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Programme Officer (Agribusiness Supply Chain)

Vacancy #:   6648
Unit:   Food and Agricultural Systems
Organisation:   International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:   Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland
Reporting to:   Senior Programme Coordinator, Agriculture Supply Chains (Multinational Companies and Farmer Producer Organisations)
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   P2
Expected start date:   03 June 2024
Type of contract:   Fixed-term (12 months)
Closing date:   05 December 2023 (extended)
BACKGROUND
The Agriculture programme of work is centered around: sectoral engagement and technical support with regulatory bodies and public financing mechanisms; engagement and action with farmer organisations and Indigenous Peoples groups; transforming multinational supply chains at company level and in productive landscapes; and, developing tools and knowledge products for effective deployment in the agricultural sector, for which the Head will ensure is supported by a sustainable project portfolio.

The Agriculture Team works in close collaboration with IUCN’s Enterprise and Investment Team and Business Engagement Unit, and across IUCN’s programmatic centres (such as the multi-lateral finance team), regional offices, members and commissions to ensure an aligned thematic programme of activities.

The Agriculture team (AT) in the IUCN Center of Economy and Finance consists of a global secretariat based at the IUCN Headquarters. AT’s work is structured around three streams of work: NbS (Nature-based Solutions) & Supply Chains, Metrics & Tools and Policy.

The NbS and Supply Chains stream of AT’s portfolio focuses on private sector engagement, including farmers’ organizations, green finance for SMEs, international agri-businesses and producers, to motivate and implement locally controlled forest landscape restoration, sustainable land management and regenerative agriculture around the world.

AT engages with multinational companies to help them frame their nature-positive actions along their supply chains. AT is developing and piloting tools to assess and implement restoration interventions in international agribusiness supply chains while building a bigger momentum for private investment in restoration and sustainable land management. In working alongside multinational companies, there is a strong focus on forest and farm producers’ organizations and developing innovative financing mechanisms for those organizations and SMEs, such as for restorative action agroecological practices. Forest and farm producer organizations are small business entities with a wide and varied membership, making them excellent vectors of change for a nature-positive production system.

This position will mainly support this portfolio, with a specific focus on international agribusiness supply chains and farmer organization engagement, but might be engaged in other topics depending of the evolution of the work.
JOB DESCRIPTION
1. Project and Programme Implementation

- Coordinate the development and delivery of projects in the AT portfolio through engagement with SME’s, farmer organisations and multinational supply chains, with a particular focus on agribusiness.

- Manage project cycle processes with staff/partners/vendors to ensure timely and effective project/program planning and, project plans and budgets. This will be through the provision of targeted inputs with respect to project development, implementation, reporting (and other M&E activities), and coordinate specific consultant, Commission and/or partner inputs to ensure alignment with project outcomes.

- Ensure projects are designed and implemented according to IUCN project management standards and best practices.

- Throughout the project cycle ensure technical collaboration across the IUCN programme centres maximising the technical skills and knowledge of specific teams, whilst ensuring effective and sufficient detail on roles and deliverables are in place and underpinned but the necessary cost recovery for undertaking such tasks.

- Lead on technical administrative tasks such as drafting and coordinating TORs, risk assessments and due diligence, organizing local/regional/international events.

- As necessary provide specific technical advice and inputs to IUCN regions and thematic units with respect to ensuring that the development and implementation of projects are consistent with AT’s approach to NbS and nature positive supply chains.

- In conjunction with the line manager, and as appropriate, support the periodic review of the medium to long-term focus and technical delivery of the current programme portfolio.

- Foster and build partnerships with governments, IUCN members, Commissions and other partners that establish clear operational mandates for impact delivery, thereby demonstrating the influence and demand-responsive nature of IUCN’s work to donors and investors.

- Identify strategic funding opportunities, and ensure that knowledge generated by through the portfolio underpins project development and is part of project concepts.

2. Providing Technical Support

- In close collaboration with other thematic teams, provide technical advice to external partners and consultants on technical issues related to farmers organizations engagement, agribusiness, multi stakeholder initiatives on nature positive supply chains.

- Provide technical advice to multinational agri-businesses and SME’s in developing and applying nature positive metrics and interventions.

- Review and provide quality assurance on documents, reports and publications of partners and of AT staff to ensure accuracy and reflection of AT’s NbS and nature positive supply chains with respect to farmer organizations and agribusiness.


3. Knowledge Generation and Uptake

- In close collaboration with the knowledge management team, ensure the information generated and lessons learnt from NbS and nature positive supply chains stream supports the development and implementation of project proposals, knowledge products, national/regional/international policies.

- Support development of knowledge products and learning based on NbS and nature positive supply chain engagement with international agri-businesses and farmer organizations.

- Support and facilitate agribusiness and farmers representatives presence at key policy dialogues (development of a calendar and data repository of potential speakers, organize logistics of attendance between organizers and participants, summary and analysis of discussions during the events)

- Organize webinars or other type of online or in person meetings to exchange knowledge between farmer organizations and agribusinesses, present knowledge products and tools in key knowledge platforms
REQUIREMENTS
  • • Minimum Masters of Science in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of relevant experience in natural resources management, within government or international organizations.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in assessment science and/or the application and scaling of decision-support to agribusinesses and local level organisations
• Experience with the development and application of stakeholder-led decision-making processes required. Good understanding of power dynamics of stakeholders within decision-making processes.
• Strong strategic and political understanding and verifiable practical experience of advocating for agriculture or landscape restoration in governments, private sector, civil society organizations, farmers, amongst others.
• Impeccable writing skills. A track record of publications and qualitative & quantitative analysis is necessary. Ability to write, coordinate and/or edit assessment reports.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and work with multidisciplinary teams and a wide range of stakeholders.
• Diplomacy, good networking skills and excellent interpersonal skills. Track record of working effectively in a multicultural and diverse environment with colleagues at all levels.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, including ability to communicate complex issues to a wide range of audiences. A second language (French, Spanish) is highly desirable.
• Ability to travel frequently.

The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a small organization such as IUCN, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee's responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the employee and the Human Resources Management Group. Being an international organization the institution reserves the right to re-assign duty stations for any internationally recruited position, after consultation with staff members and taking into account their personal circumstances.
SALARY
The gross annual salary for this position is between CHF 100'355 and CHF 125'444, subject to deductions for social security contributions and second-pillar pension, and before tax. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.
APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/


About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

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