Program Coordination and Management Scaling for Impact

Type of Contract: Consultancy

Contract Duration: February to 31 December 2026

Deadline for Applications: 3 February 2026

Applications to be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews with shortlisted candidates to be held between 5-6 February. Timing to be confirmed prior to this date.

CGIAR is embarking on an ambitious transformation through its Portfolio designed to integrate science and innovation across all Centers and funding sources. The new Portfolio architecture comprises eight integratedScience Programs aScaling for Impact Program and threeAccelerators. This structure aims to create a unified entry point for partners and funders drive deeper disciplinary and Center integration and ultimately unlock greater impact at scale.

The successful delivery of these complex multi-center and multi-disciplinary entities requires exceptional operational backbone and strategic coordination. Each Program/Accelerator is supported by a dedicated Program Management Unit (PMU). This consultancy role is central to the PMU designed to ensure seamless operations robust governance and strategic alignment. The coordinator will act as the operational linchpin and a trusted advisor to the S4I Program Director enabling leadership to focus on scientific and strategic leadership by managing the intricate web of planning budgeting reporting partnership coordination and internal collaboration.

Scope of Work

The Consultant will be embedded within the Program/Accelerator leadership team and will be responsible for the following core workstreams:

• Strategic Coordination & Advisory

Act as a principal advisor to the Program/Accelerator Director on managerial strategy governance effectiveness and risk management.

Prepare and coordinate all materials for senior governance bodies (e.g. Program Steering Committee external Advisory Panel) including agendas briefing packs minutes and action trackers.

Facilitate strategic decision-making processes and ensure follow-through on leadership directives.

• Operational Planning & Execution

-Support the annual cycle of planning including the co-development and timely submission of the integratedPlan of Work and Budget (PoWB).

-Develop and maintain detailed operational workplans breaking down the PoWB by Area of Work (AoW) geography and timeline.

-Establish and manage a dynamic performance dashboards to track progress against key milestones and priorities

• Financial Coordination & Oversight Support

-Work closely with the designated Finance Focal Point to monitor the Program/Accelerator budget.

-Support monthly review of budget vs. actual expenditure reports providing the Director with clear summaries of financial health and variance explanations.

-Support the development of quarterly financial forecasts and any necessary budget reallocations.

• Partnership & Grant Agreement Facilitation

-Serve as the central liaison between the Program/Accelerator leadership and Centers Grants and Contracts offices.

-Coordinate the drafting review and execution process for partnership agreements sub-awards and Letters of Collaboration.

-Maintain a master database/register of all active agreements tracking key dates (start end reporting) and obligations.

• Reporting Risk & Adaptive Management

-Own the end-to-end process for major donor and institutional reports (e.g. Technical Progress Reports Annual Reports).

-Support the development and maintenance of liveProgram Risk Register facilitating quarterly reviews with the leadership team to identify assess and mitigate operational and strategic risks.

-Coordinate Programs annualAdaptive Management Review a structured process to reflect on lessons learned and adjust strategies and plans accordingly.

• Support W3 and Bilateral Integration & MELIA Coordination

-Map all bilateral and Window 3 projects contributing to the Program ensuring their alignment and visibility within the overall portfolio.

-Collaborate closely with the MELIA (Monitoring Evaluation Learning Impact Assessment) Focal Point to ensure MELIA activities (e.g. baseline studies outcome harvesting) are scheduled resourced and their findings are integrated into management decisions.

• Performance Assessment & Internal Collaboration

-Support the Director in assessing and documenting the contributions and performance of participating CGIAR Centers.

-Serve as the an interface with theOffice of the Chief Scientist (OCS)on Portfolio-wide management processes and reporting requirements.

-Proactively collaborate with Coordinators from other Programs/Accelerators to share tools templates and best practices fostering a community of practice.

• Knowledge Management & Communications Support

-Establish and curate essential knowledge management platforms for the team (e.g. SharePoint/Teams site shared calendars distribution lists).

-Work with the Communications Focal Point to implement the communications strategy including reviewing key outreach materials (newsletters web content briefs) for accuracy and alignment with program messaging.

