Sustainable Agriculture Programme and Policy

Overview

View Vacancy – Sustainable Agriculture Programme and Policy

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Details

Job Category
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)

Job Subcategory
Climate change, Environment & Sustainability

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job: The purpose of this role is to lead engagement, coordination and technical policy advice on sustainable agriculture transition and reform in Brazil, as part of the Just Rural Transition (JRT) programme.

Brazil is one of three priority countries for the JRT programme (alongside Indonesia and Philippines). The post-holder will support the mobilisation and delivery of four programme components in Brazil, working with delivery partners including the World Bank, and international and national civil society organisations.

Agriculture and food systems are central to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. To achieve sustainable agriculture and food systems that deliver healthy diets and dynamic, inclusive economies, we know that we must address escalating climate and nature risks. The Just Rural Transition Support Programme was approved in March 2024 to work with Governments and other key partners to support design and implementation of agriculture public policies and support (including agriculture subsidy reforms) that scale sustainable approaches to benefit livelihoods, climate adaptation, mitigation, and nature.

The JRT programme is part of the UK\’s International Climate Finance (ICF) portfolio in Brazil. UK ICF is an £11.6bn commitment of Official Development Assistance (ODA) covering the period 2021-26, which includes a range of programmes designed to support low- and middle-income countries to achieve a low carbon transition. In Brazil, a portfolio equivalent to £510m includes a significant portion focused on nature, halting deforestation and biodiversity loss, sustainable supply chains, promoting bioeconomy, and mobilising private finance.

The post-holder will be part of a small global team on the JRT programme, alongside other Regional Advisors in Jakarta and Washington DC, and will be line-managed by the programme SRO based in London.

The post-holder can be based in any of the UK country offices in Brazil: in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Belo Horizonte or Recife. They will have a direct link to the Climate team in the British Embassy Brasilia, and will also contribute to wider Embassy climate, nature and diplomacy priorities and activities.

This post is advertised as temporary, fixed term for 9 months, as maternity cover.

The Brazil Network is committed to providing a wide range of Learning and Development opportunities. The jobholder will be expected to agree a bespoke personal development plan depending on their individual needs. The Network can support formal and informal training in line with that plan.

Roles and responsibilities

In this role you will be responsible for:

1. Managing the Just Rural Transition Programme mobilisation and delivery under four activity components (60%). You will build relationships with key programme delivery partners, including the World Bank and other regional and national partners, to support the design and mobilisation of the JRT programme interventions, building synergies between four delivery components:

• A World Bank multi-donor trust fund (Food Systems 2030), working with the Government of Brazil to implement agriculture policy reform.
• A Flexible Support Fund for small-scale technical assistance projects which can help to shape country strategy, governance on sustainable agriculture initiatives. You will co-design activities and strategies, consider political-economy analysis within approaches and be responsible for supporting engagement with relevant donors (e.g. MDBs, BMZ, FAO) to join up approaches and look for partnership opportunities in Brazil.
• A Community of Practice of non-state actors in Brazil on sustainable agriculture policy reform, through a programme of work delivered by Clim-Eat.
• A programme of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning across the programme cycle, delivered by Cowater.

2. Engagement with Brazil on JRT agriculture policy objectives (20%). You will play a central role in building and maintaining strategic relationships with the Brazilian government on agriculture and food systems public policies. You will also engage with other international agencies operating in Brazil (e.g. the IICA, GIZ, IFAD, MDBs), and across the World Bank at a national and regional level.

• Leading engagement with the Ministries of Agriculture in Brazil to identify, influence, and support sustainable agriculture and food systems initiatives, such as the Resilient Agriculture Investment for net Zero land degradation (RAIZ), the Brazilian Green Way, the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, among others.
• Proactively develop, manage and wield the most influence with the Embassy\’s UK-Brazil contacts at all levels of seniority and in all sectors across the sustainable agriculture and climate work;

3. Supporting the (JRTSP-funded) Global Agriculture Policy Dialogue (10%)

• Supporting the delivery of dynamic regional Policy Dialogues under the UK-World Bank-IICA convened Government-Government Regional Agriculture Policy Dialogue.
• Driving learning and innovation, capturing insights from Brazil\’s experience to inform and inspire policy reform across Latin America and beyond.
• Convening and coordinating approaches with other major donors and organisations working on policy reform and repurposing expenditures in Brazil, to catalyse greater join-up in approaches and reduce fragmented international support.
• Shaping global conversations by feeding lessons into UK-funded programs and international platforms like the Rio Conventions COPs and other high-level fora.

4. Support to the embassy on the wider climate and nature agenda (10%). You will support wider Embassy climate and environment objectives. This may include supporting better alignment of JRT with initiatives across the Brazil network, with particular focus on coordination between JRT and water security, through the new Just Transition for Water Security programme. For these and other relevant programmes you will build effective relationships with in-country stakeholders, engage in local and international events, and help guide the ICF Brazil strategy. Climate, Nature and Energy work is a core part of the UK Embassy in Brazil\’s focus, and this role sits alongside major programme and policy initiatives involving a range of UK government departments.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Essential on arrival

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Bachelor\’s or postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience of strategic working on international climate and sustainable food systems issues.
• Strong knowledge of Brazilian climate, environment, biodiversity and agriculture policies and related institutional frameworks on sustainable agriculture.
• Networking skills, comfortable working with a wide range of domestic and international stakeholders, from both government and industry.
• Strong track-record of relevant programme delivery. Proven project management skills.
• Proven ability to write fluently and persuasively in English about technical and policy issues for a senior UK audience.
• Excellent organisation skills, with an ability to analyse complex issues, prioritise, and develop strategy.
• Able to work at a fast pace in a complex and changing environment using own initiative.
• Self-directed, able to create a plan, prioritise initiatives and execute independently and in collaboration with others, to agreed deadlines.
• Ability to work well and have a flexible approach to work whilst under pressure; team player, driven by collaboration.
• Demonstrable interpersonal and relationship skills, and the ability to influence others.

Language requirements:
Language: English and Portuguese
Level of language required: Excellent English and Portuguese (spoken and written).

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Desirable skills:

• Experience working with or in the UK
• Relevant post-graduate course.
• Experience of international programmes and climate finance and engaging with multilateral development organisations.
• Strong network of contacts from the agriculture and climate sector in Brazil.
• At least 2 years of experience of developing and delivering agriculture or sustainable land use programmes.
• Knowledge of climate, environment, biodiversity and agriculture policies and related institutional frameworks on sustainable agriculture in other Latin American countries.

Required behaviours
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together

Application deadline
27 October 2025

Grade
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

Type of Position
Temporary, Fixed Term

Working hours per week
36

Duration of Post
9 months

Region
Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean

Country/Territory
Brazil

Location (City)
Brasilia, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo

Type of Post
British Embassy Office

Number of vacancies
1

Salary Currency
BRL

Salary
18,927.27

Type of Salary
monthly

Start Date
5 January 2025

Other benefits and conditions of employment

Applicants must have the legal status to live and work in Brazil.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a \’reserve list\’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

Additional information

Closing date of receiving applications is before 23:55 (Local Time) on 20 October 2025.

All applicants must fully complete the online application form, including the sections for employment and educational details, experience, and behaviour-based questions. Only those applications that contain all required information will be considered. To ensure the sift process remains anonymous, please do not include any personally identifiable information in your application form.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.