Project Manager for West and Central Africa

The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organisation with 30 member countries and around 130 member organisations. EFI undertakes policy support and forest research at pan-European and global level, with headquarters in Joensuu, Finland. EFI has several offices across Europe in Barcelona, Bonn and Rome, and under its International Partnerships Facility, a project office in Kuala Lumpur.

The International Partnerships Facility (IPF) of EFI is a global centre of knowledge and expertise that supports policy and governance reforms to safeguard the world’s forests. It promotes sustainable forest and land use to help protect and restore forests and maximise their role in green economic growth, climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation. It also fosters legal, deforestation-free and sustainable commodity production and trade.

Over the last decade, EFI has expanded its work in West and Central Africa on sustainable cocoa and other agricultural commodities. It acts as a technical partner to the EU-funded Sustainable Cocoa Programme and implements the Technical Facility on Deforestation-free Value Chains. To strengthen the operational coordination and strategic implementation of its work on sustainable cocoa, rubber and other agricultural commodities, EFI is seeking a Project Manager for West and Central Africa, based in Barcelona, Spain.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead EFI´s work in West and Central Africa on sustainable value chains and commodity policy dialogues, across technical workstreams and countries, in close collaboration with EFI technical experts and partners.

• Serve as the primary focal point for partners, donors, and stakeholders, ensuring timely delivery, strategic alignment, and impact across EFI’s partner countries in West and Central Africa.

• Manage and coordinate implementation of projects and interventions, ensuring strategic planning, high-quality execution, and effective follow-up of activities with national partners, service providers and grantees.

• Coordinate the development and implementation of traceability, monitoring and due diligence solutions that serve value chain actors´ needs with regards to national objectives and emerging legal and deforestation-free market requirements, in close collaboration with government, private sector and civil society in West and Central Africa.

• Facilitate multi-stakeholder meetings and working groups in West and Central Africa, and foster dialogue to ensure understanding of sustainable commodity contexts and emerging EU market requirements on legal and deforestation-free products.

• Manage and coordinate EFI technical experts in Cameroun, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Barcelona, ensuring alignment with other programmes and stakeholders in partner countries and technical areas of intervention.

• Oversee work planning, budgeting, risk management and annual reporting of activities in line with EU donor requirements; identify and mobilise complementary funding sources to expand EFI’s institutional expertise and portfolio in sustainable and deforestation-free value chains.

• Contribute to the production of technical reports, evaluations, policy briefs, publications and communication materials to inform programming and policy-making.

• Represent EFI in dialogues with donors, national authorities, and implementing partners, ensuring strategic alignment and enhancing EFI’s visibility in the sustainable commodity space.

The Project Manager will work closely with the European Commission – DG INTPA and EU Delegations in partner countries, as well as other key national and subnational stakeholders involved in the implementation of the activities.

Duty station and travel

The Project Manager will ideally be located at EFI´s office in Barcelona, Spain, with regular field missions and travel to partner countries.   Alternative locations may be considered and can be discussed during the recruitment process.

Employment Conditions

The Project Manager will be an EFI staff member. The duration of employment will be two (2) years including a six-month probationary period. EFI offers a competitive benefits and salary package.

Interested candidates are requested to send (in English) a CV including copies of academic degree certificates/diplomas with a motivation letter outlining how you fulfil the requirements for the position by 15th September 2025 23:59 CET, using our online application form.

For more information about the position, please contact Christophe Van Orshoven, Team Leader at the IPF: christophe.vanorshoven@efi.int.

EFI is an equal-opportunity employer.  All applications will be treated confidentially.

• University degree in forestry, agriculture, environmental or natural resource management, or a related and suitable field. MSc/MA or higher degree is an asset.

• Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant working experience in agriculture, forestry or natural resource management, or a related field, with experience in West and Central Africa, either through permanent residence in the region or frequent travelling.

• At least five (5) years of experience with managing multi-country, multi-partner programmes and managing funds of international donors/organisations.

• Working knowledge of agricultural supply chains, in particular in relation to traceability, legality and sustainability challenges such as deforestation and land-use rights.  Understanding of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) and its technical implications for operators and other value chain actors is an asset.

• Demonstrated experience in engaging and facilitating dialogue with different stakeholders (governments, industry, civil society) on politically sensitive issues in producer countries in West and Central Africa.

• Excellent organisational, problem-solving, and team coordination abilities, in particular multi-disciplinary teams in multi-cultural environments.

• Professional proficiency in written and spoken French and English, and proven writing, reporting, presentational and communication skills.