About AGRA

Founded in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.

Under its 5-year strategy, AGRA looks to catalyze and sustain an Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa to increase incomes and improve food security for 30 million farmers. Under this strategy, AGRA will deliver through an approach that simultaneously catalyzes change at farmer level, strengthens input and output market systems and puts government at the center to enable and champion private-sector-led agricultural growth at national level.

To support this transformation, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the position of Head of Alliance for a Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), Platforms & Partnerships.

The role will be based in Kigali, Rwanda.

Position Summary

The Head of AGRF Platforms and Partnerships provides strategic, programmatic, execution, and significant logistical leadership for the Forum and its workings throughout the year in order to deliver on its multi-year strategic vision. In particular, s/he has responsibility for advancing the strategic vision of the AGRF as the premier platform for Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda to unlock the necessary political, policy, and financing commitments required to grow food, jobs, and economies. S/he plays a leading role in cultivating and stewarding the AGRF’s year-round thematic platforms and other business lines to deliver on the forum’s objectives related to agenda-setting, policy reform, investment, partnerships, knowledge management, leadership capacity, and accountability. S/he is responsible for building and managing productive strategic partnerships with a growing AGRF Partners Group and other stakeholders to maximize their engagement in the Forum. S/he is responsible for the design, execution, and follow up of the annual AGRF Summit. S/he is responsible for identifying and managing the relevant resource-persons to execute and follow up on the annual Summit, as well as other thematic platforms and engagements throughout the year. S/he also plays a key in role driving the ongoing knowledge management, communications, and resource mobilization around the AGRF to ensure it maximizes its impact and is fully funded, working in coordination with other AGRF staff and partners. The Head of AGRF Platforms and Partnerships projects a professional persona consistent with the values of AGRF and will serve as a core member of AGRF’s Management Team. S/he will be responsible for the daily oversight of the AGRF Partnerships Officer, Associate Partnerships Officer, the outsourced AGRF events manager and other suppliers, and other potential staff as the Forum continues to grow in size of platforms and partnerships.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

AGRF Strategy, Planning, and Management

• Develop and actively monitor and manage against the annual AGRF Work Plan as needed in partnership with the AGRF Secretariat and stakeholders;
• Engage leadership, AGRF partners, and ecosystem actors to identify key opportunities for AGRF to advance Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda;
• Help develop and iterate a compelling multi-year strategy that will rally and support partners to transform the agricultural sector;
• Develop an annual work plan with the division through which the AGRF Secretariat and thematic platforms will deliver the strategy;
• Produce materials for AGRF Partners meetings to continuously advance the AGRF agenda and priorities;
• Lead an agile, empowered, creative and dedicated team of AGRF staff and service providers to deliver results;
• Produce regular written reports as required for AGRF’s Steering Committee, Partners, and Sponsors.

Effective and efficient development and execution of a world class annual AGRF Summit

• Work with the AGRA team and AGRF Partners Group to identify interests and information needs of AGRF’s target stakeholder groups for the purposes of designing the best AGRF Summit, anchored in cutting edge knowledge, lessons, and partnerships;
• Contribute to the production of an AGRF thematic paper and associated branding and marketing materials, in partnership with AGRF’s Communications team and agency support;
• Work with the AGRF Secretariat and the AGRF Partners to ensure effective venue design and room allocation;
• Work with AGRA’s Legal team to develop an MoU for engagement with the Host Government (building on previous year templates) and set up of the Local Organizing Committee;
• Take responsibility for pulling together agendas, pre-reads, and notes within the AGRF Secretariat to ensure successful meetings with the Local Organizing Committee every month as agreed with the host government;
• Engage with other resource-persons procured by AGRA to provide technical and logistical support to the Forum;
• Support the Senior Advocacy and Communications officer on the design and maintenance of the AGRF website and other communication platforms as required, in partnership with AGRA’s Communications team and agency support;
• Identify, curate and market the AGRF to a range of potential speakers and sponsors in a bid to attract high level attendance;
• Drive the process of engagement and invitations to all VIPs and speakers;
• Work with the AGRF Secretariat to design the AGRF program and begin solicitation of related side events;
• Lead a process to solicit and determine future host countries and themes in collaboration with the AGRF Partners.

