Director, Agricultural Development Jobs

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

As part of the Global Growth & Opportunity Division, the goal of Agricultural Development is to support farmers and governments in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia that are seeking a sustainable, inclusive agricultural transformation that creates economic opportunity, respects limits on natural resources, and gives everyone equal access to affordable, nutritious food. The division’s growth in strategy includes a $1.4 billion funding commitment to climate adaptation, making Agricultural Development the largest PST in the entire foundation.
Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia don’t need their farms to get big, but they do need to become more productive, using sustainable approaches that preserve biodiversity and fragile ecosystems. Their crops and livestock are often far less productive than those in other developing regions, and they frequently lack access to market opportunities that can support investments in better inputs, tools, and farming practices.
Moreover, climate change is steadily adding new challenges.
The Foundation supports inclusive agricultural development with three main areas of investment:

• Innovative support structures for smallholder food producers that provide new options for sustainably
• Tools and technologies that target the specific needs of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

earning a reliable income.

• Public and private sector efforts to develop more effective systems for delivering products and services to

smallholder farmers.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has exclusively retained and will collaborate with Spencer Stuart in the search for a stellar candidate to take up this exciting and challenging appointment. To share any nominations or expressions of interest, please send an email with any supporting materials to our confidential email address: [email protected]

Based in Seattle (WA), Washington (DC) or London (UK), and reporting to Rodger Voorhies, President of the Foundation’s Global Growth & Opportunity Division, the Director, Agricultural Development is responsible for refining and further developing the global agricultural development strategy in the following nine key areas:

• Crop discovery and translational sciences by investing in crop research, with the goal of providing new advances that farmers can use to sustainably increase their productivity.
• Women’s empowerment, as the agricultural investments play an important role in the foundation’s broader effort to empower women and girls with economic opportunities.
• Livestock investments to support smallholder livestock keepers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in their efforts to sustainably raise healthy, productive animals.
• Nutritional foods systems by supporting local and national efforts to develop food systems anchored by smallholder producers that can sustainably deliver safe, affordable, and nutritious food year-round to lowincome consumers.
• Seed systems and varietal improvement by supporting public-sector crop breeding programs in Africa and Asia that meet the needs and preferences of local farmers, processors, and consumers
• Enabling country systems in Asia by supporting efforts in key areas of the continent as they develop diversified farming and food systems that improve access to affordable, nutritious food and strengthen market opportunities for smallholder producers.
• Digital farming services and platforms that offer new options to help smallholder farmers leapfrog many of the barriers to sustainably raising productivity and increasing their incomes.
• Enabling country systems in Africa by supporting partners in the public and private sectors across several African countries that are committed to transforming smallholder agriculture into a sustainable, inclusive foundation of economic opportunity.
• Global policy and advocacy by working to ensure that public- and private-sector agricultural development efforts in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are supported by targeted resources from donors and are aligned with the goals of global institutions such as the World Bank.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop metrics to assess the impact the upstream work is having on the ground.
• Explore synergies with other foundation initiatives in areas like health, nutrition, and financial services to achieve complementary outcomes in target geographies through program collaboration and integration.
• Clarify the appropriate catalytic role for the Foundation in Agricultural Development and identify relevant public/private funding mechanisms, as well as new national/regional business partnerships; coordinate the securing of large-scale, multi-partner and multi-stakeholder projects and programs in agriculture.
• Oversee investments—grants, contracts and/or program-related—to execute activities that support strategic goals; solicit and review proposals and provide recommendations for funding.
• Lead, manage, motivate, and develop Agricultural Development staff, and ensure that the team and the work represents the values of the foundation, including its commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Communicate clear objectives and accountabilities; assess individual and team performance regularly and introduce appropriate reward programs, including compensation, benefits, and incentives.
• Develop and obtain approval for Agricultural Development’s long-term and medium-term strategy that capitalizes upon the organization’s current expertise and paves the way for new donor- and/or private sectorfunded projects and programs.
• Build a strong team by hiring, retaining, and developing experienced leaders.
• Willing to travel up to 30% (Covid situation permitting).
• Play a key role in driving the Foundation’s thrust on agricultural systems and climate resilience.
• Represent the Foundation and its overall agricultural strategy as senior spokesperson at key conferences, workshops and media events; build relationships with senior figures within foundations, the private sector, and governments to build awareness and strengthen the brand and public profile of the Foundation and its programs.

