We are seeking a Finance & Administration Manager for an International client, to join their dedicated team in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Reporting to the Managing Director, the role is responsible for overseeing the execution of the financial management activities, development and implementation of financial management systems, financial reporting, HR & Administration related issues, guiding management in making decisions for the company and ensuring that appropriate systems, procedures, and controls are operational.

The position holder will manage operational areas under the rules, regulations and guidelines of the company while ensuring the accomplishment of goals and targets given by Management, and bringing in-depth knowledge of industry regulations standards and Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills to the business

Responsibilities

Oversee and ensure financial systems and procedures that enable efficient and appropriate use of financial systems
• Monitor and record financial international transactions according to company policies and regulations
• Development and review accounting and financial policies and procedures
• Review of key account balances & Approve payments
• Ensure that changes in legislation or company structure are reflected without delays in internal controls and systems
• Ensure daily and month-end accounting activities such as reconciliations and journal entries are undertaken on time
• Provide technical staff relevant trainings to ensure understanding and compliance with financial policies

Effective management and oversight of working capital
• Coordinate the stock counts and end of year
• Coordinate and maintain a cash flow management
• Manage debtors, creditors and their accurate recovery and reconciliation on the balance sheet
• Coordinate the financial audit and subsequent annual reports

Reporting
• Generate accurate and timely financial reports and statements for Management review
• Prepare financial reports monthly
• Ensure preparation of accurate and timely sales reports and inventory reports
• Preparing annual budgets, pricing, forecasts
• Monitoring closing processes, billing, invoicing, expenses, reimbursements, and payroll administration

Financial Management Systems
• Provide support in procurement of the computerized accounting systems through evaluation of various suppliers and provide recommendations best applicable system
• Monitor the performance of the financial management system through identification of system challenges and recommendation of system of functions that need improvement
• Ensure all the finance team members understand and are in position to effectively utilise the financial system

Management Information
• Respond to accounting inquiries from management in a timely fashion
• Respond to all queries from external stakeholders on finance related issues

Requirements
• Bachelor Business Administration (Accounting/Finance)
• Minimum 5 - 6 years’ experience in similar role in a commercial international environment (commodities processing environment is a plus)
• Knowledge in CRM and accounting software
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills
• Fluent in English and French

Attitude / Motivation
• Value adding (willingness to go an extra mile)
• Kindness (enthusiasm, passion, and encouragement to all)
• Result driven and Entrepreneurial
• Keep company information and operations confidential

Are you interested in becoming a Finance & Administration Manager in Côte d'Ivoire? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

The organization
Our client is active in sustainability programmes in cocoa, coffee, and cashew.
For them we are seeking a new Country Manager in Ivory Coast.

The job
Our client is looking for a Country Manager to oversee the local projects and to liaise with the stakeholders, today mainly in cocoa. The Country Manager primarily has an operational role in leading the office and managing 25+ office and field staff, and a representation role towards local farmer groups and partners. Additional, in your role, you will be working in collaboration with the procurement team, Project managers responsible for various portfolio’s. The role of the Country Manager is to facilitate and enable the execution of all on the ground sustainability activities from certification to projects on reforestation and starting savings groups for farmers in Ivory Coast.

Key activities and responsibilities

1. Represent our client in Ivory-Coast towards clients, donors, govt agencies and sector partners
• Be a spokesperson at sector events/conferences, and feeding sector developments to HQ
• Keep meaningful relationships with govt offices (CCC) and sector partners (WCF, IDH)
• Identify and develop new partnerships with local funding or implementing partners (GIZ, ICI)
• Organize partnership events and field trips for client representatives

2. Manage the country office with sustainability team of 25+ of program managers and field teams
• Ensure internal communication (meetings, documents) to document and align with the team on project targets and planning, procurement volumes and task division between
the team members.
• Manage recruitment, HR performance management, personal development for all staff
• Support office processes, such legal entity establishment, rent, insurance, CAPEX procurement
• Ensure alignment within the team, facilitating exchange and coordination among different portfolio’s

