| Description |
Agriculture and Climate Change Advisor
REPORTS TO: Deputy Director, Regional Program Department
DEPARTMENT: Regional Programs
LOCATION: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
COORDINATES WITH:
Staff of other Departments and Divisions, Regional Management Teams, Regional staff
SUPERVISES: Regional Program Policy Advisers, Consultants and Interns
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION: Advise multiple agency stakeholders and decision-makers on the strategic development and expansion of agency’s agriculture and climate change work. Work closely with all stakeholders to strengthen and promote regional agriculture programs and climate change projects. Support and coordinate the implementation of Oxfam’s GROW campaign on food justice in the regions and link these experiences with other departments in the agency and Oxfam International.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Agriculture and Climate Change Support
- Manage department contributions of technical and thematic inputs for strategic planning, program design and grant making for agriculture programming.
- Coordinate and provide leadership for managing the proactive role in feeding the experiences and insights of the regional offices into the GROW Food Justice campaign
- Influence/contribute to the OA strategy and plans for GROW, according to OI frameworks and timelines
- Ensure delivery of campaign elements/projects for which OA has direct responsibility within OI.
- Co-design, coordinate and lead project and/or program assessments and evaluations with Regional Directors, LEAD and other department staff members on agriculture programming.
- To visit and assess programs and to provide concrete support in improving the integration of climate change issues into agriculture programs
- Co-design, coordinate and supervise all department / agency level program research on agriculture and climate change issues.
- Co-design, co-develop and co-lead with Deputy Director, Regional Directors and LEAD workshops and conferences regarding agriculture programming or planning
- Supervise consultants and interns supporting department / agency climate change and agriculture work.
- Work closely with Regional Directors to organize regional office strategic planning, program development, and APPLE ongoing learning and impact initiatives for agriculture programming.
- Identify and pursue strategic program growth funding opportunities with Regional Directors for agriculture programming.
- Actively seek to develop and coordinate appropriate inter-regional program linkages to promote best practices and learning.
Management
- Supervise Program Policy Advisers, co-develop (with the Deputy Director) their annual work plans and schedules to meet agency program support needs, agency program quality priorities and fulfill the department’s responsibilities and the ongoing individual development of staff members.
- Negotiate with Regional Directors and Deputy Director on Program Policy Adviser participation in specific and time sensitive regional office work initiatives and contribute to advancing climate change and agriculture work in the region.
- Identify opportunities for staff development for Program Associates and Regional Office Staff.
- Provide input to quality headquarters-based orientation, training and development for regional office staff.
- Within the agency framework and business plans, identify opportunities for inter-regional or global collaboration such as secondments, cross-regional visits and other staff development initiatives.
- Through coaching, information sharing and identification of relevant training, build the capacity of staff and to understand climate change and agriculture trends and to incorporate them into program design and implementation
Liaison
- Identify and develop cross-departmental/division relationships to further advance regional strategic plans and agriculture-related work.
- Ensure strategic planning and programming have solicited and incorporated inputs and shared inter-departmental goals regarding agriculture and climate change work.
- Coordinate advocacy and campaigning support for GROW in OA strategic and focus countries.
- Develop both internal and external programs for internal and external audiences to share knowledge and experiences from the from Oxfam’s agriculture programs.
- To act as liaison person with Oxfam America head office, regional offices, other departments, Oxfam International and external agencies on all matters related to climate change work and agriculture programs..
- Represent Oxfam America in OI agriculture and climate change meetings, forums and communications.
- In working with other staff, ensure the provision of quality information and advance agency-wide learning about agency agriculture programming to stakeholders, such as Operations, Communication & Education and Resource Development Divisions. This could include data for funding proposals, financial and human resource information, donor reports, stories for communication, media responses, external changes within the regions and learning from others.
EXPECTATIONS FOR THE POSITION:
- Stay current of professional standards, trends and issues affecting food, agriculture and climate change issues demonstrate continuous learning from the field.
- Have strong demonstrable representational skills.
- As a member of the OA GROW management team, identify and act on (to the point of decisions/outcomes) opportunities and blockages in the campaign – both within OA and OI.
- Work effectively and collaboratively in support of building a team-based culture of work
- Perform all duties appropriately for a multi-cultural environment, demonstrating a commitment to diversity, and will be familiar with and committed to Oxfam America mission and goals.
- Be available to travel to regional offices and relevant professional meetings as needed
- Demonstrate strategic programmatic and business planning skills including budget preparation and ongoing budget monitoring.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
Education:
- Master’s degree in related field.
Experience and Core Competencies:
- Seven years of experience in international development.
- Work experience in two or more of agency regions.
- Program management and development experience
- Sound working knowledge of food/agriculture/climate issues
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills, and ability to think strategically and creatively.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrable understanding of gender and diversity issues.
- Ability to prioritise, plan, organise work in a complex institutional setting.
- Strong inter-personal skills, and ability to work well and flexibly in hard-working teams, while also able to take initiative and work under pressure with limited supervision.
- Experience in multi-location based working environment,
- Ability to multi-task in a complex and virtual organizational structure,
- Demonstrated ability to assume leadership within a virtual team context.
- Ability to work well and influence others within many levels of an organization, and liaise effectively with individual members of regional staff.
- Capacity to advise in the development of strategic long-range programmatic vision together with regional teams.
- Management experience and leadership skills in mentoring staff in a team environment,
- Ability to provide mentoring, guidance and direction to team members.
- Fluent in either Spanish and or French
Preferred:
- Knowledge of the key organizational development issues including learning organizations, gender equity and right based approach.
- Understanding of complexities and constraints of working in an international context
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