Senior Program Officer, Nutritious Food Systems

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The Global Growth & Opportunity (GGO) division works to catalyze sustainable and transformative socio-economic change. In the face of inequities and market failures, GGO seeks to realize the potential of untapped markets, and ensure that economic and social benefits reach everyone. We focus on the areas of Agricultural Development; Financial Services for the Poor; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; and Global Education. We seek solutions that are sustainable, transformative, and inclusive with an eye toward applying technology innovations as well as data evidence to motivate change in the world’s developing countries.

The Agricultural Development (AgDev) program aims to catalyze a country-led, inclusive, agricultural transformation process by developing and scaling products, services, policies, and system-wide innovations that benefit small scale producers, empower women, and improve nutritional outcomes. We want farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to be empowered with the knowledge, tools, and technologies to improve their livelihoods and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

The Role

In this role, you will help lead the strategic evolution of the Nutritious Food Systems portfolio within the AgDev program and will manage a large portfolio of grants and contracts requiring skills in active grant making and management, monitoring, and evaluation. As a key advisor for nutrition on the AgDev team, you will contribute to the team’s strategic vision of ensuring equitable consumption of safe, affordable, nutritious diets year-round in pursuit of inclusive agricultural transformation.

Responsibilities

• Partner with foundation colleagues and external collaborators to implement and assess the Nutritious Food Systems portfolio. Advance a forward-looking strategy for Nutritious Food Systems and the whole of AgDev that generates demand for nutritious foods; improves market function for nutrition, including addressing food loss and food safety; and works to integrate nutrition activities and objectives across AgDev investments.

• Develop and manage a complex grant portfolio. Provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses of investments and recommendations for funding.

• In partnership with the Director, support the management of the operational aspects of the Nutritious Food Systems portfolio, including strategy setting, consistent tracking of progress against agreed-upon metrics, and annual investment planning.

• Liaise with other internal program teams, particularly the Nutrition, Maternal Child and Newborn Health, and Program Advocacy and Communications teams, to ensure strategy alignment and cross-team collaboration, capitalizing on opportunities of mutual interest, and communicate a “one foundation” approach to nutrition.

• Regularly collaborate with grantees and other partners to maximize the impact of projects and ensure grants are contributing to strategy goals. This may include conducting site visits, providing technical and operational guidance, and convening meetings of key partners.

• Represent the foundation on key program-related external constituencies, as appropriate, and serve on external bodies (e.g. technical advisory groups, steering committees) related to area of expertise.

• Ability to travel internationally and domestically approximately 25% of the time.

Experience

• Advanced degree in nutrition, agriculture, food systems, public policy, public health or related field

• 10+ years for Senior Program Officer of experience working at the intersection of agriculture and nutrition

• Recognized by the global professional community as a specialist within food systems, with a deep understanding of agriculture-nutrition pathways, barriers to effective action on nutritious diets within agricultural development, underpinnings of multi-sectoral approaches to improve nutrition, and policy-related efforts to build resilient, equitable nutritious food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

• Demonstrates multi-sectoral critical thinking and analytical skills

• Capability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships

• Excellent problem solver with strategy development experience

• Strong initiative, organizational skills, and ability to work autonomously and cross-functionally while remaining flexible to changing tasks, priorities, and roles and responsibilities

• Can communicate technical concepts and synthesize information for diverse audiences, including leadership, program staff, governments, grantees, and external partners, both in writing and orally

• Previous residence or extensive work experience in a Sub-Saharan African or Asian country or countries preferred

The typical salary range for this role is $144,200 to $267,800 USD. The exact offer will be determined by a variety of factors such as the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience relative to the requirements of the role.

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Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.