Germany’s development agency GIZ is hiring in Liberia — and the post sits at the centre of one of West Africa’s most important small-scale fisheries programmes. Under the EU-funded SAFish (Strengthening Artisanal Fisheries) project, GIZ Liberia is looking for a Technical Adviser – Fisheries Management and Policy, based in Monrovia with regular travel to Liberia’s coastal counties. There is one vacancy, and applications close on 15 November 2026.
This is not a desk-only policy job. The adviser will work directly with fishing communities, Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and community Collaborative Management Associations (CMAs) — setting up catch monitoring, running trainings, pushing safety at sea, and turning the artisanal component of Liberia’s Fisheries Law into materials ordinary fishers can actually read. For a fisheries graduate with three years of field experience, it is a rare chance to shape fisheries governance in a country where fish is the main protein for most people.
The vacancy at a glance
| Employer | GIZ Liberia (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) — working in Liberia since 1974 |
| Project | SAFish — Strengthening Artisanal Fisheries; financed by the European Union and Germany’s BMZ, implemented by GIZ with Expertise France; government partner NaFAA |
| Post | Technical Adviser – Fisheries Management and Policy (1 vacancy) |
| Salary band | GIZ Band 4 – Professional 4A (no salary figure is published in the listing) |
| Duty station | Monrovia, Liberia — with regular travel to coastal counties |
| Contract | Initially 1 year, including 6 months’ probation, with possibility of extension |
| Reports to | Project Manager |
| Deadline | 15 November 2026 — applications by email only; none accepted after this date |
| How to apply | Email cover/motivation letter, updated CV, references with active contacts, and copies of education certificates to recruitmentsl@giz.de |
Why this job matters: Liberia’s fisheries in numbers
Liberia’s fisheries sector is small in tonnage and enormous in human terms. According to NaFAA’s Research and Statistics Annual Technical Report 2025, the sector directly engages over 40,000 fisherfolk and fish is the primary source of protein for about 80% of the population. The CERATH Development Organization baseline survey for the Liberia Fishery Governance Project (October 2024, second edition March 2025) adds the detail: Liberia has a 579 km coastline, remains a net importer of fish (average annual imports of about 33,116 tonnes between 2014 and 2020, against exports of just 123 tonnes), and 86% of its fishers are small-scale — about 33,000 people fishing directly and around 78,000 more employed indirectly. The same baseline, citing the Ministry of Agriculture (2014) and NaFAA (2020), puts the sector at roughly 10% of GDP. Around 80% of small-scale fishers are Liberian, and about 60% are women.
That is the world SAFish is trying to change. The programme — EU funding of €24.8 million, according to Expertise France’s programme description, with an overall duration of 60 months per the GIZ vacancy notice — aims to build a more resilient and professional marine artisanal fish value chain, driving sustainable incomes, employment, social and economic inclusion and regional competitiveness, while protecting marine ecosystems. Its work includes strengthening NaFAA’s capacity to manage small-scale fisheries on a science- and knowledge-based footing, improving fish product quality and market and finance access for fishing communities, harmonising fisheries policies regionally, and fighting illegal fishing. Women, youth and people in vulnerable situations are explicitly prioritised for inclusion.
What the adviser will actually do
The vacancy notice spells out a hands-on brief across four project outputs — improved fishery practice, custodianship for a healthy marine environment and sustainable fishing, fishery governance to the benefit of artisanal fisheries, and public awareness of the sector’s economic importance and of fisheries transparency. Day to day, the adviser will:
- Build catch monitoring from the shore up — developing and establishing a sustainable catch and fishing-effort monitoring and surveillance system run with local, trained enumerators, in close collaboration with NaFAA, academics and international institutions including FAO, ICCAT, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and national and international universities.
- Train and convene — conceptualising and organising client-tailored trainings on fisheries topics with institutional and private stakeholders, and organising national round tables and “nexus” events on fisheries governance with multiple stakeholder groups.
- Make the law readable — developing the artisanal component of the Fisheries Law into materials tailored to local fisherfolk, such as posters, flyers and stickers, so the rules reach the people they govern.
- Strengthen community enforcement — building the capacity of the CMAs’ monitoring, control and surveillance committees to enforce fisheries laws and regulations, as part of NaFAA’s decentralisation of services.
- Push safety at sea — enhancing safety for fisherfolk and exploring the possibility of fishermen’s insurance (life, accident, gear) or other services linked to canoe registration, licensing and canoe marking.
- Open the books — enhancing the capacity of staff to collect and produce usable reports for publication on the NaFAA website and through FiTI, and contributing success stories and case studies to the project’s external communication.
- Centre the marginalised — paying special attention to the participation of marginalised fishing communities in fisheries management.
The adviser works alongside a team of GIZ and Expertise France advisers covering fish product quality, women’s and youth entrepreneurship, regional fisheries, communication, professional development and monitoring and evaluation — and with partners including Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency, FAO and several NGOs.
