Country Director

Description du poste 

Are you ready to join an organisation where you can make extraordinary systems change and impact?  Are you passionate about driving sustainability in the private sector by supporting the adoption of more sustainable practices?  Are you looking for a senior position where you get the chance to be innovative, creative, and co-direct IDH agenda on Africa Food Systems transformation?  Do you seek to spearhead the implementation of innovative business models and innovations in project engagements with companies to seek better income for producers, better wages for workers and better environment for the society? If yes, IDH has an excellent opportunity for you.  We are looking to hire a Country Director to lead IDH and our Programs activities in Côte d’Ivoire.  We are looking for you to have high integrity to operate at the highest levels of private sector, government, civil society, and diplomatic circles.

Your role

As Country Director, you will lead the strategic development and operations of IDH, represent IDH in Côte d’Ivoire and direct all program activities in the country.  Presently, IDH’s programs in Côte d’Ivoire center around initiatives that contribute towards a sustainable cocoa sector. We do this through two main programs: a landscapes and an agri-commodity program:

Overall management of the Landscapes Program in Côte d’Ivoire

In Côte d’Ivoire the IDH Landscapes program ISLA is based in the Cavally Region;

The ISLA program in the Cavally Region aims to find a balance between forest protection, agricultural production, and the social inclusion of the population in the wider Taï area. To accomplish this, IDH is implementing an approach based on a land use planning with a green growth plan. For that purpose, a co-funding agreement has been signed between IDH, the Regional Council of Cavally and the Ministry of Planning for the elaboration of the land use plan with a green growth plan of the region. In parallel, pilot projects will provide useful insight for the drafting and implementation of the green growth plan of the region that are being implemented or will start soon. They include sustainable intensification pilots’ projects with two cocoa exporters; a project aiming to strengthen SODEFOR’s strategy for the surveillance of forest reserves; a project that promotes women and youth entrepreneurship in the periphery of the Taï National Park for a better engagement of the community in the protection of the park; and a project focused on sustainable timber production. The Country Director Côte d’Ivoire, with support from a Program Manager and a Program Officer, will coordinate and manage the implementation of the ISLA program in close collaboration with the program partners.

Management of the Agri-Commodities program

There are currently two Agri-commodity programs in Côte d’Ivoire:

The Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) is a partnership of the governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire with 36 cocoa and chocolate companies focused on eight commitments aimed at halting deforestation, sustainable production, and social inclusion. IDH is the public-private convener of the signatories of CFI and collaborates closely with WCF and the two ministries leading CFI. At the time of due diligence legislation such as the EUDR kicking in, CFI has transitioned into its second phase. In Côte d’Ivoire the second phase is guided by an action plan towards 2025 with an emphasis on the landscape approach as the implementation strategy. The Country Director, together with the CFI Program Manager, will drive impact through stakeholder management, improving CFI accountability and promoting the investment case for deforestation-free cocoa.

Cocoaperation is an IDH-sponsored program in collaboration with Conseil du Café-Cacao with an overall goal of ensuring at least 70,000 cocoa farming householders in different production regions of Côte d’Ivoire can reduce the average living income gap from over 50% to less than 30% by the end of the program’s implementation cycle in 2025. The target group for this program will be in particular the median group of cocoa farming families who have 2.0 – 4.0 ha under cocoa production and their cooperatives. However, this focus does not exclude other categories of cocoa farms and cooperatives.  Under Cocoaperation IDH co-finances different initiatives from cocoa industry partners that work together with farmer organisations and the financial sector to make cooperatives and cocoa farmers investment ready and enable cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire to change their farming business activities and earn a higher income. The IDH Living Income Roadmap is central to the design, monitoring and evaluation of these initiatives. IDH in Côte d’Ivoire works together with the Conseil du Café Cacao.

Development of other IDH programs in Côte d’Ivoire

IDH has several initiatives and programs located in the West Africa region. The Country Director Côte d’Ivoire will take a leading role in developing new strategic partnerships with industry, the government authorities and civil society, and will oversee strategic program development beyond 2025 and will support the required fund-raising.

Your key responsibilities, include, but not limited to the following:

• You lead the strategy and operations of IDH Côte d’Ivoire and are responsible for the expansion and maintenance of the relevant network with the private sector, donor base, civil society, and governments at all levels.
• You will lead the development and implementation of Agri-commodities and Landscapes programs in Côte d’Ivoire under the respective BU strategies and direction with responsibility for achieving the annual and multi-year targets by your team.
• Accountable for the project management and delivery of the Program with high quality deliverables within the agreed budget allocation and timeframe.
• Projecting IDH ideas and strengthening of IDH sustainability impact in Côte d’Ivoire.
• In collaboration with IDH Global, lead the fundraising efforts for IDH programs and projects in Côte d’Ivoire.
• Responsibility for sharing knowledge and outcomes externally and internally from the organization through events, congresses, and internal presentations.

Lead and nurture the Côte d’Ivoire team with the highest ethical standards with responsibility for motivating , inspiring and developing the IDH Côte d’Ivoire team.

What you bring

• At least 10 years of relevant working experience in the private and civil sectors, out of which 5 must have been in senior and leadership roles.
• Minimum of master’s degree in economics, business-related discipline, agriculture, or natural resource management.
• Long experience of work in international companies, organisations or working in different countries and cultures particularly in Africa.
• Strong background in agricultural business development and entrepreneurial mindset
• Experience in business development, building and implementation of data-driven and innovation-oriented TA, projects, and programs.
• A thorough understanding of SHF business models and a 10 years’ experience of working with Agri SMEs and small holder farmers from a commercialisation point of view.
• Proven track record and high proficiency in project management across various stages of project development, implementation, and delivery.
• Strong budget management experience and adherence to governance, detail-oriented, and able to work well in evolving circumstances.
• Experience in establishing, developing and managing coalitions and partnerships.
• Proven leadership skills and management experience, including the ability to develop team performance and a genuine desire to coach and mentor.
• Strong senior networks in agri-commodity sectors (including cocoa), including large-scale international traders, processors, brands, and retail organizations, as well as in governments, knowledge institutes and civil society organizations.
• Proven leadership skills and management experience, including the ability to develop team performance and a genuine desire to coach and mentor.

What we offer

IDH offers a challenging position with opportunities for growth within an enthusiastic and passionate team.  As an IDH team member you can contribute to positive global change. The position is for 40 hours per week.  We offer a competitive salary based on experience and solid fringe benefits, including a pension scheme.

For more information about IDH, please visit www.idhtrade.org.  For questions about this position, please contact joosten@idhtrade.org and/or MvaMva@idhtrade.org.

Profil du poste 

Who you are

To succeed in this role, you must have a strategic and entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to lead, manage and coordinate various internal teams. In addition to that, you must have broad knowledge and skills of program management principles and landscape approaches.  You are an organized and committed team player who can lead teams both through guiding and coaching with strong interest in supply chain, commodities, and landscape sustainability.  Internally and externally, you operate at the highest level of integrity. You are a trustworthy partner for colleagues as well as external stakeholders. You can manage change and gain commitment easily as you are able to connect to different people with different backgrounds. You can make the link between the ideas and the needs of our partners worldwide. Working in a results-oriented, flexible, cooperative, and hands-on manner, you are committed to your team’s targets. You are able to balance multiple and competing priorities and deadlines and track multiple tasks as delegated to the team members.

What you bring

• At least 10 years of relevant working experience in the private and civil sectors, out of which 5 must have been in senior and leadership roles.
• Minimum of master’s degree in economics, business-related discipline, agriculture, or natural resource management.
• Long experience of work in international companies, organisations or working in different countries and cultures particularly in Africa.
• Strong background in agricultural business development and entrepreneurial mindset
• Experience in business development, building and implementation of data-driven and innovation-oriented TA, projects, and programs.
• A thorough understanding of SHF business models and a 10 years’ experience of working with Agri SMEs and small holder farmers from a commercialisation point of view.
• Proven track record and high proficiency in project management across various stages of project development, implementation, and delivery.
• Strong budget management experience and adherence to governance, detail-oriented, and able to work well in evolving circumstances.
• Experience in establishing, developing and managing coalitions and partnerships.
• Proven leadership skills and management experience, including the ability to develop team performance and a genuine desire to coach and mentor.
• Strong senior networks in agri-commodity sectors (including cocoa), including large-scale international traders, processors, brands, and retail organizations, as well as in governments, knowledge institutes and civil society organizations.
• Proven leadership skills and management experience, including the ability to develop team performance and a genuine desire to coach and mentor

Comment Postuler

Interested?

Would you like to apply? Just send us your motivation, resume in English, as well as three (3) professional references by email at staffingbox@gmail.com before November 17th 2023, 11:59 PM GMT. Please Specify in the subject: IDH – Country Director.

We thank you for your interest. Only the candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. Confidentiality assured.

Please note that candidates should be Ivorian national or have permission to work in Côte d’Ivoire