Deliverables

The primary deliverable for payment is a comprehensiveMonthly Activities Report submitted by the 5th of the following month. This report must provide evidence of progress and include:

1. Executive Summary:Brief overview of key achievements challenges and priorities for the coming month.

2. Workstream Progress Update:A detailed status for each responsibility area in Section 2 referencing specific:

o Actions Taken(e.g. Coordinated Q1 Steering Committee meeting on date).

o Outputs Produced(e.g. Finalized and circulated meeting minutes and action tracker).

o Milestones Reached/KPI Status(e.g. PoRB first draft completed and shared for internal review).

3. Updated Activity Trackers:Attach or link to updated versions of key living documents as relevant (e.g. risk register snapshot priority dashboard agreement database update).

4. Travel Log:If travel occurred summary of purpose location and outcomes.

5. Plans for Next Month:Outline of key tasks and objectives.

Final December Deliverable:A detailed summary document and comprehensive final report summarizing the 11-month engagement key achievements system status and recommendations for the ongoing function.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

oA Masters degree or higher in Business Administration International Development Agricultural Sciences Public Policy or a related field.

Professional Experience (Minimum 7 years):

oProven track record in program coordination strategic planning and project management within large complex international research-for-development organizations consortia or similar multi-stakeholder settings.

oDirect experience with the full project cycle: planning budgeting implementation monitoring reporting and closure.

oSubstantial experience facilitating high-level meetings preparing governance documents and managing senior stakeholder relationships.

oDemonstrated experience in financial oversight and working collaboratively with finance colleagues.

oFamiliarity with partnership management and grant/contract administration processes.

Skills and Competencies:

oExceptional Organizational & Analytical Skills: Ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams synthesize complex information and drive processes to completion.

oStrategic Mindset: Ability to see the big picture and translate strategic objectives into actionable plans.

oSuperior Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to draft clear concise and professional documents for diverse audiences.

oFacilitation & Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to build trust facilitate inclusive discussions and achieve alignment among diverse teams and personalities.

oTechnological Proficiency: High proficiency with Microsoft 365 (especially Teams SharePoint Excel PowerPoint) and project management/dashboard tools.

oCultural Sensitivity & Diplomacy: Ability to work effectively in a decentralized multicultural and virtual environment.

Evaluation Criteria

oRelevant Experience & Qualifications: Demonstrated experience in similar roles within complex international organizations.

oUnderstanding: Quality of the proposed approach to the scope of work and understanding of CGIARs context or similar organizations.

oSample Work & References : Quality of writing samples and strength of professional references

oDaily Rate: Proposed daily rate for the assignment.

Timeline

The Consultant will provide essential coordination and management support across the Programs adaptive management cycle from February to December 2026.

Performance Measurement

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Quality & Comprehensiveness of Deliverables:Accuracy insight and professionalism of reports plans and management documents.
• Timeliness:Consistent on-time submission of the Monthly Activities Report and meeting all major deadline-driven milestones (e.g. PoRB donor reports).
• Stakeholder Feedback:Positive feedback from the Program Director PMU members Center counterparts and OCS on the consultants effectiveness responsiveness and collaboration.
• Proactivity & Problem-Solving:Initiative shown in identifying issues proposing solutions and improving processes without constant direction.
• System & Process Health:Effective maintenance of key management systems (dashboard risk register knowledge repository).

Performance Review

• A formalmid-term reviewwill be held at the end of Month 6 (July 2026).
• Quarterly check-inswill be held to provide informal feedback.
• The final performance assessment will inform the final payment and any potential future collaboration. Performance documentation is required for contract closure.

All applications must be submitted online by clicking the Apply button below. If you require assistance or face challenges in submitting your application please email with the position title in the subject line. Applications submitted through this email will NOT be accept.

Please ensure that your resume and cover letter are in English and does not contain your marital status age or photograph. Documents provided in a language other than English will not be considered.

CGIAR is committed to fair safe and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation contributes to our excellence and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural multi-color multi-generational and multi-disciplinary collegial working environment. We consciously create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and commitment to gender equity. We therefore encourage applicants from all cultures races ethnicities religions sexes national or regional origins ages disability status sexual orientations and gender identities.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

We look forward to hearing from you!