Director-Fertilizer & Soil Health Hub

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Director-Fertilizer & Soil Health Hub.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food-secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

About the Hub

The Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel was officially launched at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit in May 2024. The Hub is a public-private partnership tasked with driving holistic solutions at scale through engaging entire value chains across country priorities. The Hub aims to improve long-term soil health and fertility for enhanced yield and incomes, efficient resource use, and climate resilience. The Hub has assembled a technical team, has Hub focal points for 11 of the 17 target countries and has identified National Focal Points and National Technical Teams.  

The Hub will play a critical role in engaging and synergizing the ecosystem in West African and Sahel region including national government ministries, fertilizer industry, development investors, and technical partners to provide technical support to the development and implementation of investments from above partners in fertilizer and soil health-related initiatives. Hosted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) campus in Ibadan, Nigeria, with initial funding from the World Bank and OCP-Africa, the Hub operates as an ECOWAS sub-program.

About The Role

Are you a seasoned leader with a passion for transforming African agriculture? Are you looking to spearhead large-scale initiatives across the continent? The Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel is searching for a passionate Director to lead the charge. The Director will lead the Hub's operations supporting the 21 countries of West Africa and the Sahel.

This is a unique opportunity to impact smallholder farmers, agricultural development and the agribusiness sector through an innovative approach capable of leveraging over 1 billion dollars of investment in improving soil health across the region. The Hub Director will be responsible for building effective Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) capable of achieving large scale impacts in countries across West Africa and the Sahel, building the Hub's team and driving the strategic vision of the Hub to achieve the envisioned goals.

Position Responsibilities

• Business Development & Partnerships Building: Build strong partnerships with key stakeholders to deliver on the Hub's mission and vision.
• Strategic Leadership & Management: Build and lead a dynamic team and evolve a winning Hub strategy.
• Resource Mobilisation: Secure funding and manage resources for long-term sustainability of the Hub and large-scale delivery through partners.
• Hub Program Development & Implementation: Create a highly efficient operational structure for the Hub to facilitate and monitor impact across the region.
• Travel extensively throughout West Africa and the Sahel to maintain relationships and drive growth.
• Coordination: Coordinate Hub activities at the technical and administrative level, across the partners and target countries.
• Lead administrative functions related to Hub management, including technical and financial reporting.

Requirements

Educational Qualifications and Experience

• Post-graduate degree in a relevant field, including MBA or MSc / PhD in a highly quantitative subject.
• Track record of building initiatives from scratch in West Africa.
• Familiarity with the regional agribusiness context and experience working with small-scale farmers in West Africa and the Sahel.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive under complexity and uncertainty and take calculated risk.
• Experience in resource mobilisation, partnership building, diverse stakeholder engagement and decentralised projects
• Strong understanding of donor compliance, grants management, and project governance.

Core Competencies

• A highly entrepreneurial spirit, an agile and strategic thinker with a mission-driven approach and integrity.
• Bilingual professional working proficiency in French and English.
• A growth mindset, a strong team player, with excellent listening and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders across sectors and geographies.

Benefits

Duty Station: The position is based at IITA Headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. The role requires periodic travel to IITA's five regional Hubs and country offices across sub-Saharan Africa to support business development engagement, partnership building, and portfolio oversight.

General information: The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers an internationally competitive remuneration package paid in US Dollars.

Applications: Applications must include a cover letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, and names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be addressed to the Director of People and Culture. Please complete our online application form using this link: https://apply.workable.com/iita/#jobs

Note: Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Closing Date: 22 July, 2026

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce, particularly welcoming applications from women.

While all applications will be acknowledged, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.