Technical Director, Sustainable Coffee

Technical Director, Sustainable Coffee

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Arlington-VA, Seattle-WA or remote possible

Conservation International seeks a Technical Director to support the organization’s global coffee program. This position will be housed in the Center for Sustainable Lands & Waters, reporting directly to the Sr Director, Sustainable Coffee and part of a broader Agricultural, Food and Markets program. They will actively contribute to the development, implementation, and growth of strategic coffee initiatives and key partnerships, with the aim to advance Conservation International’s conservation and human development priorities.

The Director will have a diverse set of duties, ranging from designing and writing proposals for government and private sector partners to providing technical guidance to HQ and field teams working on coffee. They will contribute to building alliances by engaging external stakeholders that are critical to program success, focusing on driving engagement with corporate partners. In addition, the role will support the Sr Director by providing technical support for corporate engagement work and monitoring of projects in the portfolio.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the coffee supply chain and production, and sustainable agriculture best practices related to biodiversity conservation, income diversification, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The candidate should have experience in a position related to program management and fundraising where the principal focus of the job was on coffee / sustainable agriculture

RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development

• Conceptualize and lead the development of complex funding proposals (ie: GCF, GEF, etc)
• Coordinate with field teams and potential partners to capture technical and financial inputs for proposals.
• Manage the concept and proposal development process, establishing and communicating timelines and data requests to meet deadlines.
• Follow-up on comments from government counterparts, donors and internal stakeholders
• Oversee and engage in research and writing

Portfolio Management Support & Advisory Services

• Support or lead, as relevant, advisory services for strategic corporate partnerships
• Provide quality control on technical outputs for key donors and partners
• Track main deliverables and ensure timely delivery
• Serve as a thought partner within the organization to elevate programmatic opportunities in coffee or technical requests
• Collect data on project impacts for the purpose of internal reporting

Additional Responsibilities

• Work across units to ensure that program activities are aligned with CI’s conservation and division priorities.
• Maintain awareness of CI initiatives and organizational messaging that could link to agriculture specific opportunities, particularly as relevant for business development
• Ad hoc activities related to the coffee portfolio

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Extended work hours may be required, including non-traditional work hours as needed in a global organization.
• International travel will be required.
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.
• For the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, all US-based Conservation International staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This mandatory vaccine requirement applies to all staff working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site in CI US offices. CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. Requests for reasonable accommodations or exceptions related to medical or religious reasons will be considered. Candidates are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.
• This is a 2-year fixed-term assignment.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, agricultural economics, sustainability or relevant field.
• 7 or more years of experience, with at least 3 years in a similar role.
• Proven track record leading and writing successful technical proposals for public, corporate and private funders, including budget development.
• Advisory experience with corporate entities related to sourcing, sustainability and/or climate.
• Familiarity with coffee supply chains, environmental and social trends in agriculture, and due diligence legislation that impacts commodity sourcing.
• Experience with Scope 3 carbon reduction efforts, and knowledge of GHG Protocol and SBTI FLAG requirements.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; expertise in communicating with the public and private sector.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work collaboratively across multiple divisions.
• Must be able to multitask and work well under pressure.

Preferred

• Spanish language skills is a plus.
• Experience with remote sensing.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.