stakeholders.
- The successful candidate will supervise the Payroll, Corporate Accounts, and Project Finance Units.
- The successful candidate will support the preparation of the monthly management accounts for the Institute and will be responsible for the management of annual external audits and financial reporting.
- The successful candidate will work with the new role of internal control to ensure internal controls are complied with.
Position Responsibilities
- General management of Institute Financial Operations and Reporting.
- Prepare IITA Annual Financial Statement in line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
- Prepare an accurate and timely medium-term financial plan.
- Prepare projections and annual budgets.
- Manage the Institute’s corporate accounts and payroll system.
- Monitor financial performance against budget to support the dynamic reallocation of resources according to priorities.
- Develop tools and systems to provide critical financial and operational information to the Director of Finance and make actionable recommendations on both strategy and operations.
- Work with the Director of Finance to create a long-term strategy for the finance directorate by providing advice on issues, trends, and changes in the operating models and operational delivery.
- Assist in establishing yearly objectives and work plans for the workshops in the Finance Directorate.
- Advise the Director of Finance on long-term budget planning and cost management in alignment with the Institute’s strategic plan, considering limitations and changes in the funding environment, strategic growth opportunities and collaborations with external organisations.
- Work with the Head of Internal Audit and advise the Director of Finance on the integrity of the Institute’s investment policies and reporting and control procedures.
- Remain up to date on non-profit audits and financial best practices.
- Ensure compliance and maintain oversight for all accounting and operating activities.
- Lead the annual financial audits; review audit materials and prepare management responses to internal and external auditors.
- Manage stations’ finance and imprest system.
- Mentor and develop finance management teams, providing input on work allocation, training, troubleshooting, problem and conflict resolution, and the building of an effective team dynamic.
- Train accounting personnel and others on accounting controls and procedures.
- Provide financial support to TAAT Clearing House on budget, operations, and reporting.
- Provide management support to TAAT Clearing House on the expanded deliverables financed by BMGF.
- Provide financial and accounting support to the Business Incubation Platform (BIP) group for consolidation purposes.
- Participate in Grant Accounting Module development.
- Perform the corporate Account Manager’s role pending recruitment of replacement.
- Provide support to Account Payable administration and Vendors payment management.
- Act as Officer in charge during periods of absence of the Director of Finance.
Educational Qualifications
- The desired candidate should have a minimum of Master’s Degree / MBA in Finance and Accounting or any related fields from a reputable higher institution with recognized professional accounting certifications/licenses such as ACA, CPA, ACCA, etc.
Core Competencies:
- Minimum of ten (10) years relevant experience in core accounting, auditing, or finance function from a leading or well-structured accounting firm, preferably in a donor-funded not-for-profit international organization, and three (3) of which must be at a senior management level.
- Solid knowledge in financial and contractual management of large, complex donor-funded projects, preferably within the agricultural research arena.
- Excellent leadership, management, interpersonal, and team building skills.
- Relevant finance experience should include planning, forecasting, and enterprise financial systems with an emphasis on budgeting and financial reporting (with sound knowledge/hands-on experience of IFRS).
- Experience in working with a leading accounting firm of an international organization or multinational private sector company within a cross-cultural environment at a senior level.
- High level of proficiency in using Microsoft Office packages (Word, PowerPoint, and advanced-level user of Excel).
- Proficiency in at least one major enterprise management system (oracle, sun, platinum SAGE, etc.) and relevant computer applications.
- Experience in designing and implementing Oracle modules and other applications will be an added advantage.
- Ability and proven track record in leadership of small groups; experience as a manager of staff, team builder/leader; and ability as a manager of strategic relationships.
- High-level attention to details.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are essential, including the ability to set out coherent presentations and group interactions.
Remuneration
IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.
Application Closing Date
2nd March, 2024.
Note
- Applications must include a Cover Letter which should address how the candidate’s background / experience relating 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 Head, People and Culture.
- 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.
===
===
2). Field Assistant/Driver
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Employment Type: Full-time
Duties
- Carry out driving duties courteously, maintain the unit vehicle and accompanying documents under optimum conditions in readiness for on and off-station activities.
- Convey personnel and visitors for airport drop-offs and pick-ups for official trips.
- Convey project staff to implement project activities in target locations.
- Complete vehicle logs as required for all trips and report all vehicle related costs incurred during trips backed with original receipts.
- Ensure proper day-to-day cleaning and maintenance of project vehicle and routine servicing by the appropriate section.
- Report vehicle defects, accidents or incidents to supervisors in a timely manner.
- Ensure the safety of the vehicle, passengers and other items in the vehicle.
- Assist research and field staff with field and laboratory activities on-station and off-station.
- Perform any other job-related tasks as may be assigned by the Supervisor.
Requirements
- National Diploma in Agriculture or any other related field with a minimum of four (4) years with research support experience performing a similar role in a well-structured environment.
- Good knowledge of road across Nigeria up to Ghana will be an added advantage.
Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:
- Have good communication skills (writing, reading, and speaking).
