Technical Advisor on Sustainable Coffee

The European Forest Institute

is seeking to contract an in-house consultant

to serve as

Technical Advisor on Sustainable Coffee

based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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.

With financial support from the European Union and the French Development Agency (AFD), EFI´s IPF implements the Technical Facility on Deforestation-free Value Chains. The Technical Facility collaborates with commodity-producing countries to assist in transitioning to legal and deforestation-free value chains, in line with the EU Deforestation Regulation´s (EUDR) market requirements.[ In Ethiopia, the Technical Facility works closely with the Ethiopia Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), the Land Administration and Use Directorate, the Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD), private sector associations and civil society organizations (CSO) to create an enabling environment that supports compliance with the EUDR and the inclusion of smallholders and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the coffee value chain. 

EFI is seeking a Technical Advisor on Sustainable Coffee based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to coordinate the activities of the Technical Facility in Ethiopia.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Contribute to the implementation of the Technical Facility’s work plan in Ethiopia ensuring close coordination with ECTA and other relevant government agencies, relevant national stakeholders, the EU Delegation, EU Member States, AFD and other international development partners.

• Provide technical advice to the Ethiopian government agencies to support EUDR-readiness in relation to data processing, forest and coffee mapping, traceability and geolocation requirements, and the inclusion of smallholders.

• Oversee service providers conducting pilot projects and help transfer lessons learnt from the pilots to Ethiopian policy makers and stakeholders, the EU Delegation, EU Member States and AFD.

• Follow and report on developments in the Ethiopian coffee sector, participate in policy discussions, meetings and events, and work closely with the relevant government authorities to strengthen the capacity of the institutions in the context of their sustainability agenda and efforts to facilitate EUDR compliance. 

• Prepare technical reports, briefs, presentations, and other documentation to inform the EU Delegation and AFD on matters related to workplan implementation.

• Support the dissemination of best practices and knowledge products to relevant national and international stakeholders.

The Technical Advisor will report to the Technical Facility focal point for Ethiopia, based in Barcelona.

Duty station and travel

The Technical Advisor will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and will undertake regular travel inside Ethiopia and occasionally to Europe or other countries in East Africa.  

Conditions of engagement

The Technical Advisor is expected to work ‘full-time’ (complete working weeks) over the contract period, which will be 2 years. Whilst our preference is full-time arrangements, we remain open to considering part-time options in exceptional cases, depending on the candidate’s profile and availability.

The Technical Advisor must ensure that they have the right to live and work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from the commencement date of the contract. The Technical Advisor will be paid an hourly rate, which includes all personal costs necessary for implementing the tasks (e.g., organizing appropriate health insurance).

Interested candidates are requested to send (in English) a CV, including copies of academic degree certificates/diplomas with a motivation letter outlining how you fulfill the requirements for the position by 21st July 2025 23:59 CET, using our online application form.

For more information about the in-house consultant position, please contact Christophe Van Orshoven, Technical Facility project manager, email: christophe.vanorshoven@efi.int  

Information in relation to in-house consultant conditions of engagement are available by request from Ms. Niina Verkerk, email: niina.verkerk@efi.int

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

• University degree related to supply chains, forest/agriculture and land use governance, environment or social sector, or a subject relevant to the tasks. MSc/MA or higher degree is an asset.

• A minimum of 6 years of experience working on coffee in Ethiopia; additional experience in East Africa would be an asset.

• A strong network in the coffee sector, including the relevant government agencies, and a very good understanding of the Ethiopian coffee value chain.

• An understanding of the EU Deforestation Regulation and its implications for value chain actors.

• Experience working with smallholder farmers and good understanding of the challenges faced by cooperatives in Ethiopia would be desirable.

• Demonstrated ability to work on politically sensitive issues with a wide range of stakeholders (governments, industry, civil society).

• Strong communication and writing skills with the ability to gather and summarize complex information in concise reports.  

• Strong relationship-building skills with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, private sector players, and national and international partners.

• Fluency in English and Amharic. Knowledge of other languages used in Ethiopia would be an asset.