The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit an implementation Manager who will serve as the operational engine of the investment – working closely with component science leads, the investment manager, and broader ILRI leadership to ensure that internal teams remain focused, barriers to delivery are rapidly addressed, and progress is tracked and communicated consistently.
ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org
Key responsibilities
This role requires an individual capable of leading through influence rather than authority. The Implementation Manager will be responsible for holding senior scientists accountable for delivery – a new approach within ILRI that will demand courage, tact, and clarity. To succeed, the individual must demonstrate:
• Gravitas and credibility to influence senior experts across disciplines.
- Conduct daily check-ins with each technical component team to monitor progress against short-term goals and milestones.
- Track dependencies across teams and ensure timely delivery of internal handoffs.
- Identify operational bottlenecks or institutional challenges and coordinate with relevant ILRI units (e.g., P&C, Supply Chain, Finance, Legal) to resolve them swiftly.
- Escalate critical issues to the Investment Manager with suggested mitigation actions.
- Ensure alignment across component teams by facilitating structured collaboration and promoting a delivery-oriented culture.
- Prepare materials and inputs for bi-weekly and monthly review meetings.
- Support documentation of decisions, risks, and adaptations for internal and donor reporting.
- Collaborate with the Program Monitor to support adaptive management based on monitoring data.
- Work with teams to update workplans, timelines, and delivery maps as needed.
- Act as a trusted connector between science leads and institutional support teams.
- Support engagement with external stakeholders when operational issues intersect with delivery.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in project management, development studies, public administration, agricultural/livestock sciences, or related field.
- Demonstrated ability to manage timelines, multitask under pressure, and translate strategy into operational action.
- Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills; ability to work across cultures and disciplines.
- Experience using project management tools and dashboards (e.g., Smartsheet, MS Project, Asana).
- Familiarity with ILRI, CGIAR, or Gates Foundation processes is an asset
- At least 4 years of experience managing or coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder programs in an international development, science, business or research environment.
- Proven experience in building relationships with an ability to network effectively with high-level stakeholders.
- Excellent planning and organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent interpersonal, cross- cultural communication, and team building skills
- Commitment to providing exceptional, courteous service to support ILRI staff
Post location: The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya