Chief of Party

POSITION: Chief of Party

LOCATION: We will only consider candidates legally authorized to work in Côte d’Ivoire .

WORKPLACE TYPE: Flexible hybrid working environment

CLOSING DATE: 12 August 2026

JOB LEVEL: 19

Please note: this is a confidential recruitment initiative. Further information about the initiative will be shared with shortlisted candidates following execution of an NDA.

Project: An industry-led initiative implementing programs dedicated to farmers and communities at scale with the objective of strengthening the resilience of the cocoa supply chain in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Role of the Rainforest Alliance: Supporting the launch of the operations in Côte d'Ivoire by establishing and managing a team to ensure effective delivery, coordination, and monitoring of all activities on the field including agronomy services.

POSITION SUMMARY : The Chief of Party role must provide overall leadership and direction, overseeing all operational, Performance Verification and Impact, and coordination functions. This position serves as the primary liaison for the Project, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and delivery standards.

The Chief of Party is accountable for unified program coordination, high-quality field implementation, risk management, and timely reporting across all program implementation parters - ensuring the program operates as a coherent, transparent, and high-performing system. This role and the team working with them will serve as one point of contact for farmers, communities and intermediaries. Strong leadership and management is essential as the Chief of Party will be responsible for a team of more than 20 people working alongside them in country as well as matrixed across the organization. In addition, there will be oversight of a team of more than 100 coaches, 100+ enumerators and other operational persons to ensure the successful delivery of this 3-year seed stage.

This position is an exciting opportunity to address the key challenges facing the cocoa sector in West Africa and accelerate the impact of the Rainforest Alliance mission in collaboration with leading global cocoa brands.

WHAT YOU WILL DO: Provide overall technical direction and strategic oversight of the program; Serve as the primary point of contact for the program and with the regional and local partners, government, and other key stakeholders; Take accountability for ensuring full delivery of technical, financial, compliance, resource mobilization and other contractual obligations; Undertake daily management of the program, including smooth project implementation and efficient use of resources; Coordinate and supervise implementation of the work plan, delivering outputs in a timely manner and within budget; recruit staff, consultants and partners and oversee their delivery of the tasks and secure support from international specialists of Rainforest Alliance where relevant; Ensure the participation and involvement of relevant stakeholders in program activities; Coordinate and engage with implementing partners to ensure program governance, participating in and reporting out of periodic meetings as setup in the governance structure; Lead a successful team and establish effective management and coordination processes; Lead program work planning and ensure the quality of results and preparation of reports on achievements and challenges faced within the program; Identify and handle risks, raising important issues – while working with the Risk & Compliance Manager; Coordinate with RA senior staff and partners across geographies, including the Country Director and relevant colleagues in country, to mobilize internal resources, achieve efficient implementation, and integrate program results and findings within RA's broader processes and strategies; Fulfil all funder and internal reporting requirements, ensuring and high-quality reports.

WHAT YOU BRING: Master's degree in agriculture, environmental sciences, natural resource management, business administration, economy, or another relevant international development field; 10 years relevant project/program management experience with internationally funded projects, in the fields of agricultural development and/or sustainable planning and development; 10 years experience leading local and international multidisciplinary teams with demonstrated mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills; 10 years experience coordinating efforts with the private sector, government organizations, national and international NGOs; Experience working in market-systems development/value chains projects and understanding of corporate cultures essential; 3 years' experience working with government Ministries or national institutions in Côte d'Ivoire that are concerned with natural resource and/or environmental management and/or business and economic development; 3 years of experience in a senior level similar management position; High level of competence in financial management and normal office software; Fluency in English and French ; Demonstrated experience in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, including mobilization of resources; Demonstrate openness to change and ability to handle complexities; Ability to travel a minimum of 30% per year, nationally and internationally.

BENEFITS OF WORKING AT THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE: Be a part of a global organization with an impactful mission and a collaborative, respectful, and accountable culture. Enjoy opportunities for professional growth and career development. Benefit from remote working flexibility and flexible hybrid working environment. A favourable time‑off policy. Prioritize your wellbeing. We have numerous ways to promote work-life balance.

Apply now and let's grow together. We look forward to hearing from you and exploring how your skills can help us advance our mission.

If you have any questions about the job vacancy, please contact the HR department: [email removed - click apply for more details]

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.