Team Leader (Trade Facilitation Expert) – Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria

Aninver Development Partners SL (www.aninver.com) is looking for a Team Leader (Trade Facilitation Expert) for a trade consultancy assignment financed by TradeMark Africa in Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria.

Aninver Development Partners SL is currently seeking an expert Team Leader (Trade Facilitation Expert) for an upcoming consultancy assignment in West Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Burkina Faso) funded by TradeMark Africa. The initiative focuses on enhancing regional integration, streamlining trade procedures, and reducing transport costs along vital transit routes.

The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary team to conduct a comprehensive business process review of trade actors and procedures, map end-to-end transit workflows, and formulate actionable implementation roadmaps to improve operational efficiency in the trade and transport sector.

Aninver is preparing a proposal for this assignment. The selected expert will be part of the proposed team; the engagement is conditional on the contract being awarded to Aninver. The full Terms of Reference for the position are shared with shortlisted candidates.

Objectives of the assignment

• Conduct a comprehensive business process review of trade processes and actors along the target trade corridors.
• Map end-to-end trade and transit procedures to identify bottlenecks, delays, and non-tariff barriers.
• Review and assess existing regulatory frameworks, institutional arrangements, and digital trade systems.
• Develop an actionable implementation roadmap, quick wins, and a monitoring and evaluation framework to guide future corridor efficiency reforms.

Scope of work

• Corridor Mapping and Diagnostic: Mapping end-to-end trade and transit procedures, identifying operational bottlenecks, delays, and non-tariff barriers across target corridors.
• Business Process Re-engineering: Reviewing existing trade processes, institutional roles, and actor interactions using structured process mapping methodologies including BPMN.
• Legal, Policy, and Digital Review: Evaluating national and regional legal frameworks, customs procedures, risk management practices, and digital trade systems against international and regional standards.
• Roadmap and Action Plan Development: Formulating practical recommendations, prioritized quick wins, an implementation roadmap, and a monitoring and evaluation framework to support institutional coordination and trade facilitation.

Your role as Team Leader (Trade Facilitation Expert)

• Provide overall technical and managerial leadership for the entire consultancy assignment over its 10-month duration.
• Coordinate multiple stakeholders across government, regional institutions, and private sector actors.
• Oversee the end-to-end mapping of trade and transit procedures and the diagnosis of operational bottlenecks.
• Lead the assessment of legal, regulatory, and digital frameworks against international and regional trade facilitation standards.
• Guide the formulation of practical recommendations, prioritized quick wins, and the comprehensive implementation roadmap.
• Ensure high-quality deliverables and timely submission of reports as required by the donor and client.

Requirements

• Education: Master’s degree in Economics, International Trade, Trade Law, Logistics, Development Studies, or related discipline
• Languages: Working professional proficiency in both English and French

Desirable

• At least 10 years’ professional experience in trade facilitation reforms, preferably in West Africa, with demonstrated experience advising on ECOWAS, UEMOA, AfCFTA and/or WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement reforms, and working with NTFCs or regional trade corridors
• Prior professional experience working on trade facilitation initiatives in West Africa.
• Demonstrated strong trade data analytical, writing, and communication skills.

An experienced trade facilitation expert with a Master's degree, strong leadership skills, and a proven track record in corridor performance reforms and regional trade frameworks.

Assignment details

• Location: Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria
• Financed by: TradeMark Africa
• Sector: Trade
• Estimated duration: 10 months
• Expected input: 85 days
• Contract: individual consultancy (conditional on award)

About Aninver Development Partners

Aninver is an international development consulting firm headquartered in Spain. It supports governments, development banks, UN agencies and bilateral donors with feasibility studies, technical assistance, evaluations and capacity building across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific, working with a network of international and national experts.

Why apply

• Join a multidisciplinary team on a TradeMark Africa-financed project in Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria.
• Individual consultancy: flexible, output-based engagement with an experienced proposal team.
• Your CV stays in Aninver's expert network for future assignments that match your profile.

How to apply

Sign in (or create a free account) and upload your CV in English. Add your LinkedIn profile, indicative daily rate and availability to speed up the assessment. Aninver will contact the shortlisted candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the position confirmed? The engagement depends on the contract being awarded to Aninver. Shortlisted experts are included in the proposal with their consent.

Can I apply if I am not based in the country? Yes, unless the requirements say otherwise; relevant regional experience is an asset.

What happens with my CV? It is used to assess your fit for this and future positions and is not shared with third parties without your consent.