3. Team Management & Support of the local Team by ensuring activity coordination + alignment with the vertical heads in HQ.
• Act as support and sparring partner for the Project Managers and Certification Managers in IVC
• Monitor progress of certification, mapping and traceability activities of their cocoa suppliers and coordinate M&E digital data collection
• Ensure necessary operational support & inputs e.g., equipment & financing from HQ.
• Directly manage the certification officer in the planning and execution of field activities (such as farmer trainings, certification audits, premium payments)
• Provide support to M&E project manager on the strategy and execution of farmer database management, mapping and traceability recordkeeping to ensure up to date reporting to HQ
• Report to HQ on project indicators and with narrative reports for client/donor programs

4. Supplier relation management and support on procurement and shipment of traceable cocoa
• Maintain relations with farmer group management to facilitate project execution and procurement
• Coordinate annual contracting with farmer groups on cocoa volume + sustainability premiums
• Manage and Ensure the deliveries by Cooperates of the of traceable cocoa volumes

5. Finance and project audits
• Manage and optimize the expenditure of country budget and cash request, by identifying cost savings and synergies and finding solutions when budget lines risk to be
exceeded
• Ensure accurate financial administration for management reports and coordinate financial project audits (financial report, time sheets etc)
• Coordinate contracted premium payments to suppliers and liaise on cashflow for operations with financial management of suppliers

The team
You will be working in a dynamic sustainability team. In Ivory-Coast, you will be working with a team of 10+ at the office in Abidjan, and a 60+ strong field team across the country. Internationally, you will be in contact with our head office team and other origin teams and work in close collaboration with our sector partners and cocoa suppliers.

Qualities our client is looking for:
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree, preferably in Business, International Development or related field
• At least 5 years’ experience in operational management and leading a team
• Experience in managing field activities in rural context
• Affinity with intercultural communication (Africa, Europe)
• You thrive in a fast-paced working environment, and you are able to balance different priorities
• Self-starter and all-round mentality; willing to execute simple tasks as well as manage big portfolios
• A passionate and ambitious worker; accurate, efficient and problem-solving
• You need to be innovative and driven to continuously improve our projects and procedures
• Fluency in French & English

What is offered to you:
You will be part of a fast-growing organization and broad network with excellent future career opportunities. Our client offers substantial freedom in your work, engagement in a broad range of sustainability topics, and personal development opportunities. The client offers a competitive salary, housing and transportation and good other secondary employment conditions. Work status 40 hours per week. Based in Abidjan, Ivory-Coast, with regular travel to the field, and business trips to other offices in West Africa.

Are you interested in becoming a Country Manager Ivory Coast? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

Scope of the position
The Junior Sustainability supports the Global Sustainability Manager on the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Sustainable Sourcing Strategy for West Africa, Asia and Latin America. She/He contributes to the development of new projects and activities in the different origins and supports certification processes.

Key responsibilities and tasks
• Contribute to strengthen the sustainable sourcing strategy and supports the implementation
• Contribute to the design of the internal sustainability standard and supports the implementation
• Interact with the National Sustainability Managers in each origin to support suppliers’ management - based on risk assessment towards traceability, human rights and deforestation due diligence - and direct programs
• Promote exchange between national teams at origins on successes and failures while implementing the programs
• Coordinate monitoring and reporting campaigns
• Coordinate knowledge management and external communication on program key activities, moments and success
• Support the different departments (trading, sales, logistics, quality) on the different sustainability processes

Profile and background
• Ideally a Master Degree in a field such as Business, Sustainability, Economics or Agronomy
• 1 to 3 years’ experience related to multi-countries and community level program management
• Understanding of cocoa sector, sustainability and sustainable sourcing key topics and challenges
• Strong communication skills and proficiency in English, French (oral and written), Spanish is a plus
• Ability to deliver results
• Good people skills and cultural understanding
• Proactive, high motivation and drive
• Ability to work independently
• Team player
• Comfortable spending some time in the field

Are you interested in becoming a Junior Sustainability Manager in Ivory Coast? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

The job
We are looking for a Country Manager to oversee the local projects and to liaise with the stakeholders of our client. The Country Manager mainly has an operational role in leading the office and managing 25+ office and field staff, and a representation role towards local farmer groups and partners. However, in your role, you will be working in collaboration with the procurement team, and with project managers responsible for various portfolio’s. The role of the Country Manager is to facilitate and enable the execution of all on the ground sustainability activities from documenting land titles for 3.000 farmers to starting 100 savings groups for farmers in Ivory Coast.

