Job Description

               VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Project Lead/Value Chain Expert

EU-Funded Oil Palm Value Chains Improvement Project (led by FAO), Sierra Leone

About the Opportunity

Solidaridad Network West Africa is seeking a dynamic and experienced Project Lead/Value Chain Expert to lead implementation of the EU-funded Oil Palm Value Chains Improvement Project in Sierra Leone. The post holder will provide overall technical and operational leadership, coordinate project staff and partners, support the strengthening of farmer cooperatives, facilitate private-sector engagement and ensure delivery of project results in line with approved plans, budgets, donor requirements and Solidaridad quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall planning, coordination and implementation of the project.
• Ensure activities are delivered on time, within scope and in accordance with the approved budget.
• Coordinate the work of technical specialists, four district field coordinators, consultants and implementing partners.
• Provide technical leadership on sustainable oil palm production, value-chain upgrading, market systems and smallholder commercialization.
• Guide cooperative strengthening, organizational assessments, capacity-development planning and institutional sustainability.
• Coordinate development and review of cooperative business plans and facilitate market-linkage negotiations and commercial partnerships.
• Promote access to finance, inputs, services, technology and markets for smallholder farmers.
• Support relevant sustainability, traceability, quality and responsible sourcing requirements, including applicable RSPO and EUDR-related assessments.
• Coordinate engagement with government, farmer organizations, private-sector actors, financial institutions and development partners.
• Oversee workplans, activity budgets, procurement plans, implementation schedules and budget tracking.
• Ensure complete and properly filed project documentation, contracts, activity reports and supporting evidence.
• Coordinate monitoring, evaluation, learning and knowledge-management activities and use evidence to improve implementation.
• Prepare high-quality narrative, technical and progress reports for Solidaridad, FAO and other stakeholders.
• Represent the project at national, district and sector coordination meetings.
• Integrate gender equality, youth inclusion, disability inclusion, safeguarding, environmental responsibility and conflict sensitivity in implementation.
• Identify implementation risks and develop practical mitigation measures.
• Any task as may be assigned by the Line Manager related to the role.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in agricultural economics, agribusiness, international development, rural development, business administration, value-chain development, natural-resource management or a related field; a bachelor’s degree with substantial relevant experience may be considered.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in agricultural value-chain development, agribusiness, cooperative development or rural development.
• At least five years of experience managing donor-funded projects.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers, cooperatives and private-sector actors.
• Strong knowledge of agricultural market systems, value-chain analysis, market access and inclusive business models.
• Experience in oil palm, tree crops or another commercially oriented agricultural value chain is highly desirable.
• Experience in project planning, budgeting, financial monitoring, procurement and donor reporting.
• Knowledge of the Sierra Leone agricultural sector and operating context.
• Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of Krio and/or relevant local languages is an advantage.

Core Competencies

• Strategic project leadership and agricultural value-chain expertise.
• Cooperative and stakeholder coordination; business and market development.
• Budget and results management, report writing and documentation.
• Facilitation, negotiation, problem-solving and sound decision-making.
• Integrity, accountability, professionalism and commitment to inclusion and safeguarding.

What success looks like

The position will be expected to demonstrate:

• Timely delivery of approved workplans, milestones and reports.
• Quality of coordination, stakeholder engagement and implementation follow-up.
• Progress in cooperative capacity, governance and business performance.
• Number and quality of market, finance and private-sector linkages established.
• Accuracy of budget tracking, quality of data and compliance with procedures

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Common Employment and Safeguarding Statement

Solidaridad Network West Africa is an equal-opportunity employer. Recruitment decisions will be based on merit, qualifications, experience and organizational requirements, without discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, age, marital status, pregnancy, political opinion, sexual orientation or other protected status.

All successful candidates will be required to comply with Solidaridad’s policies and procedures, including its code of conduct, safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, confidentiality, health and safety, and data-protection requirements. Employment will be subject to satisfactory reference checks and any other pre-employment screening required by the organization.

We encourage applications from qualified women, young professionals and persons with disabilities who meet the requirements of the job.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter explaining their suitability for the position.
• An updated CV, including contact details for at least three professional referees.
• Copies of relevant academic and professional certificates, where requested.

Applications should be submitted to vacancies.GH@solidaridadnetwork.org by 6 November 2026, using the position title as the email subject line. Applicants must clearly indicate the district in Sierra Leone for which they are applying from.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.