Project Budget Development Officer

About the Role

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites qualified Nigerian nationals to apply for the role of Project Budget Development Officer at its headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State. This position offers a renewable three-year contract and focuses on supporting the development of accurate and compliant project budgets aligned with IITA’s and CGIAR’s strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist scientists and proposal teams in preparing precise, competitive, and policy-compliant project budgets following donor and institutional guidelines.
• Identify and evaluate funding prospects that align with the strategic priorities of IITA and CGIAR.
• Analyze donor call guidelines to provide technical input on proposal requirements and financial compliance.
• Review proposals for administrative and technical conformity prior to submission.
• Develop and periodically update institutional cost databases covering staff, operational, administrative, and station expenses to facilitate budgeting.
• Maintain the master institutional cost documents for efficient budget preparation and review.
• Incorporate updated Resource Service Support (RSS) rates and management-approved cost directives into budgeting tools.
• Coordinate director-level approval of Project Summary Forms before requesting project cost centres.
• Monitor updates in donor budgeting policies, templates, and compliance requirements, revising institutional guidance and tools accordingly.
• Maintain repositories of donor budget and proposal templates along with associated costing formats.
• Update IITA budget templates in collaboration with People & Culture, Finance, Supply Chain, and other departments to ensure cost accuracy.
• Provide guidance and training on budget development and proposal support to scientists and staff across the institute.
• Assist in initiating, registering, and coordinating proposals through internal development and approval processes.
• Follow up with Deputy Directors General and stakeholders on pending proposal ideas and approvals using the PDAU Proposal Ideation Platform.
• Support compilation, processing, and submission of supporting documents such as letters of support, due diligence papers, policy documents, financial statements, and annexes.
• Assist the Unit Head in preparing the unit’s annual budget, monitoring expenditures, reporting monthly expenditures, and liaising with Finance to resolve budget-related issues.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Head of Unit to meet service requirements.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate holds an MSc or MBA in Finance, Business Administration, Project Management, Agricultural Economics, or a related area, with at least five years of relevant experience in project budgeting, grants management, proposal development, and financial planning. Experience within an international research or development organization is preferred, and familiarity with CGIAR financial and proposal processes is advantageous.

Key Competencies

• Proven experience developing and reviewing budgets for major international donors such as USAID, EU, FCDO, Gates Foundation, GIZ, IFAD, AfDB, World Bank, CGIAR, and UN agencies.
• Solid understanding of donor budgeting principles, cost eligibility, indirect cost recovery, and institutional financial compliance.
• Effective collaboration in multicultural and multidisciplinary proposal development teams and cross-unit budget coordination.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and excellent problem-solving abilities.
• Exceptional communication skills including written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal abilities to convey budget concepts to diverse audiences.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel including formulas, pivot tables, and financial modelling; competency in other Microsoft Office applications.
• Familiarity with enterprise financial systems like Oracle ERP is a plus.
• Experience designing and delivering training sessions and facilitating capacity-building on proposal budgeting and compliance for internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret donor guidelines accurately and produce compliant, competitive project budgets.
• Skilled in managing multiple proposals and deadlines through strong organizational and project coordination capabilities.
• Capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with scientists, finance, HR, legal teams, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrates high integrity, professionalism, and commitment to confidentiality.

Compensation and Benefits

IITA provides a competitive salary package alongside attractive benefits and a supportive work environment on a pleasant campus.

Additional Information

Application Deadline: 22 September 2026

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.