Program Specialist At Land O’Lakes Venture37

Background:

Land O’Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening local agriculture, helping agribusinesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets. Since 1981, it has implemented integrated dairy, livestock and crops development programs in nearly 80 countries — creating lasting impact by linking farmers, businesses, and the public and private sector in local and global contexts. Land O’Lakes Venture37’s long-standing affiliation with Land O’Lakes, Inc. sets it apart. Land O’Lakes, Inc. is one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. It supports Land O’Lakes Venture37 project implementation with nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights and technologies. This gives Land O’Lakes Venture37 development projects a unique global view of agriculture, food and the power of well-functioning market systems. Land O’Lakes, Inc. supports these efforts as part of its enterprise purpose of Feeding Human Progress at home and around the world.

Job Description Summary:

The Program Specialist will provide project support to Venture37’s donor-funded international development projects. This support consists of understanding the donor-funded projects and assisting the Project Leader to deliver on the milestones of the project. Responsibilities include assisting with all aspects of project start up and close out, ongoing administrative and operational support to projects, budget and workplan review and the review of invoices and processing of invoices, assistance with procurement processes, and assist with the development of quarterly reports that are submitted to the donor. The Program Specialist will participate in monthly project update meetings to ensure that the project is on track. They will also assist in Venture37’s New Business Development initiatives by supporting the New Business Development team with proposal coordination activities.

This position is based in either Arden Hills, MN or Washington DC and may require up to 20% international travel.

Job Description:

• Support in-country managers on project implementation and liaise with HQ human resources, finance and accounting, IT and technical practice areas.
• Mobilize consultants, process consultant payments, maintain project record keeping, schedule and organize meetings.
• Participate in regular calls to overseas project offices to review progress to date on program milestones.
• Provide regular updates to the donor on the status of the project.
• Respond to donor requests for data relating to the project.
• Review actual project spending against budgets to monitor the financial spending on the project.
• Assist with training of project staff on HQ systems, tools, and processes.
• Deliver remote webinars to project staff.
• Develop PowerPoint presentations when needed, that will assist project staff to learn or understand a process.
• Assist New Business Development initiatives in a support role by providing proposal coordination, administrative support, and writing skills.

Required Experience/Knowledge:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with at least one (1) year of experience in nonprofit activities.
• Strong project management and administrative skills.
• Detail oriented, highly organized, and able to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks and short deadlines.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Proven teamwork skills.
• Basic accounting and financial analysis skills.
• Strong skills in MS Office products including Word, Excel, SharePoint, Teams, etc.

Preferred Experience/Knowledge:

• Prior experience with USAID, USDA or other similar donor-funded international development programming and practices.
• Fluency in French including speaking, reading, and writing ability.