- Have good knowledge of defensive driving with excellent awareness of driving rules and regulations.
- Have the ability to work long hours.
- Must have initiative and high moral, integrity, positive attitude and strong team spirit.
Application Closing Date
15th February, 2024.
===
===
3). Project Coordinator (AIASCA)
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Employment Type: Full-time
Background
- Through cooperation between 10 CGIAR Centres, the Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) Initiative responds to renewed public and private sector demand for scalable agronomic innovations as an engine for agricultural development through the delivery of agronomic gain in the Global South
- . This has been done through four Work Packages, ORGANIZE (with integrative methods for demand assessment, investment, prioritization, and the formation of alliances to support change), TRANSFORM (data and knowledge into action with next-generation research approaches, algorithms, and tools for guiding strategic and tactical decision making),
- INNOVATE (insights with impact-oriented science matched to demand to fill key knowledge gaps for yield, resource use efficiencies, and climate adaptation) and DELIVER (agronomy solutions for enhanced decision-making with the public, private and civil society partners). EiA has received additional funding to accelerate agronomic innovations (the project), to be implemented across four of the EiA Countries (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria), with a targeted implementation in Ethiopia initially.
- The implementation of the project is in collaboration with four CG Centres.
- IITA is looking for a talented, creative, and dynamic individual to support the global core team in the coordination and implementation of activities related (but not limited) to the additional funding.
- The successful candidate will report to the EiA Chief Growth Officer and will be a member of the EiA Core Team.
Position Responsibilities
- Oversee the implementation of the project, ensuring full compliance with the Grant Agreement and delivery of agreed outcomes.
- Coordinate the project implementation activities across the four CG centres in the four countries paying attention to the project work in Ethiopia.
- Ensure all contractual obligations in the Grant Agreement are adhered to and respected by all implementing partners.
- Coordinate all technical and financial reporting from the four countries and all the implementing centers and partners to ensure timely and complete reports submitted within the agreed timelines.
- Budget management and oversight; monitor expenditure across centres to ensure compliance with approved budget, monitor burn rates against activity and delivery of outcomes and implementation of agreed project activities.
- Monitoring and evaluation: Support the MELIA team to ensure agreed outcomes and outputs are achieved, with clear and demonstrable evidence and adequately reported on, and support the data collection efforts associated with reporting progress and informing strategy.
- Coordinate the project technical working group and participating CG centres, National Agriculture Research and Extension Systems (NARES) and others, to ensure smooth implementation of activities, knowledge sharing and distribution of resources as agreed.
- Build strong partnerships and networks with regional and sub-regional organizations involved in development, deployment financing and implementation of agronomic solutions such as NGO’s, private sector, academia and research institutes and regional bodies.
- Support the identification, vetting, and selection of partnerships within the regions that can lead to viable use cases and agronomy innovations to complement or build on existing EiA solutions.
- Facilitate the identification of capacity gaps within partner organisations and develop capacity building strategies and partnerships to overcome these gaps.
- Actively participate in the EiA Core Team operations to ensure successful delivery of the overall EiA Initiatives commitments.
- Understand, subscribe to and promote the six dimensions of agronomy across all project partners.
- Act as the focal point for the IITA sub-office in Ethiopia and undertake all functions related to the management of a sub-office in compliance with IITA policies while respecting the Hosting Agreement.
- Supervise and motivate support staff based at the IITA Ethiopia sub-office.
Educational Qualifications
The desired candidate will have:
- A Master’s Degree (preferably a Ph.D.) in a relevant field (such as Agriculture, International Development, Business Management, or Economics).
- 7 – 10 years work experience.
- At least seven years of extensive experience post-advanced degree related to Agriculture Research & Development, project management, or business development, preferably in developing countries.
- Proven experience in agriculture and economic development project management, Agricultural R&D, and donor funding in developing countries or African settings.
- Experience with development policy, legal and institutional frameworks, as well as the technical aspects of projects.
- Extensive experience with fundraising and donor ecosystem in the region.
Core Competencies:
- Proven skills in successful project coordination and management, including oversight of any risks and issues that may arise.
- Demonstrated strong analytical and communication skills and capacity to present convincingly, discuss and negotiate with high-level country officials.
- Blend of analytical, observational, organizational, and networking skills.
- Familiarity with the policies and procedures of multilateral and bilateral institutions.
- Work experience in International or National Agricultural centres on the African continent.
- Experience with the development of policy, legal, and institutional frameworks, as well as the financial and technical aspects of projects.
- Familiarity with the policies and procedures of multilateral and bilateral institutions.
- Demonstrated commitment to making organizational and corporate decisions.
- Proven ability to operate effectively in a multicultural team environment.
- Background in the public sector and/or government engagement on the African continent.
- Excellent proficiencies in both written and spoken English.
General information
- The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.
Deadline: 15th February, 2024.
How to Apply: Interested and qualified candidates should use the links below to apply:
Note
- Applications must include a cover letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relating 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 Head, People and Culture.
- 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.