Component Lead: Climate-responsive Food and Agricultural Systems
POSITION SUMMARY:
Winrock International works with people around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment. Winrock is seeking a Component Lead to manage a dynamic set of activities under the anticipated $30M USAID-funded Agricultural Trade Program in Georgia. The Agricultural Trade Program will support USAID/Georgia’s strategy to increase the competitiveness of Georgia’s key economic sectors through improved access to diverse, high-value markets.
The Component Lead will be responsible for activities related to climate-responsive agricultural production and environmentally friendly processing to facilitate access to domestic and diversified export markets. S/he will also contribute to interventions undertaken to improve the capacity of agricultural enterprises to access international markets. S/he will work with a component team under the leadership of the Chief of Party.
Qualified Georgian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.
The position is contingent upon receipt of donor funding.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Provide technical leadership in project implementation and partnership strategy for the project’s export-oriented market systems, resilience, and capacity building interventions.
- Identify and manage relationships with farms, firms, government, research institutions, certification bodies, and complementary donor programs that contribute to strengthening Georgia’s capacity to sustain exports to high value markets.
- Implement diagnostics and assessments for evaluating market opportunities, identifying partners, and designing project partnerships.
- Identify and manage private sector (grant) partnerships that contribute both to sustainable growth of private sector partners and to anticipated project results through adoption of new climate-resilient agricultural technologies.
- Develop strategies and approaches to reach women, youth, and historically excluded communities within project interventions.
- Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team to ensure streamlined data collection and analysis.
- Contribute to knowledge management and sharing activities within the activity, with USAID, other implementing partners, and the government.
- Work closely with project staff to develop annual workplans aligned with annual and life of project targets.
- Review inputs for and draft sections of annual work plans, trimester, and annual reports.
QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND:
Education:
- Degree in agribusiness, agriculture, economics, international development, business administration or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience managing and implementing agribusiness, agriculture, climate adaptation and/or resilience interventions for international development projects in Georgia.
- Experience managing technical teams for agribusiness sector development, with a focus on climate-resilience production, including training, capacity building, and mentorship to the private sector.
- Experience co-designing concepts with private sector actors in the agricultural sector to test and scale novel production and processing techniques to improve end-product quality.
- Experience in climate adaptation in agriculture, processing technology, food security, agricultural research, and/or market analysis.
Desired Skills/Knowledge:
- Familiarity with proven climate smart technologies and most impactful practices, as well as innovative tools and approaches.
- Knowledge of Georgian agriculture and agribusiness.
- Strong business capacity development, training delivery, and facilitation skills.
- Strong personnel management skills.
- Excellent written and oral communication skill in English required, fluency in Georgian required.
Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.
At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.
Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization