Countries Director, FOLU

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in our WRI Europe office in London or the Hague. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission.

This will be a 1 year contract with the possibility of extension.

About the Program:

The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) is a self-governed coalition of organisations and individuals working collaboratively to achieve a shared objective: the urgent transformation of food and land use systems to deliver a better future for people, nature and climate. FOLU supports science-based solutions and helps to build a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities to unlock collective, ambitious action.

FOLU’s Growing Better report recommends an integrated reform agenda along ten critical transitions to deliver positive outcomes for environment, health, inclusive development and food security, ensuring food and land use systems support delivery of globally agreed sustainable development, climate and biodiversity goals. 

FOLU’s light-touch governance and adaptive management have enabled the FOLU community to grow and evolve since FOLU’s inception in 2017. The Coalition’s collective leadership is provided by a Core Partners Group comprised of seven Country Platforms – in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia and Kenya – and eight International Partners: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), EAT, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), SYSTEMIQ, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), and the World Resources Institute (WRI). 

FOLU’s Ambassador network is co-chaired by Shenggen Fan, Agnes Kalibata and Paul Polman.  They are international, senior leaders who engage decision-makers at the global and national level to drive change in one or more FOLU countries.

Job Highlight:

You will be part of FOLU’s leadership team, heading the Countries Team of the FOLU Global Secretariat and contributing to FOLU's broader strategy and operational delivery. You will coordinate FOLU’s seven country platforms and leading discussions on how to expand FOLU’s country presence in the future. You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work. You will report to FOLU's Executive Director.

You will have responsibility for supporting the country platforms in the following five areas:

1)      Delivery – the successful planning and delivery of activities to drive food system transformation

2)     Strategy – the strategic direction of individual country platforms and the overall portfolio

3)     Fundraising – mobilizing resources for the country platforms by facilitating donor engagement

4)     Learning – the lessons learnt, and experiences of the country platforms are shared across the coalition and beyond, and

5)     Advocacy – promoting the perspectives of country platforms in global FOLU discussions.

The opportunity involves working with some of the world’s most prominent institutions and individuals in the fields of economics, agriculture, environment, health and nutrition.

What will you do:

Country support (40%):

• Country Delivery: Work with the Country Coordinators and Country Directors to ensure that FOLU’s country platforms deliver impactful work, on budget and to schedule, including completion of FOLU’s annual planning cycle with timely narrative, results and financial reporting. Ensure that country platforms manage their resources (both funds and people) effectively, working with the Operations Director, the Country Director and Coordinators need to support platforms to comply with FOLU and donor rules and requirements
• Country Strategy: Work with the Country Coordinators and Country Directors to sharpen FOLU country platform strategies. Provide feedback on theories of change, pathways to impact and challenge countries to improve strategic focus. Work with the different platforms to implement FOLU’s whole coalition strategy and objectives, pushing for strengthened collaborative working between country platforms and FOLU’s international partners
• Country Fundraising: Coordinate FOLU’s efforts to mobilise funding for country platforms. Work with the Senior Development Manager and Country Coordinators on strategies for mobilizing donor funding for country action

Country coordination (40%):

• Country Advocacy: Represent the FOLU Country Platforms in global discussions and events and the FOLU Coalition within our focus countries. Mentor FOLU’s Country Directors to play a similar advocacy role
• Country Learning: Country platforms are at the heart of FOLU’s approach to learning. With the Head of Learning, promote lesson learning between and beyond the country platforms
• Country expansion: Lead FOLU’s country expansion strategy, including assessing opportunities and risks and ensuring engagement across the FOLU coalition and with funding partners. Establish any new platforms, identifying potential host organizations and inception activities

Leadership (20%):

• Team Management: Manage the Countries Team in the Global Secretariat, ensuring team members have clearly defined and achievable objectives and providing coaching to ensure the delivery of FOLU country platforms
• Coalition Leadership: Contribute to strategic and management discussions, helping to shape FOLU’s long-term strategy and contributing to representational activities including media engagement and public diplomacy.

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a master’s degree (or a bachelor’s degree with three additional years of experience) in a relevant field
• Experience: You have 8+ years of experience including within government or private sector coordinating programme management or multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Experience coordinating complex projects and teams across multiple geographic locations
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders, including across academic, public policy and the private sectors
• Experience with relationship management in various cultural contexts
• Experience managing large donor funded projects
• Languages: You are proficient in written and spoken English
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. 

Potential Salary:

£84,000 - £105,000

Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a cover letter by 3 December 2024. We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of applications from qualified candidates.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program.

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.