Qureos Mentor

ICARDA

Reports to: Head of Finance
 Location: Cairo, Egypt
 
Main purpose of the position
 The CGIAR Red Palm Weevil Consortium is a high-priority, multi-partner initiative supported by UAE presidential court and the Gates Foundation. The consortium aims to deliver sustainable, science-based solutions to mitigate the impact of the Red Palm Weevil on LMICs primarily in north Africa and South Asia. ICARDA leads the consortium in delivering science-based, sustainable pest control solutions with regional impact. The initiative is grounded in accountability, scientific excellence, and cross-sector collaboration.
 The Project Finance & Compliance Officer (PFCO) is a key member of the consortium management team that supports the Deputy Director General (DDGR) as Consortium Program Director. The PFCO is responsible for ensuring that the project's financial management and compliance processes meet both ICARDA's internal standards and external donor requirements. The role ensures sound financial planning and control, compliance monitoring, stewardship of project resources and coordination with national and regional partners. The position also supports capacity development and internal accounts controls at both ICARDA and partner levels. The PFCO of the project ensures the integrity of financial planning, oversight of project expenditures, risk mitigation, and accurate donor reporting. The position safeguards financial accountability across ICARDA and partner institutions while supporting strategic decision-making through robust analysis and controls.
 
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About ICARDA
 The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.
 ICARDA's mission is to reduce poverty and enhance food, water, nutritional security, and environmental health in the face of global challenges, including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development, and capacity development that consider gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organizations, other CGIAR research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.
 
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Main responsibilities
 
Financial Controllership and Oversight: 
<ul>
<li>Serve as the financial gatekeeper for all project-related expenditures and financial transactions.</li>
<li>Maintain oversight of fund flow, cost control, cash flow forecasts, and financial risk exposure.</li>
<li>Validate all financial inputs from ICARDA and project partners against project milestones, procurement plans, and donor rules.</li>
<li>Support decision-making with strategic financial insights and scenario analysis.</li>
<li>Actively advise the Project Director on resource allocation, burn rates, and fiscal performance.</li>
</ul>
Financial Planning & Budgeting: 
<ul>
<li>Develop consolidate, update and maintain the project’s detailed annual and multi-year budgets and financial forecasts.</li>
<li>Lead periodic budget vs actuals reviews and variance analyses.</li>
<li>Coordinate and support technical teams during work-planning to align budgets preparation with work plans and deliverables.</li>
</ul>
Donor Compliance & Reporting: 
<ul>
<li>Ensure financial operations strictly comply with both Gates Foundation and UAE government requirements.</li>
<li>Prepare and submit timely donor financial reports aligned with milestone deliverables.</li>
<li>Maintain donor-compliance guidelines and ensure adherence across all project implementation units at ICARDA and partner organizations.</li>
<li>Design and implement internal control mechanisms tailored to the project’s requirements to fulfil funders’ expectations.</li>
</ul>
Internal Controls & Audit Support: 
<ul>
<li>Design and implement internal control mechanisms tailored to the project’s requirements to fulfil funders’ expectations.</li>
<li>Ensure robust field-level procedures for cash, sub-grants, and procurement are in place.</li>
<li>Prepare for and support donor audits and internal spot checks; ensure timely resolution of issues.</li>
<li>Track and follow up on audit findings and management responses.</li>
<li>Review partner financial submissions and conduct regular desk reviews.</li>
</ul>
Partner Financial Oversight: 
<ul>
<li>Train ICARDA’s financial reporting officers (GFOs) on financial and compliance requirements of the two donors.</li>
<li>Conduct periodic financial desk reviews and field monitoring visits.</li>
<li>Strengthen partner capacity in financial management, reporting, and compliance.</li>
</ul>
System & Process Support: 
<ul>
<li>Work with ICARDA’s Finance, Project and Grant Management Unit and IT teams to optimize and ensure ERP/grant systems (e.g., Unit4) meet project needs.</li>
<li>Recommend process improvements and digital tools to enhance transparency, reporting, and decision-making.</li>
<li>Support development of financial dashboards and key performance indicators for management.</li>
</ul>
Capacity Building & Support: 
<ul>
<li>Provide training to ICARDA and partner staff on budgeting, compliance, and donor financial policies.</li>
<li>Provide guidance on financial controls, policies, and donor rules.</li>
<li>Act as a focal point finance-related technical queries from consortium stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
Requirements: 
Education, qualifications, and experience: 
<ul>
<li>Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field. A master’s degree and/or professional certification (CPA, ACCA) is a strong asset.</li>
<li>Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in project finance or grants management, preferably with international development or research organizations. Experience with major donors (especially Gates Foundation or Gulf-based funders) is an advantage.</li>
<li>Solid knowledge of budgeting, financial analysis, and donor financial reporting.</li>
<li>Familiarity with IFRS and audit procedures.</li>
<li>Proficiency in financial systems (e.g., ERP) and Excel; Power BI and Unit4 are a plus.</li>
<li>Strong communication skills in English and Arabic.</li>
<li>Good judgment, attention to detail, and a problem-solving mindset.</li>
<li>Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and external partners.</li>
<li>Willingness to travel occasionally to partner sites, Cairo HQ, and field locations (30%).</li>
</ul>
Benefits: 
Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits : 
This is a nationally recruited staff position open for Egypt nationals for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first year will be a probationary period.
 
Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.
 Only shortlisted applications will be contacted.

Project Finance & Compliance Officer

Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist
 Location: At any of ICARDA’s duty stations
 
Main Purpose of the position
 To coordinate the implementation of a robust M&E framework, ensuring effective data collection, analysis, and reporting.
 
About the C4RPWC program: 
The Consortium for Red Palm Weevil Control (C4RPWC) Program is a three-year international and multi-institutional effort to combat the Red Palm Weevil (RPW), a devastating pest that threatens palm cultivation globally. Led by ICARDA, the program aims to develop, test, adapt, and pilot innovative, sustainable science-based and environmentally friendly solutions to manage and contain RPW infestations. With the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a focal point, the program will develop and establish scalable strategies that can extend to other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) affected by this invasive pest. Other organizations in the consortium include the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).
 
About ICARDA: 
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.
 ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development, and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organizations, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.
 
Main responsibilities: 
Partnerships & Capacity Development
 <ul>
<li>Support project activity monitoring by recording the project on the web-based MEL platform (HTTP: //mel.cgiar.org) and continuously appraise the status of deliverables including through routine field visits and interactions with project staff and stakeholders.</li>
<li>Track the progress of the project based on a set of performance indicators.</li>
<li>Conduct or manage project evaluation processes at baseline and end of project.</li>
<li>Participate in the relevant project research studies through the development of data collection tools and program or provide technical backstopping for their programming in mobile data collection platforms such as ODK, ONA, CSPro, KOBOToolbox, etc.</li>
<li>Support the project in the development and review of Plans of Work and Budget and periodic reporting processes.</li>
<li>Implement project pause-and-reflect activities to identify, document and share/ disseminate lessons learned, and utilise them for adaptive management.</li>
<li>Develop and maintain simulation and foresight models suitable to estimate higher-level results of the C4RPWC and associated innovations.</li>
<li>Participate and make input to the MEL community of practice of the project.</li>
<li>Undertake other tasks relevant for the efficient and effective running of the monitoring, evaluation and learning function of the RPW project, and ICARDA as a whole, as may be assigned by the MEL Specialist.</li>
</ul>
Data Management
 <ul>
<li>Support the Data Management Plan (DMP) implementation, coordinating with the MEL team DM specialist.</li>
<li>Support research scientists to manage data across the project and data life cycles, in compliance with data management guidelines.</li>
<li>Curate reported datasets in accordance with institutional requirements and best practices.</li>
</ul>
Requirements: 
Education, qualifications, and experience
 <ul>
<li>Master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture (with a focus on Integrated Pest Management) or related disciplines.</li>
<li>At least 2 years of work experience in a monitoring and evaluation role with an organization in the agrifood systems research and development sector.</li>
<li>Previous experience coordinating or conducting field studies for purposes collecting monitoring and evaluation data.</li>
<li>Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic.</li>
<li>Ability to engage with project stakeholders in a clear and professional way.</li>
<li>Strong computer skills, including in using MS Office, and familiarity with web-based platforms.</li>
<li>Experience working in the Middle East or North Africa.</li>
<li>Professional level of attention to detail, accuracy of work & ability to multitask and manage deadlines.</li>
<li>Ability to work in interdisciplinary & multicultural teams.</li>
<li>Work or research experience in integrated pest management (IPM).</li>
<li>Experience managing data of a research and development project with multiple partner institutions.</li>
</ul>
Benefits: 
Terms of appointment, salary and benefits
 This position may be offered under national or international recruitment terms, depending on the qualifications and the location of the selected candidate. ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 2.5 years, renewable subject to satisfactory performance. The first year of appointment will be probationary period.
 
