Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary: Competitive, in USD

About the Role

CIFOR-ICRAF is seeking a Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire to lead its strategic, operational, and scientific agenda in the country. The successful candidate will contextualize and deliver CIFOR-ICRAF’s Strategic Results Framework in Côte d’Ivoire, working closely with national partners across government, private sector, research institutions, and civil society. In this role, you will represent CIFOR-ICRAF in the country, oversee high-quality research activities, and drive the delivery of impactful programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to advance CIFOR-ICRAF’s science, impact, partnership, and operational objectives in Côte d’Ivoire.
• Lead and manage functional units, country teams, and stakeholders to operationalize the country strategy.
• Facilitate scientific research in agroforestry, forestry, climate change, and landscape ecology; support publication and dissemination of research findings at local, national, and international levels.
• Lead the development of country projects and manage deliverables across science domains; produce periodic reports and build partnerships that further CIFOR-ICRAF’s research agenda.
• Mobilize resources: identify funding opportunities, cultivate donor relationships, write proposals, and secure financial support.
• Oversee recruitment, supervision, performance management, and capacity development of country staff; build a productive, equitable, and collaborative working environment.
• Enhance CIFOR-ICRAF’s visibility in Côte d’Ivoire: represent the organization at national and international forums, manage communications, and assess the impact of its work.

Requirements

• PhD in a relevant field: agriculture, forestry, agroforestry, natural resource management, or related social sciences.
• Research experience demonstrated by high-impact publications.
• At least 10 years of experience, including a minimum of 7 years post-doctoral work, in developing country contexts.
• Proven leadership experience, with at least 10 years leading teams.
• Strong research-design and data-analysis skills (quantitative and qualitative).
• Demonstrated track record in fundraising, proposal writing, and managing multi-disciplinary partnerships.
• Excellent communication, relational, and negotiation skills in cross-cultural environments.
• Ability to thrive in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams.

Terms & Conditions

• This is a globally recruited position. Compensation will be commensurate with skills and experience, paid in USD.
• Duty station: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, at CIFOR-ICRAF offices.
• Application deadline: 30 November 2025.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply via the CIFOR-ICRAF recruitment portal by the application deadline.

Source: CIFOR-ICRAF Careers Page