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, weโre committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.
The TeamTHE DIVISION
The Global Growth & Opportunity (GGO) division works to catalyze sustainable and transformative socioeconomic 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 and evidence to motivate change in the worldโs developing countries.
THE TEAM
The Agricultural Development (Ag Dev) program aims to catalyze country-led inclusive agricultural transformation by developing and scaling products, services, policies, and system-wide innovations that benefit small scale producers and food entrepreneurs, empower women, and improve nutrition. 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 nations out of poverty. This position is a critical part of our Womenโs Empowerment (WE) portfolio and sits within the Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems (A&E) pillar for climate adaptive systems, womenโs empowerment, and nutritious food systems.
The Womenโs Empowerment (WE) portfolioโs efforts to reduce gender gaps in agrifood systems focus on increasing rural womenโs agency, improving their capacity to respond to climate shocks, and removing structural barriers by supporting womenโs leadership at every level. This strategy prioritizes the nexus between climate adaptation and womenโs empowerment. Our investments employ a three-pronged strategy at both a global level and nationally within our focus countries of India, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya. First, we prioritize gender integration across the Ag Dev teamโs investments. This ensures that investments in research and development, policy, data, markets, crops, livestock, financial and digital farmer services, nutrition, and climate adaptation are designed to benefit all genders equitably. Second, we rigorously test and scale gender progressive approaches that combine pioneering technical climate and farming solutions with targeted programming around social norms in support of womenโs empowerment. Third, we seek to advance evidence-based policy that removes structural barriers for women to participate in and garner equal value from food markets.
Your Role
The primary responsibility of this WE Senior Officer is to strategically develop and manage a portfolio of investments (grants and contracts) within the WE team focused on gender transformative programs in the agrifood sector. As a leader for womenโs empowerment on the Ag Dev team, you will also contribute to pivotal initiatives and partner closely with Ag Dev leadership. This is a full-time position and will be based in Seattle or one of the foundationโs country offices, such as Nairobi, Dakar, Abuja or Addis. It is open to competition from candidates from within the foundation as well as external candidates.
What You'll Do
- Partner with foundation colleagues and external collaborators to develop, implement and assess the vision and Theory of Change of the WE portfolio. Advance a forward-looking strategy with clear impact pathways for WE and the whole of Ag Dev that supports gender integration, emphasizes high-quality data and evidence on WE, and prioritizes gender ground-breaking approaches.
- Provide technical support to the Ag Dev team and grantees on integrating gender into programmatic and measurement work, including such topics as financial and digital farm services, crop, livestock and horticulture farming, soil and water management, high value market and entrepreneurship opportunities, nutritious food systems, and policy advice.
- Develop and lead a complex portfolio of investments (grants and contracts) focused on womenโs empowerment in farming and agribusiness, data and evidence for policy influence, and inclusive climate adaptation in the agricultural sector in Africa and South Asia.
- Collaborate with the Ag Dev team on consolidating and strategically communicating the evidence required to make the case for the importance of womenโs empowerment to achieve impacts in relation to increasing incomes and productivity for small-scale producers in Africa and South Asia.
- Represent the foundation to key external audiences, including other donors, international development organizations, and national ministries, as well as private sector partners and NGOs.
- Regularly collaborate with grantees and other partners to enhance the impact of projects and ensure grants are contributing to Ag Devโs strategy goals. Frequent travel (about a third of the year) entails project site visits, providing technical and operational guidance, government consultations, and convening meetings of key partners.
- Provide input and feedback on materials for Ag Devโs annual strategy review, as well as leadership learning sessions.
- Participate in working groups within the Ag Dev team and across the foundation, including the WE Markets working group, the WE Data & Evidence working group, and the Gender and Digital Community of Practice, among others.
- Serve as a champion for principles of equity and inclusion in Ag Devโs strategy and programming, including a commitment to cultivate equitable partnerships within our grantee and partner community.
Your Experience
We need an individual who derives happiness from addressing complex issues, thrives in a team environment, and is deeply passionate about promoting women's empowerment on a global level. We seek:
- Advanced degree in agriculture, economics, gender equality, public policy, or related field.
- 15+ years of relevant work experience in agricultural development and womenโs empowerment.
- Previous residence or extensive work experience in a Sub-Saharan African or Asia country or countries.
- Recognized by the global professional community as a leader within the field of womenโs empowerment in agriculture and/or gender equality.
- Exceptional track record of team management with experience working with a wide range of collaborators, including private and public sector actors.
- Experience with the design and/or evaluation of effective gender transformative approaches within an agricultural context in Africa and/or Asia, including significant analytical skills, potentially including financial and digital services, market integration, nutrition and policy influence.
- Knowledge of the global ecosystem of gender issues and partners in agricultural research and development, as well as the landscape of gender policies and gender data efforts, especially for climate adaptive agriculture.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to optimally synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus.
- Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic, and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
- Great teammate who can operate independently coupled with a shown ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, and diplomacy in a fast-paced environment.
The salary range for this role is $161,300 to $249,500 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences where our offices are located, in Seattle, Washington D.C., and Boston (Cambridge). The range for this role in these locations is $181,200 to $271,800 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission and new hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary range between the minimum and the midpoint salary range. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidateโs job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.
Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
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 โ of voices, ideas, and approaches โ 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.
Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
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 โ of voices, ideas, and approaches โ 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.