ICARDA accepts applications only in English which is the organization’s official communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.
 
Only shortlisted applications will be contacted.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Reports to: Technical Training Officer
 Location: Cairo, Egypt
 
Purpose of the position
 The project aims to strengthen scientific, technical, and operational capacities to combat the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) through a phased and scalable Capacity Development Framework. Capacity Development is a cross-cutting area coordinated by ICARDA’s Capacity Development Unit (CDU), ensuring integration and coherence across all five Workstreams—biological and biotechnological control, digital innovations, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), socio-economic analysis, and scaling and public awareness. To support effective implementation, dedicated Capacity Development Officers will be recruited in Egypt to work across these Workstreams, coordinating training, youth engagement, scaling, and public awareness activities in close collaboration with the CDU, workstream leads, and international/national partners.
 
About ICARDA : 
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.
 ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.
 
Main responsibilities : 
<ul>
<li>Coordinate with ICARDA colleagues, international and national partners (e.g., NARS, Ministry of Agriculture, universities) to organize ToTs, Young Career Program, Scaling, and Citizen Science activities.</li>
<li>Support cross-country training and exchange activities between the UAE and other Low Medium Income Countries including Egypt.</li>
<li>Report on progress, lessons learned, and ensure proper documentation of all activities, including training reports, participant lists, and follow-up actions.</li>
<li>Travel as required to the UAE and other relevant partner countries (e.g., Morocco, Kenya, India) to support training preparation, take minutes of coordination meetings, and contribute to the delivery of trainings.</li>
<li>Assist in training logistics, including preparation of training materials, coordination with host institutions, participant management, and smooth implementation of workshops.</li>
<li>Ensure quality and relevance of training programs by working closely with subject-matter experts and aligning activities with project objectives and national priorities.</li>
<li>Contribute to monitoring and evaluation, by collecting feedback from participants, assessing effectiveness, and proposing improvements for future capacity development activities.</li>
<li>Support the design, adaptation, and delivery of e-learning modules on RPW management, ensuring accessibility for diverse audiences across regions.</li>
</ul>
Requirements: 
Education, qualifications, and experience: 
<ul>
<li>BSc or Master’s degree in Agriculture, Extension, Plant Protection, Development Studies, or a related field.</li>
<li>4–5 years of relevant experience in capacity development, agricultural extension, or training coordination.</li>
<li>Proven experience in organizing training programs, workshops, or farmer field schools, including preparation of training materials.</li>
<li>Strong organizational, facilitation, and communication skills; ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, and farmer organizations.</li>
<li>Proficiency in Arabic (native level) and fluency in English (spoken and written).</li>
<li>Good analytical and report-writing skills, with ability to document lessons learned and prepare progress reports.</li>
<li>Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, sometimes on short notice, to support training and coordination activities.</li>
<li>Good IT/digital skills, including MS Office and familiarity with e-learning platforms or digital tools for training.</li>
<li>Familiarity with date palm production, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), or Red Palm Weevil (RPW) management is an asset.</li>
<li>Experience in developing, managing, or facilitating e-learning platforms or digital training tools is an advantage.</li>
</ul>
Benefits: 
Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits : 
The successful candidate will be offered a 3-month consultancy contract on a full-time basis, renewable subject to continued need for the position, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance.
 The Incumbent will be provided with a monthly honorarium.
 
Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.
 Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Capacity Development Officer

Join ICARDA and explore 3   exciting career opportunities. They're hiring for various roles with options for remote or on-site work. Apply today and become part of their innovative team.

ICARDA

ABOUT_COMPANY

Project Finance & Compliance Officer

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Capacity Development Officer