DESIRED OUTCOMES

• Lead in the climate adaptation space and understand the highest adaptive priorities.
• Demonstrate national-level agricultural productivity improvements that result in economic growth for smallholder farmers, leveraging the better-aligned policy environment, new tools reaching the market, and growth in digital extension services, among other recent tools and advancements.
• Make agriculture development, the largest team in the foundation, one of the best managed teams and a leader in the foundation’s DE&I profile.
• Assess the array of upstream products under development and make tradeoffs, identifying opportunities that will have the greatest impact for smallholder farmers and determining the metrics and measurement that define impact.
• Successfully move into a more coordinated funding environment by developing relationships with donors across the agriculture architecture and influencing financial resources that support the Foundation’s priorities.

BMGF seeks a highly regarded, articulate, and visionary leader with a track record of exceptional results working in the crop value chain. The successful candidate will have a strong executive presence and results orientation and will be a business-builder motivated by the opportunity to accelerate Agriculture Development’s growth. A strategic thinker, persuasive communicator, and effective manager who can represent global agriculture at the Foundation.

Expertise in food and agriculture

An advanced degree or equivalent work experience (15+ years in roles of increasing executive responsibility) relevant to agriculture (e.g., agronomy, agribusiness, agricultural economics, or a related field). Knowledge of issues and trends in agriculture and a broad understanding of the role that science and policy can play in global agriculture and in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Knowledge of crop-livestock farming systems outside of the US, preferably including Africa and other emerging markets coupled with experience of climate adaptation and change.

Significant operational experience in an organization with external partners Proven strength in structured problem solving, system building, and strategic business planning at an organization that closely collaborates with strong external partners. Works with efficiency and diplomacy across internal and external employees and associates. Track record of international success in commercial or technical organizations. Broad global network, including familiarity with relevant private and public national, regional, and global institutions. Has led development and implementation of large-scale, multi-stakeholder agricultural projects or alliances.

Skilled in leading, motivating and developing multifaceted teams and organizations

Track record of elevating both job performance and job satisfaction of all members of a team through inspirational motivation, the clear definition of organizational objectives and hands-on performance management.

Demonstrated applied economics and policy aptitude

Strong economics view of where Agriculture Development should be focusing in pursuit of the greatest mobility out of poverty; able to think about the underlying market conditions and policy environment that could leverage the innovations and take them to scale.

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

Leading People

• Proven track record of understanding, communicating, and addressing the needs of varying functions and teams to achieve organizational goals.
• Experienced leader/coach who can attract, retain, and motivate high-caliber talent, connect with staff at all levels, and foster an inclusive culture of results-orientation, collaboration, and mutual respect.

Strategic Thinking

• Challenges assumptions and conventional wisdom with specific, supported and reasoned proposals.
• Defines the evolving future of global agricultural policy and the potential roles the foundation may play in catalyzing inclusive agriculture.
• Clearly defines a sequenced theory of action for policy reform across geographies and engages with country teams to analyze and assess appropriate paths forward.
• Sound judgment, unquestionable integrity, and mental toughness; high emotional intelligence, political discernment, and sensitivity.
• Analytical, data-driven mind-set, with a problem-solving mentality; exhibits clear vision and ability to deliver on a focused mission with measurable outcomes.

Collaborating and Influencing

• Experience in roles requiring collaboration in complex internal and external organizations, as well as a demonstrated ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy.
• Develops an explicit understanding of which relationships are most important to the organization and its stakeholders and builds a network prioritizing these relationships.
• Identifies and meets with key players and stakeholders to help them shape a consensus collectively and engages in a dialogue to reach a final conclusion together, compromising as necessary for results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; experienced in making formal, persuasive presentations to diverse internal and external stakeholders from across the globe.

Cultural Agility

• Ability to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty in a fluid organization.
• Culturally sensitive and comfortable interacting at very senior levels with a diverse range of international public and private stakeholders; builds relationships across geographic and/or political boundaries and exhibits a capacity for networking, partnering, facilitation and alliance building.
• Accurately perceives organizational, political, and social dynamics; proactively navigates both the foundation and the stakeholder environment to achieve goals and remove barriers.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.