CONSULTANT, AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS SPECIALIST & PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – CONAKRY, GUINEA

CONSULTANT, AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS SPECIALIST & PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – CONAKRY, GUINEA

The Organization

 The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) deliver research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national, and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability statuses, sexual orientations, marital status, and gender identities. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future. https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ www.cgiar.org

About the position

Based in Conakry, the Consultant will provide technical expertise, project development, and coordination support for agricultural and rural development initiatives in Guinea and the broader West Africa region. With a primary focus on the cocoa and coffee value chains, the assignment requires strong familiarity with Guinean institutions, local agricultural policy and dynamics, and the international development cooperation framework.

The consultant will also be supporting the Cacao Connect Initiative - a flagship, multi-country partnership led by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), designed to foster dialogue and collaboration among the main actors in the value chain, as a possible contribution to strengthening partnerships and synergies in support of more sustainable, resilient and inclusive development of the sector.

In addition to driving the Cacao Connect agenda locally, the Consultant will support broader agricultural value chain activities (including cocoa and coffee), assist in monitoring field activities, and support technical coordination with key partners, including the Embassy of Italy in Conakry, Guinean national authorities, and international development cooperation agencies.

The Consultant will operate under the direct contractual and functional responsibility of the Alliance, while maintaining a close collaborative relationship with AICS and the Embassy of Italy in Conakry for technical-institutional coordination of mutual interests.

Building on proven experience in managing large-scale cocoa sustainability programs and origin-country partnerships, the role demands strong technical capabilities, diplomacy, and the operational flexibility required to operate effectively across West Africa.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

1. Agricultural Value Chain Analysis and Technical Support: Provide technical expertise on agricultural and agri-food value chains in Guinea and West Africa, with particular emphasis on cocoa and coffee, including production systems, farmer organizations, post-harvest management, processing, market access, sustainability, traceability and value chain development. This shall explicitly encompass in-depth technical and territorial analyses of the cocoa value chain, focusing on climate-resilient agroforestry production systems, product quality enhancement, post-harvest handling, supply chain transparency, traceability mechanisms, and compliance requirements under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

2. Institutional Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the main in-country focal point for the Cacao Connect Initiative. Facilitate coordination and dialogue with relevant Guinean ministries and public institutions, development cooperation agencies, the Embassy of Italy in Conakry, international organizations, research institutions, private-sector actors, farmer organizations and other local stakeholders. Furthermore, the role entails designing and continuously updating a comprehensive mapping and structured coordination of key institutional, technical, scientific, and private-sector stakeholders across the value chain, leveraging public-private partnerships.Support the organization and follow-up of technical meetings, missions, consultations, and institutional engagements.

3. Support to Project Monitoring and Field Activities: Support the monitoring of ongoing activities and projects in Guinea, including regular field visits to production areas and project sites. This includes delivering comprehensive operational and logistical support for the preparation, execution, and systematic follow-up of institutional missions, high-level technical meetings, field visits, and participatory stakeholder consultations in-country, ensuring rigorous action-tracking.Identify priorities, complementarities, potential synergies, implementation challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. Engage directly with farmers, cooperatives, producer organizations, local authorities, implementing partners and other beneficiaries to assess implementation progress, identify operational constraints and collect information required for technical and institutional reporting.

4. Technical Documentation, Reporting and Project Development: Prepare and contribute to technical notes, project briefs, mission reports, value chain assessments, monitoring reports, concept notes, presentations, and other documentation required to support programme implementation and institutional decision-making. Furthermore, the Consultant will ensure strategic coherence, programmatic synergy, and operational complementarity among the Cacao Connect Initiative, the new Italian bilateral intervention, and broader upcoming European programming in the cocoa and coffee sectors. Contribute to the design, coordination and drafting of new project proposals, including technical activities, implementation arrangements, stakeholder roles, expected results, and monitoring frameworks.

5. Pipeline Development and Identification of New Opportunities: Identify and monitor emerging priorities, funding opportunities and potential new initiatives in the agricultural sector in Guinea and West Africa. Support the development of a pipeline of projects and partnerships, ensuring alignment with national priorities, development cooperation strategies and existing programmes, and contribute to the identification of potential implementing and technical partners.

Key deliverables

• A country-level strategic document outlining Guinea’s priorities, institutional entry points, ongoing initiatives, gaps, risks, quick wins, and potential opportunities for Cacao Connect engagement. The Country Strategy should be aligned with the Cacao Connect Strategy, Theory of Change, and relevant national priorities.
  
• Stakeholder map: mapping of relevant institutions, partners, private-sector actors, civil society, donors and technical actors.
  
• Country Action Tracker (Living Document): A regularly updated log tracking agreed action points, meetings, pending deliverables, responsible focal points, deadlines, and risk/issue escalations to the Core Team, Embassy, MAECI, or Steering Committee.
  
• Regular strategic inputs and briefings on institutional, political, and stakeholder dynamics.
  
• Support in organizing workshops and consultations in Country (as needed)
  
• Attend and represent as needed institutional engagements, engagement activities, including meeting summaries and action points.
  

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Economics, Agriculture, or related fields.
  
• Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in stakeholder engagement, government relations, strategic advisory, or development programs.
  
• Proven experience working in complex institutional environments, preferably in West Africa or Guinea.
  
• Strong understanding of political economy dynamics, public sector engagement, and development cooperation frameworks.
  
• Experience working on agricultural value chains and sustainability-related initiatives, with knowledge of the cocoa sector considered a strong asset.
  
• Experience in coordination roles or multi-country / multi-stakeholder platforms is considered an asset.
  
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations.
  
• Excellent drafting and communication skills in English and French (both written and spoken). Knowledge of additional languages is an asset.
  
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities independently in a fast-paced environment.
  
• Willingness and availability to travel internationally as required.
  
  

Terms of employment

This is a remote consultancy position for an initial duration of 12 months, renewable subject to satisfactory performance, continued need, and availability of funds. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and aligned with institutional standards.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications.

Applications closing date: 1st October 2026

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at:

                                                               http://alliancebioversityciat.org

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