Back Policy&Guarantee Coordinator

We are hiring a

Policy & Guarantee

Coordinator

About Us

Founded in 1972, IFOAM – Organics International works as an agent of change, advocating for true sustainability in agriculture, value chains, and consumption. We are an international non-profit organization with a membership base that spans around 100 countries, and promote a holistic approach to food systems based on the principles of health, ecology, fairness, and care.

The Position

It’s an exciting time to join our team! We are growing and in transition, and are looking to strengthen our organization by hiring a new staff member to join our Organic Policy and Guarantee team at the IFOAM - Organics International Office. To this end we are looking for an experienced professional in the field of organic policy and guarantee, with project coordination/ management experience.

The Policy and Guarantee Department, as termed in our organizational strategy, sits alongside three other departments – Governance, Capacity Development and Communications – and advocates for and supports the development and revision of policies, regulations as well as public and private organic guarantee systems. Its goal is to achieve policies, regulatory frameworks and national organic sector strategies that are conducive to the development of the organic sector specifically and, more generally, to the advancement of sustainability in agriculture and food systems.

As Policy & Guarantee Coordinator, you will join a culturally diverse 30-member team at our office in Bonn, Germany. Your will be part of a team of 6 other experts in the field of organic policy and guarantee, and you will report to the Head of Policy & Guarantee.

We are aiming to fill this position from March 2020.

Tasks and Responsibilities

You will coordinate and implement projects and consultancy missions on organic policy and guarantee systems, including organic standards, certification, regulations, support policies and national sector development strategies. This includes a combination of:

· Technical work: You will conduct desk studies and research on specific topics, review of partner plans and reports, provide remote technical advice, follow-up on policy processes, maintain technical overviews, write technical articles and reports, conduct stakeholder consultations, design and deliver technical coaching and trainings, organize and facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops, deliver in-country technical consultancies and support colleagues from other departments with your technical knowledge when needed;

· Project management: You will develop proposals, plan projects, conduct budget and implementation monitoring, coordinate activities, do project administration, reporting, etc.;

· Representation: When required, you will represent the organization at external events and contribute to the global advocacy efforts of IFOAM - Organics International, particularly in UN-related advocacy work;

· Translation: You will ensure that technical documents are translated into different languages, in line with your linguistic capabilities.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Minimum:

· MSc or BSc degree in agriculture, environmental studies, political science, development studies, project management, or related fields;

· At least 5 years of work experience in the above fields, of which at least 3 years in organic agriculture;

· A good understanding of the global organic policy and guarantee landscape, including familiarity with public support to organic agriculture, organic regulations, organic certification, the organic movement and organic agriculture in developing countries;

· Exposure to developing countries, international events and policy processes in a work context;

· Experience with project coordination/management of donor-funded projects;

· Excellent English, written and spoken;

· Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a culturally diverse team;

· Strong ability to self-organize, take initiative and make budget decisions within the context of project budgets, balanced with a willingness to perform hands-on tasks linked to project administration;

· High level of integrity and commitment to advancing the cause of the organic movement.

Desirable:

· Other languages, especially French and/or Russian;

· Familiarity with Participatory Guarantee Systems and/or group certification;

· Knowledge or experience of working with UN and other international organizations;

· Familiarity with national/regional strategies for organic sector development;

· Expertise in the field of organic standards and/or conformity assessment;

· Familiarity with IFOAM - Organics International and/or the global organic movement.

Our Offer

We offer a part-time or full-time position (i.e. between 24 to 40 hours/week, with a preference for an 80% position, corresponding to 32 hours per week), initially for 2 years with the intention to extend to an unlimited contract, with a probation period of 6 months. IFOAM – Organics International offers a gross annual salary range from 32,000 to 41,000 (100% FTE) for this position, depending on the qualifications and experience. For candidates with an exceptional profile that exceeds the requirements laid out in this call, a higher salary may be considered.