Background information about the job or company

CIMMYT is a cutting-edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

The Business Operations Analyst – Africa serves as a strategic partner to the Regional BSD Manager by providing operational analytics, business intelligence, performance monitoring, governance support, project coordination, and reporting across all Business Services Department (BSD) functions in Africa.

The role supports Procurement, Fleet Management, Travel Management, Inventory and Warehouse Management, Asset Management, Vendor Management, and other BSD operational activities by establishing performance monitoring frameworks, coordinating strategic initiatives, tracking action plans, supporting training and change management efforts, and transforming operational data into actionable business insights.

The incumbent is responsible for ensuring regional visibility of operational performance, monitoring execution of strategic priorities, supporting compliance with institutional procedures, and enabling data-driven decision-making across BSD operations in Africa.

Responsibilities or duties

• Develop and maintain BSD regional dashboards, scorecards, and management reports.
• Extract, validate, analyze, and synthesize data from D365 and other institutional systems.
• Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual operational performance reports.
• Prepare executive presentations, briefing materials, and management updates.
• Develop reporting tools that provide visibility into operational performance, risks, trends, and opportunities.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and operational planning exercises through data analysis.
• Coordinate regional BSD projects and strategic initiatives.
• Maintain project trackers, action logs, milestone reports, and risk registers.
• Monitor procurement cycle times, sourcing activities, and service delivery performance.
• Monitor fleet utilization, maintenance costs, fuel consumption, and vehicle performance indicators.
• Monitor travel expenditures, travel service levels, and vendor performance.
• Monitor inventory levels, stock movements, and warehouse utilization across the region.
• Analyze inventory turnover rates and identify slow-moving, obsolete, or excess stock.
• Track completion of BSD training programs across the region.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Logistics, Finance, or a related field.

Experience needed

• Minimum 5 years of experience in business operations, supply chain, procurement, inventory management, analytics, project coordination, or operational excellence.

Any other provided details 

• This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and qualifications. In Kenya, employment contracts are issued under ICRAF in compliance with Kenyan labour law. Locally recruited staff are eligible for a non-contributory pension scheme, comprehensive medical insurance, paid annual and statutory leave, and learning and development opportunities in line with CIFOR-ICRAF policies.
• The appointment will be for a period of two (2) years, inclusive of a six (6) month probationary period, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources.
• The duty station will be in Nairobi, Kenya.

• Develop and maintain BSD regional dashboards, scorecards, and management reports.
• Extract, validate, analyze, and synthesize data from D365 and other institutional systems.
• Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual operational performance reports.
• Prepare executive presentations, briefing materials, and management updates.
• Develop reporting tools that provide visibility into operational performance, risks, trends, and opportunities.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and operational planning exercises through data analysis.
• Coordinate regional BSD projects and strategic initiatives.
• Maintain project trackers, action logs, milestone reports, and risk registers.
• Monitor procurement cycle times, sourcing activities, and service delivery performance.
• Monitor fleet utilization, maintenance costs, fuel consumption, and vehicle performance indicators.
• Monitor travel expenditures, travel service levels, and vendor performance.
• Monitor inventory levels, stock movements, and warehouse utilization across the region.
• Analyze inventory turnover rates and identify slow-moving, obsolete, or excess stock.
• Track completion of BSD training programs across the region.

• Data analysis
• Business intelligence
• Performance monitoring
• Project coordination
• Reporting
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Operational planning
• Procurement cycle time monitoring
• Fleet utilization monitoring
• Travel expenditure monitoring
• Inventory management
• Training program tracking

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Logistics, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in business operations, supply chain, procurement, inventory management, analytics, project coordination, or operational excellence.