Senior Technical and Programme Unit Lead in London

The Fairtrade Foundation is recruiting for a Senior Technical and Programme Unit Lead to manage an ambitious development programme. The role will encompass leading the technical design and direction of the programme, managing a programme management unit, stakeholder management (including multiple donors), driving new programme investment and conducting industry thought leadership. The programme is located in Cote D’Ivorie and aims to drive living incomes for cocoa farmers via a range of pilots including access to finance, income diversification, pruning and support services, as well as cash transfers.

We’re looking for creativity, technical and programme management rigor, innovation and an ability to think outside the box. Exceptional relationship and partnership building skills, including at a senior government and corporate level, is a must. You’ll need to be an energetic leader and team player with experience and a strong understanding of how to drive collaborative, systematic change processes within global supply chains. We are looking for someone with an excellent track record of generating the financial resources needed to underpin programming, including proven success in securing institutional and commercial partner funding. Experience in food systems, sustainable livelihoods, agricultural value chain development, is advantageous. Experience in delivering cash transfer models would be advantageous.

Role Purpose

The Fairtrade Foundation is looking to hire a Senior Technical and Programme Unit Lead to manage an ambitious development programme. This role will involve leading the technical design and direction of the programme, managing a programme management unit, stakeholder management (including multiple donors), driving new programme investment and conducting industry thought leadership. The programme is located in Cote D’Ivorie and aims to drive living incomes for cocoa farmers via a range of pilots including access to finance, income diversification, pruning and support services, as well as cash transfers. This role will be located in our London, UK offices, with scope for work from home balance. The role will involve international travel.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Management
  • Lead a Programme Management Unit in partnership with Fairtrade Africa, comprising technical and operational staff divided between the UK and CDI, in combination with subcontractors and consultants to support specific pieces of work.
  • Manage, coordinate and supervise staff within your team in accordance with the Head of Programme Partnerships and the Fairtrade Foundation’s needs, policies and procedures.
  • Lead the Programme Management Unit through day-to-day problem solving, showing resilience and promoting new ways of working and innovation as required.
• Programme Delivery
  • Lead the successful implementation of a multi-million dollar living income programme, ensuring that the high standards on international best practice on programme design and delivery are maintained.
  • Manage the programme reporting structure, presenting to the programme steering committee and governance structure on a regular basis, as well as writing programme reports to those funding the programme.
  • Design, input into and provide quality assurance of technical work carried out under the programme.
  • Responsible for overseeing the financial management of the programme, managing programme finance staff and reporting internally and externally on programme expenditure.
  • Responsible for developing and maintaining appropriate risk management mechanisms.
  • Lead on creating safeguarding pathways in the programme, with an understanding and commitment to safeguarding practices.
  • Contribute, build contacts among and manage a wide range of consultants with the appropriate skillsets to deliver on high impact pieces of work.
  • Support the Head of Programme Partnerships in building a culture where it is safe to challenge by seeking and listening to feedback to assure the quality of our programming work.
  • Ensure that your team maintains up-to-date contacts and engagement tracking in CRM database to monitor progress.
  • Contribute to the ongoing development of our internal systems, policies and procedures to meet GDPR and international standards of accountability and best practice.
• Stakeholder Management, Partnership Building, and Influence
  • Take a lead in building the high-leverage partnerships and relationships with international organisations (commercial partners and/or institutional donors) that will be critical to successful delivery of the programme.
  • Manage relationships internally and externally to the Fairtrade Foundation, including reporting into internal governance structures, managing relationships with key implementing partners on the programme, and holding lines of communication with producer networks.
  • Work closely and in partnership with Fairtrade Africa, supporting with intervention/activity planning and delivery, risk management and monitoring and evaluation.
  • Represent the Fairtrade Foundation and our work at the highest levels, including relevant national and international conferences, seminars, and meetings.
• Leveraging additional investment
  • Lead on securing additional investment for targeted programmes through pursuing a range of business development activities, including donor stewardship and proposal development.
  • Lead and hold key donor relationships on behalf of Fairtrade Foundation.

Person specification

Experience & Qualifications

Essential:

• Experience in complex stakeholder relationship management
• Master's degree or higher in relevant field (international development, economics, management, sustainability)
• Significant experience in economic development
• At least 5 years of programme management experience, including managing a team
• Previous experience of financial oversight of programmes worth over $1 million
• Experience in delivering programmes according to contractual requirements including reporting
• Experience in managing risk management mechanisms for programmes
• Experience leading technical business development work for donors such as FCDO, GIZ and the private sector.

Desired:

• Experience in delivering cash transfer models, preferably in a supply chain context.
• Working with teams in different geographical locations.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential:

• Good understanding of development economics, complex adaptive systems and market systems approaches
• Able to design and oversee market analysis
• Fluency in French – oral and written.
• Knowledge of best practice in project management and familiar with all aspects of project cycle
• Knowledge of programme financial management and reporting
• Good grasp of social challenges relevant to the programme
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience of presenting programme results in reports and in meetings
• Familiar with Fairtrade’s mission and values and support for its strategy on making trade fair and seeing producers and workers receive a Living Income and Living Wage
• Good working knowledge of MS Office

Desired:

• Familiar with the global cocoa supply chain and cocoa productive systems
• Good understanding of safeguarding and developing safeguarding mechanisms for programmes

Fairtrade Values

We want everyone to be ambassadors for the organisation and encourage staff & volunteers to promote diversity, equality and inclusion in everything we do, and champion our values. Fairtrade’s global values are: ‘Accountability’, ‘Integrity’, ‘Respect’ and ‘Partnership’.

Closing date: 10am Wednesday, 22 January 2025. Interviews will take place week of the 27 of January 2025.