Head of Sustainability and Specialty Cocoa
, Ivory Coast
General Description
The Head of Sustainability and Specialty Cocoa Africa plays an axial role in the growth of the company’s cocoa business. Starting in Ivory Coast the manager will develop and execute the company’s Sustainability and Specialty Strategy as per below in Africa. Growing opportunities for the candidate are projects in Latin America as well as managing the Marketing & Sales of the global program as well.
The company aims to create a professional sustainability program that is capable of designing, implementing and monitoring the sustainability and specialty cocoa projects. Most of the sourced cocoa in Africa will be sourced as sustainable and or specialty cocoa.
The company defines sustainable cocoa as cocoa which is traceable and has verifiable social and ecological impact in the cocoa supply chain, mainly for the producers and producing countries. The company defines specialty cocoa as cocoa which is opted for by the company's clients for its consistent taste and/or that it is grown organically.
Reporting
Reports to Director/Management
Responsibilities/Key tasks
General and financial management
• Jointly with the Head of Sourcing and the Director further develop the Strategy.
• Build and manage an organization/team in Africa to implement the Strategy.
• Ensure professional and accurate project and overhead budgeting, financial management as well as financial and qualitative and quantitative reporting according to internal requirements and in compliance with 3rd parties/partners and subsidy/donor and/or client requirements.
Project Management
• Set up project documents and agreements, including governance structures, project policy, regulations, monitoring and evaluation policies etc. to ensure successful implementation of the Strategy.
• Ensure project management (control) processes, implementation and reporting are in line with the company’s, local authority’s, partner’s and client’s compliance and quality standards.
• Find, assess, select and cooperate with project partners, including farmer groups, suppliers and exporters, and projects in line with the Strategy.
• Benchmark projects both with other projects within the network and with the industry practices and experiences, to assure that the projects and methodologies of partners and the company itself are constantly being assessed and improved and are at least in line with the peer group and general industry standards.
• Establish a detailed database and an efficient Monitoring and Evaluation System.
Relationship management and reporting
• Ensure that the Strategy supports general and client specific certifications and requirements and meet/exceed expectations of third-party stakeholders, mainly clients.
• Represent the company towards cocoa sustainability and specialty organisations, (N)GO’s and initiatives in Africa
• Establish and implement a model for stakeholder relationship management and partnership protocols and processes.
• Establish, develop and maintain a strong network of stakeholders and important (non) government and technical partners, all involved in the sustainable and specialty cocoa supply chain.
• Connect the projects with clients and vice versa, jointly with Trade and Origin Management.
• Report/Communicate program and project information and progress both internally and externally, with the aim to create awareness (both internal and external) and interest by potential clients as well as to ensure that the positioning is perceived as such by the cocoa market and interested parties.
Funding
• Arrange, jointly with the Management, the funding of overhead and projects. The funding includes capital provided by financial institutions, (N) GO’s, clients, other 3rd parties and the company itself.
Education, knowledge and experience
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in sustainability, international development, agriculture, natural resources management, business administration or another tropical agriculture-related field or equivalent 5-year business experience.
• First-hand knowledge of the concepts of sustainable agriculture and knowledge of tropical commodity buying.
• Understanding of business and value chains and experience in working with companies as well as farmers.
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including in managing budgets, project management experience within NGOs preferred.
• Prior cocoa, or other soft/agricultural, industry knowledge is an advantage, moreover in Specialty Cocoa.
Skills
• Negotiation, influencing and leadership skills with government, industry and institutional stakeholders.
• Program design and implementation in rural settings, especially in Africa.
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to manage remote staff in developing countries.
• Effective interpersonal, presentation and communication skills, with ability to operate efficiently in multi-institutional and cultural relationships, and to communicate with farmers, government ministers, donor representatives and/or company executives.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to work independently as well as in a team environment, assess priorities and multi-task with strong attention to detail.
• Administrative efficiency, with ability to track project progress and prepare timely reports, and competence in main computer software programs.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and French. Fluency in other languages would be advantageous.
• Understands cocoa certification programs.
Competences
• Passionate and ambitious
• Self-starter driven with a pro-active and can-do attitude
• Accurate in planning and organizing
Work Status
40 hours per week.
Location
Based in Abidjan with regular upcountry and rest of Africa travels.
Are you interested in becoming a Head of Sustainability and Specialty Cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire? Apply now at the top or bottom of our page.
Expiring: Aug 18, 2020