Vice President, Sustainable Agriculture Division
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Based in New York City, with offices throughout the United States and worldwide, the Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers.
Under the auspices of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), an international coalition of leading conservation groups, the Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Agriculture program works with farmers to ensure compliance with the SAN standards for protecting wildlife, wild lands, workers' rights and local communities. Farms that meet these rigorous environmental, ethical and economic standards are awarded the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal. The SAN standards are applied by producers of major commodity crops (including bananas, pineapple, coffee, cocoa, tea, citrus and flowers) that profoundly affect the economies, environments, cultures and politics of tropical countries. Today more than 400,000 farms in 36 countries are certified and Rainforest Alliance Certified products are widely available in mainstream markets.
The Vice President will support and guide the development and enhancement of a visionary, global and collaborative program that is inventing and implementing innovative ways to integrate equity, conservation and sustainable development in the agroscape. S/he will lead a senior-level management team in the areas of: Sustainable Landscapes (producer support activities and field projects), Sustainable Value Chains (market linkages and positioning), and Traceability. S/he will also liaison closely with the Sustainable Agriculture Network Secretariat. S/he will be expected to grow the program through conceptualization of new activities, fundraising and demonstrating positive impact.
Strategy
- Lead strategic direction and financial and administrative management of the division, with the involvement and participation of the Sustainable Agriculture Division Chief, Managing Director, managers and directors, the President, SVP for Programs, SAN Director, and SAN members.
- Oversee strategy development for alliances’ building, credibility assurance, private-sector partnerships, stakeholder outreach, and market development with the directors of those programs, the SAN, and other RA divisions.
Program Planning and Management
- Ensure systems, procedures and sanctions are in place and enforced for the use of the organization's Intellectual Property, based on compliance with Traceability, Chain of Custody and Participation Agreement requirements.
- Ensure field programs are adequately resourced with quality technical resources; lead by example providing technical assistance, leadership and support especially in his/her area of expertise.
- Oversee and support the Managing Director in division planning, management, operations and impact assessment.
Representation and Outreach
- Represent the Division to external stakeholders and together with the Chief of Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture directors, raise the profile in the market place with producers, buyers, retailers and others in the supply chain as well as within the conservation, social justice and equitable trade communities.
Revenue, Budget, Finance and Legal
- Ensure an ongoing long term financial sustainability strategy for the division. Lead, in close coordination with, and support from the Development Division, fundraising and revenue generation efforts for the division. Continue to further diversify and strengthen the revenue base of the division and ensure that it is adequately resourced for the next 5 years.
- Assume full overall responsibility for the division’s financial management. Oversee a complex and growing budget.
- Undergraduate degree required; plus MBA and/or M.S. in conservation biology, agronomy, rural development, resource management, resource economics or related field;
- Experience in strategic planning and execution;
- Minimum 10-12 years field experience in international conservation and project management;
- Must have experience working in the agriculture, food and international development sector;
- Demonstrated experience in program development and personnel and budget management;
- Experience in business building, market-based conservation, change-management, multilateral funding and certification preferred;
- Knowledge of the socio-environmental impacts of agriculture on tropical communities, ecosystems and local economies;
- Good sales presentation and the ability to work with a number of constituencies;
- Ability to manage a field mission-oriented staff;
- Must possess experience in or a strong understanding of NGO’s;
- Demonstrated experience in effectively working in cross cultural situation with a wide range of people with diverse economic, political and professional backgrounds in both public and private sectors;
- Excellent communications skills in English/Spanish; French language skills a plus.
Commensurate with experience.
To apply, please send your cover letter, resume and salary history to:
Dale Winston, Amrop Battalia Winston
555 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022
T:+1 (212) 308 8080, F +1 (212) 308 1309
Email:dwinston@amropbw.com
The Rainforest Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.