Director of Programs At Global Crop Diversity Trust

The Global Crop Diversity Trust is an international organization with headquarters in Bonn, Germany whose mission is to ensure the conservation and availability of crop diversity for food security worldwide. For further information about the Global Crop Diversity Trust, consult the web page at http://croptrust.org

The Global Crop Diversity Trust is seeking a candidate for the position of:

Director of Programs

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Programs will work closely with the Chief Scientist as well as the Director for External Affairs. In supervising a team of scientists and project managers, she/he coordinates, and oversees the implementation of strategic projects and programs designed to support the organizational mandate. For projects and programs in the implementation phase, she/he builds and nurtures synergies amongst the different activities. In sum, she/he oversees the planning, development and implementation of the overall programmatic technical framework of the organization.

Management and Development of the Crop Trust’s technical Program

• Assure that the Crop Trust’s program is strategic for the organization, including that it supports the organization’s mandate, is of a significant magnitude and suitable for implementation within the financial envelope provided by donors;
• Coordinate and contribute to the development of new proposals;Lead and manage the day-to-day activities of the Science Team and ensure that synergies between the different projects and other technical activities are systematically explored;
• As part of the Senior Management Team, contribute to the development and implementation of the Organization’s strategic planning;
• Coordinate, consolidate and review special briefings for the Executive Director on the implementation stage of programs and projects;
• Identify required human resources and staff development and capacity-building requirements for execution of projects and assign responsibilities in consultation with the Director of HR;
• Contribute to research and articulation of scientific evidence to support the Crop Trust strategy for input to fundraising and communication efforts, in cooperation with the External Affairs Team;
• Represent the Crop Trust at scientific and other relevant meetings, and make presentations relating to the Crop Trust mission and program as necessary;
• Identify opportunities for secondments, interns and students to contribute to the Crop Trust program, and mentor and supervise their work as necessary;
• Ensure effective communication of the outcomes of the technical program, in collaboration with the External Affairs Team;
• Develop and maintain contacts with scientific, professional networks and communities;
• Participate in meetings of the Senior Management Team;
• Chair the meetings of the Science Team and allocate tasks;

Additionally, the position will have responsibilities of:

• Donor manager (to manage the relationship with eventual donors and ensure that the income is distributed as per the agreed budget) in collaboration with project managers;
• Financial signatory authority on endowment funds, bank accounts and other accounts as needed;
• Acting as Project Manager for technical projects as and when needed;
• Developing and managing the team’s operating budget while also overseeing the management of the program and project budgets.

Personnel Management

• Lead, manage and supervise direct reports as well as consultants;
• Provide intellectual leadership, technical guidance, and foster a supportive and collaborative work environment;
• Establish and monitor implementation of the science team’s annual work plan and set performance indicators;**
• Perform any other duties as required.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Education:

• PHD or Master’s degree in biological/agricultural sciences and of relevance to the plant genetic resources area.

Experience:

• 10 years of relevant and progressive professional and managerial experience, preferably in an international setting;
• In-depth experience in working with plant genetic resources;
• Affinity with the Crop Trust’s mission and a keen interest in environmental and science topics;
• Project management skills including experience in driving long-term programs and budget management;
• Strong analytical skills in combination with result driven focus;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to interact effectively with a wide range of audiences from different cultural backgrounds.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English required and proficiency in other relevant languages would be an asset.

Terms and Conditions: The Crop Trust offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary, non-contributory retirement savings plan, medical insurance and leave provisions. This is a Professional position classified as Level 6 (Level 6 being the highest). The salary range for Level 6 starts at Euro 110,000. All benefits are denominated and paid in Euros. Staff of the Global Crop Diversity Trust (including German nationals) is exempt from host country income tax. Relocation costs are covered for candidates residing outside of the Bonn/Cologne or surrounding areas. The initial contract will be for a period of 3 years, subject to a probationary period of 12 months.