Key activities and responsibilities

1. Represent the organization towards clients, donors, govt agencies and sector partners
• Be a spokesperson at sector events/conferences, and feed sector developments to HQ
• Maintain meaningful relationships with govt offices and sector partners
• Identify and develop new partnerships with local funding or implementing partners
• Organize partnership events and field trips for client representatives

2. Manage the country office with sustainability team of 50+ of program managers and field teams
• Ensure internal communication (meetings, documents) to document and align with the team on project targets and planning, procurement volumes and task division between the team members.
• Manage recruitment, HR performance management, personal development for all staff
• Support office processes, such legal entity establishment, rent, insurance, CAPEX procurement
• Ensure alignment within the team, facilitating exchange and coordination among different portfolio’s

3. Monitor progress of certification, mapping and traceability activities of suppliers and coordinate M&E digital data collection with project managers and the field staff;
• Directly manage the certification officer in the planning and execution of field activities (such as farmer trainings, certification audits, premium payments)
• Provide support to M&E project manager on the strategy and execution of farmer database management, mapping and traceability recordkeeping to ensure up to date reporting to HQ
• Report to HQ on project indicators and with narrative reports for client/donor programs

4. Supplier relation management and support on procurement and shipment
• Maintain relations with farmer group management to facilitate project execution and procurement
• Coordinate annual contracting with farmer groups on volume + sustainability premiums
• Directly manage the Shipment liaison to realize shipment

5. Finance and project audits
• Manage and optimize the expenditure of country budget and cash request, by identifying cost savings and synergies and finding solutions when budget lines risk to be exceeded
• Ensure accurate financial administration for management reports and coordinate financial project audits (financial report, time sheets etc)
• Coordinate contracted premium payments to suppliers and liaise on cashflow for operations with financial management of suppliers

Qualities we are looking for
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree, preferably in Business, International Development or related field
• At least 5 years’ experience in operational management and leading a team
• Experience in managing field activities in rural context
• Comfortable with intercultural communication
• Working well in a fast-paced working environment
• Self-starter, problem-solver, an ambitious and passionate worker
• Driven to improve projects and procedures
• Fluency in English and French

Are you interested in becoming a Country Manager Cote d’Ivoire? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

PMO:
- Collaborate, align and support with the Group PMO to continue to develop best practices in all areas of the PMO.
- As the Regional PPM(Project and Portfolio Management) process owner actively coach and mentor project organization members and provide leadership in all areas of PPM practices, including to the Regional Leadership Team, ensuring that project discipline is followed throughout the business.
- Drive the deployment, education and adoption of MyPPM (Clarizen software) within the Region as the “single point of truth” for all project and initiative data.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT:
Provide inputs and thought leadership on Regional Portfolio to Leadership Teams, Global PMO & key stakeholders (including PRT and Gate Review Teams (GRT), Business Line Managers and Finance) .

Project Delivery:
Develop a project delivery performance culture in the organization to ensure the successful execution of projects (on time in full) and business results are realized/achieved as per the commitments.

DO & ACI:
Ensure process of Accelerated Continuous Improvement (ACI) is followed correctly.

Project Management:
Lead projects in the role of Project Manager both for ACI and PDP type projects with a focus in the area of Continuous Improvement.

Are you interested in becoming a Regional Project Manager West Africa? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

1. FOB Business for Cocoa Beans and Products
a. With the support of the manager, develop market understanding and relationships with FOB suppliers for cocoa beans and products in West and East Africa.
b. With the support of the manager and the trading desk in Malaysia, advise on purchasing of cocoa beans and products, and eventually independently negotiate purchase contracts with suppliers.
c. With the support of the trading desk, advise on the hedging of outright contracts and the fixation of differential contracts.
d. Ensure smooth execution of contracts, including lot approval, provision of shipping instructions, quality and weight control, approval of export documentation and payment to the supplier.
e. Further strengthen relationships with the cocoa regulatory bodies in Ivory Coast (Conseil Café Cacao) and Ghana (Cocobod).
f. Provide weekly updates on the execution of purchase contracts, identify market and logistical risks and resolve issues immediately.
g. Travel within Ivory Coast and within the region required to build relationship with suppliers and understand situation on the ground.
h. Identify suppliers that offer the potential for a partnership, including among others sustainability activities and logistics solutions.
i. Provide monthly reporting on quality and weight loss performance of FOB purchases on arrival.