Who can apply: eligibility and experience
| Education | BA/BSc in Natural Resource Management, Fishery Science, Aquaculture, Environmental Science, Natural Science or a related field. A master’s degree in a related subject is an advantage. |
| Experience | At least 3 years of professional experience in a comparable position. Proven national or international experience in fisheries management or science is a plus; former experience in development cooperation is an advantage. |
| Sector knowledge | Knowledge of the challenges of Liberia’s fishery sector and of natural resource monitoring; understanding of catch composition, MCS (monitoring, control and surveillance), fish stock dynamics, marine conservation, fishing gears including mesh-size selection, and the impact of fishing. |
| Technical skills | Knowledge of statistics, data management and scientific methods; knowledge of GIS and remote sensing is an advantage; familiarity with MS Office and statistics software, and an eager interest in learning GIZ-specific software, AI and contemporary multimedia. |
| Personal qualities | Strong team player; able to lead group discussions and organise large meetings and round tables; very strong moderation and communication skills and moral integrity; empathetic towards people living in socio-economically challenging coastal situations; proactive, resolution- and impact-oriented, committed to deadlines. |
| Mobility | Willingness to travel regularly, nationally and internationally, and to work at remote locations in all coastal counties. |
How to apply, step by step
Applications go by email only — there is no online portal for this vacancy. Follow the listing exactly:
- Prepare four items, and only these four: a cover (or motivation) letter, an updated CV, references with active contacts of the reference persons, and copies of your education certificates. The listing says to send ONLY these documents.
- Address the email to recruitmentsl@giz.de — the GIZ Liberia recruitment address given in the vacancy notice.
- Use the exact subject line: “Technical Adviser – Fisheries Management and Policy”.
- Send it by 15 November 2026. The listing is explicit: no applications will be accepted after this deadline.
- Apply early. Applications are reviewed as they are received, and early applications are strongly encouraged — do not wait for the last day.
- Wait to be contacted. Applications are treated on merit and in strict confidentiality; only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
GIZ states it is an equal-opportunity employer and that qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply. Flexible hours and part-time working are available subject to negotiation, under family-friendly policies.
Three things to know before you apply
No salary figure is published. The vacancy gives only the GIZ band (4 – Professional 4A); the jobs board lists salary as negotiable. Do not trust any third-party site quoting a pay figure for this post — the official listing carries none.
No nationality restriction is stated in the listing. It is worth noting that a companion SAFish vacancy on the same board was explicitly titled “National Technical Adviser”; this post carries no “National” qualifier and no nationality condition in its text. If you are applying from outside Liberia, confirm eligibility in your application email rather than assuming either way.
No start date is published. The listing gives the contract length and probation period but no start date, and no application fee is mentioned. Treat any site asking for a fee for this vacancy as suspect — GIZ recruits through the email address above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date to apply for the GIZ Liberia fisheries adviser post?
15 November 2026. Applications must reach recruitmentsl@giz.de by that date; none are accepted afterwards.
Where is the job based?
Monrovia, Liberia, with regular travel to coastal counties. The role involves field work in fishing communities across all nine coastal counties.
What qualification do I need?
A bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management, Fishery Science, Aquaculture, Environmental Science, Natural Science or a related field, plus at least 3 years of professional experience in a comparable position. A master’s degree is an advantage, not a requirement.
What is SAFish?
Strengthening Artisanal Fisheries — a multi-donor action financed by the European Union and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), jointly implemented by GIZ and Expertise France, with NaFAA as the government partner. It runs for 60 months and aims to professionalise Liberia’s marine artisanal fish value chain.
Is this the same as the “National Technical Adviser” post?
No. That was a separate SAFish vacancy (access to finance and business development in fishing communities) whose deadline was 7 October 2026. This vacancy is for fisheries management and policy, with a 15 November 2026 deadline.
Can women apply?
Yes — GIZ explicitly encourages qualified women to apply, and women make up about 60% of Liberia’s small-scale fishers, the very communities this project serves.
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- 242,000 Fish Jobs for Women? Africa’s $100M Plan — TradeMark Africa’s programme to grow fisheries trade and jobs for women across East and West Africa.
Official links and sources
- Liberia HR Jobs Board — Technical Adviser, Fisheries Management and Policy (GIZ) (published 30 October 2026; deadline 15 November 2026)
- Expertise France — Team Leader, Artisanal Fisheries (SAFish programme description; EU funding €24.8 million)
- NaFAA — Research and Statistics Annual Technical Report 2025 (over 40,000 fisherfolk; fish the primary protein for about 80% of the population)
- CERATH Development Organization — Liberia Fishery Governance Project Baseline Survey Report (October 2024, second edition March 2025; coastline, import/export, employment and GDP figures)
Images in this post are illustrations, not photographs of the Monrovia coastline or the SAFish team. Verify details in the linked vacancy notice before applying — the listing governs if anything here differs.