Programme Policy and Partnerships Officer – Food Systems & Private Sector Engagement Consultant

The Programme Policy and Partnerships Officer supports the implementation of food systems projects by managing private sector partnerships and coordinating with multiple stakeholders to ensure effective delivery and impact. The role focuses on linking technology and investments to smallholder farmers and market actors in Sierra Leone, contributing to food security and resilience.

Responsibilities

• Lead engagement with private sector partners (mechanization, processing, solar) and coordinate with development partners, including JICA, to ensure smooth implementation and alignment.
• Coordinate project implementation across Programme, Supply Chain, Engineering, and field teams, tracking progress and proactively resolving bottlenecks related to equipment delivery, infrastructure, and timelines.
• Ensure project investments (mechanization, processing equipment, infrastructure) are effectively linked to smallholder farmers, FBOs, aggregators, processors, and market demand (including institutional buyers such as HGSF).
• Support engagement with private sector partners to ensure effective collaboration and alignment with project objectives.
• Support linkages between partners, government, and programme teams to strengthen coordination and delivery.
• Identify and support opportunities to strengthen partnerships that enhance value addition, market access, and private sector participation.
• Promote partnerships that contribute to the development of sustainable, locally anchored service ecosystems (e.g. for mechanization, processing, and maintenance).
• Support preparation of donor updates, briefs, and partnership-related communications.
• Support linkages between school feeding and SAMS activities.
• Capture and document key partnership developments, lessons learned, and success stories for visibility and future programming.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, International Relations or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in programme implementation, project management, partner engagement, private sector engagement, or value chain development.
• Experience in food systems, agricultural development, or rural livelihoods programmes.
• Knowledge of donor reporting expectations and requirements, especially Japan.
• Ability to work with and contribute to various teams and workflows.
• Strong time management, partnership and teamwork skills.
• Fluency (level C) in English language.

Skills

• Programme Implementation
• Project Management
• Partner Engagement
• Private Sector Engagement
• Value Chain Analysis
• Food Systems Expertise
• Agricultural Development
• Rural Livelihoods Programmes
• Donor Reporting
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Time Management
• Partnership Development
• English Language Proficiency

Languages

English