2. Local Bean Exports in Ivory Coast
a. Produce a feasibility study on local bean export license in Ivory Coast including among other things: potential suppliers, cocoa bean cleaning operators, financing facilities, forwarding operators, HR requirements, costing based on minimum volume, deadlines by the regulator.
b. Move from the feasibility study to application for an export license if market conditions are favourable and management decides to go ahead.
c. Hiring of necessary staff required to run bean export operations.
d. Establish supplier network of local middlemen (traitants) and later integrate cooperatives to supply project cocoa

3. Processing Factory in Ivory Coast
a. Support the country manager in necessary administrative and official tasks to obtain land, licenses and knowledge required to build a cocoa processing factory in Abidjan.
b. In particular provide input on the operational side of the cocoa beans supply for the plant.

4. Market Info
a. Discus with local and international market participants to get insights into local and international market developments.
b. Share market insight and updates with the trading desk in Malaysia.
c. Develop your own view on the physical and paper markets.
d. Provide weekly and monthly updates on arrival figures, export statistics, weather and other available information.

5. Sustainability
a. Support the sustainability manager in the integration between sustainability projects and commercial suppliers, ranging from international traders, local exporters to local cooperatives.
b. Support the sustainability manager on the management of credit balance.

6. Other
a. Assist the country manager and the trading team in Malaysia on any other tasks and projects requirement. This might include pricing and margin management on the sales side and providing market updates to our sales teams in Asia, Europe and US.

Are you interested in becoming an Commercial Manager in Côte d'Ivoire? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

General Description

The Head of Sustainability and Specialty Cocoa Africa plays an axial role in the growth of the company’s cocoa business. Starting in Ivory Coast the manager will develop and execute the company’s Sustainability and Specialty Strategy as per below in Africa. Growing opportunities for the candidate are projects in Latin America as well as managing the Marketing & Sales of the global program as well.

The company aims to create a professional sustainability program that is capable of designing, implementing and monitoring the sustainability and specialty cocoa projects. Most of the sourced cocoa in Africa will be sourced as sustainable and or specialty cocoa.

The company defines sustainable cocoa as cocoa which is traceable and has verifiable social and ecological impact in the cocoa supply chain, mainly for the producers and producing countries. The company defines specialty cocoa as cocoa which is opted for by the company's clients for its consistent taste and/or that it is grown organically.

Reporting
Reports to Director/Management

Responsibilities/Key tasks

General and financial management
• Jointly with the Head of Sourcing and the Director further develop the Strategy.
• Build and manage an organization/team in Africa to implement the Strategy.
• Ensure professional and accurate project and overhead budgeting, financial management as well as financial and qualitative and quantitative reporting according to internal requirements and in compliance with 3rd parties/partners and subsidy/donor and/or client requirements.

Project Management
• Set up project documents and agreements, including governance structures, project policy, regulations, monitoring and evaluation policies etc. to ensure successful implementation of the Strategy.
• Ensure project management (control) processes, implementation and reporting are in line with the company’s, local authority’s, partner’s and client’s compliance and quality standards.
• Find, assess, select and cooperate with project partners, including farmer groups, suppliers and exporters, and projects in line with the Strategy.
• Benchmark projects both with other projects within the network and with the industry practices and experiences, to assure that the projects and methodologies of partners and the company itself are constantly being assessed and improved and are at least in line with the peer group and general industry standards.
• Establish a detailed database and an efficient Monitoring and Evaluation System.

Relationship management and reporting
• Ensure that the Strategy supports general and client specific certifications and requirements and meet/exceed expectations of third-party stakeholders, mainly clients.
• Represent the company towards cocoa sustainability and specialty organisations, (N)GO’s and initiatives in Africa
• Establish and implement a model for stakeholder relationship management and partnership protocols and processes.
• Establish, develop and maintain a strong network of stakeholders and important (non) government and technical partners, all involved in the sustainable and specialty cocoa supply chain.
• Connect the projects with clients and vice versa, jointly with Trade and Origin Management.
• Report/Communicate program and project information and progress both internally and externally, with the aim to create awareness (both internal and external) and interest by potential clients as well as to ensure that the positioning is perceived as such by the cocoa market and interested parties.

Funding
• Arrange, jointly with the Management, the funding of overhead and projects. The funding includes capital provided by financial institutions, (N) GO’s, clients, other 3rd parties and the company itself.

Education, knowledge and experience
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in sustainability, international development, agriculture, natural resources management, business administration or another tropical agriculture-related field or equivalent 5-year business experience.
• First-hand knowledge of the concepts of sustainable agriculture and knowledge of tropical commodity buying.
• Understanding of business and value chains and experience in working with companies as well as farmers.
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including in managing budgets, project management experience within NGOs preferred.
• Prior cocoa, or other soft/agricultural, industry knowledge is an advantage, moreover in Specialty Cocoa.

Skills
• Negotiation, influencing and leadership skills with government, industry and institutional stakeholders.
• Program design and implementation in rural settings, especially in Africa.
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to manage remote staff in developing countries.
• Effective interpersonal, presentation and communication skills, with ability to operate efficiently in multi-institutional and cultural relationships, and to communicate with farmers, government ministers, donor representatives and/or company executives.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to work independently as well as in a team environment, assess priorities and multi-task with strong attention to detail.
• Administrative efficiency, with ability to track project progress and prepare timely reports, and competence in main computer software programs.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and French. Fluency in other languages would be advantageous.
• Understands cocoa certification programs.

Competences
• Passionate and ambitious
• Self-starter driven with a pro-active and can-do attitude
• Accurate in planning and organizing

Work Status
40 hours per week.

Location
Based in Abidjan with regular upcountry and rest of Africa travels.

Are you interested in becoming a Head of Sustainability and Specialty Cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.

For a European non profit organization active in the Agribusiness we are recruiting a Business Advisor in Côte D'Ivoire.

As a business advisor, you are a coach and advisor of our clients (farmer cooperatives and organisations). You are a real dealmaker, tirelessly creating opportunities how to better serve our clients and how-to better position the organization as the number one cooperative specialist in the country. You are an advisor, networker and broker having the lead in acquisition and marketing of our services. You provide expert advice, monitor advisory trajectories with clients and you have an advisory and brokerage role in the closing of deals with, among others, donors, multilateral agencies, trust funds and the private sector. In order to achieve this, networking is your second nature, leveraging the potential of our network comprising of cooperatives and farmers’ organisations, government institutions and all other stakeholders relevant for cooperative development.

Duties
• Provide business development advice to and facilitate change management within cooperatives that will allow for the realisation of business growth potential.
• Acquisition and marketing of the organization's services and products related to cooperative business development.
• Materialise opportunities to finance business plans of cooperatives, support the establishment of contacts and negotiate business agreements with banks, investors and other financiers (governments and the business sector).
• Provide both clients and the team of business advisors with coaching and guidance relating to change trajectories and stakeholder management, to promote the interests of farmers, associations and cooperatives, particularly to the authorities of Ivory Coast.
• Overall program and operational management, reporting and budgeting.
• Position the organization in Ivory Coast and West Africa as the number one service provider in cooperative business development.

Your profile
• A bachelor’s degree in business economics, finance or a similar field.
• Background in impact investment, finance and/or banking is an asset.
• Extensive experience in and knowledge of one or more fields in which the organization achieves results, such as cooperative business development, market chain development, agricultural service provision, entrepreneurship, governance, and financial management.
• Relevant practical knowledge of and experience in the agri & food and/or cooperative sector
• Proven experience in programme management with solid reporting and writing skills.
• High level of proficiency in French and English.
• Enthusiastic, focused on results and service and skilled in coaching and change management.
• Familiar with self-steering and team dynamics

What the organization has to offer
A position that requires you to be highly self-reliant and use your pioneering skills in order to operate in dynamic international markets and in close cooperation with the agricultural business sector. The work environment is collegial and ambitious, and the focus is on achieving impact. As a business advisor, you will be part of a new and still small Ivory Coast team of business advisors as well as a part of the Africa team. The working conditions and additional benefits are good. The salary offered will depend on your experience, age and family situation.

Are you interested in becoming a Business Advisor in Côte D'Ivoire? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.