Support advancement of Thematic Platforms

• Coordinate the ongoing development and cultivation of AGRF’s ten thematic platforms to discuss critical issues relating to AGRF’s mandate via a range of convening/ discussion fora, virtual dialogues and events to outline key advocacy messages and influence key policy makers and other constituents;
• Ensure all ten thematic platforms have a strategy and annual work plan in line with the Forum’s expectations;
• Cultivate new members and identify leaders for thematic platforms within and beyond the AGRF Partners Group in order to drive the programmatic results of the sector;
• Work in partnership with the AGRF Secretariat and thematic platform secretariats to mobilize resources that ensure their financial sustainability.

Events, Public Representation, and Communications

• Represent AGRF, at key external events and forums as required, to advance the Forum’s strategy and work plan;
• Work with the AGRF leadership team to support the continued growth of AGRF as a knowledge and communications platform over time;
• Support the communications and advocacy team to contribute and coordinate knowledge resources, impact stories, and other content for the AGRF website
• Champion AGRF and cultivate and disseminate knowledge around AGRF topics through various communications channels;
• Produce the AGRF Annual Report in collaboration with AGRA’s Communications and Resource Mobilization units.

Partnership Management and Coordination

• Inspire like-minded organizations to join the AGRF Partners Group and for them to view this as the premier platform for systemic change. Encourage partners to align their existing and future efforts and resources to AGRF goals to scale up continent-wide transformation and broad-based collaboration;
• Serve as the day to day lead representative of AGRF to many of the Forum’s key partners in order to align with them on strategy and implementation of priorities;
• Serve as the day to day focal point for coordination of the AGRF Secretariat, overseeing and stewarding the work-plan and priorities with other division staff, service providers, government partners, and external partners;
• Serve as the facilitator of AGRF Partners Group meetings by convening, preparing agendas and pre-reads, and ensuring meetings are documented and decisions acted upon.
• Design, cultivate, broker and help manage a few institutional partnerships between AGRF and other major forums/institutions (e.g. Africa CEO Forum, EAT Forum, World Food Prize Foundation) that advance AGRF’s strategy.

Lead on AGRF Budget Management and Resource Mobilization

• Prepare and manage the AGRF budget effectively and efficiently with members of the division;
• Work with procurement to negotiate suppliers as required;
• Prepare materials in partnership with AGRF’s Communications function to use in approaching potential partners and annual sponsors for the Forum;
• Oversee the outreach and follow up with partners and sponsors along with the AGRF Leader, providing monthly updates to the AGRF Partners and AGRA Management.

Key Qualifications & Experience

• A Masters’ degree in Management, Public Administration, Public Relations, Communications, or any business-related or partnership-focused area.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of post-qualification work experience in relevant roles.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ management or coordination experience working with teams in a large multi-country organization dependent on multiple actors.
• Proven track record of success in managing complex partnerships and conferences or forums similar to AGRF.
• Proven track record of relationship ownership and management.
• Passionate about the mission and opportunity AGRA has to catalyze and sustain agricultural transformation in Africa.
• Experience and a track record on facilitating large multi-stakeholder events or partnerships within Africa;
• Proven attention to detail in work plan development, management, and implementation in respect to very complex work plans;
• Leadership vision and ability to help the AGRF partners and AGRA envision how AGRF can best help advance the continent’s agricultural agenda through 2030;
• Strong interpersonal capabilities and ability to manage relationships with people of all levels in a successful manner;
• Knowledge of challenges and opportunities in event and forum management in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Proficiency in the use of standard computer software applications;
• Excellent communication skills with demonstrated proficiency in English language, both written and spoken. Working knowledge of French is desirable;
• Excellent cross cultural skills, ability to work in a diverse, multi-cultural NGO environment, with respect, professionalism and gender sensitivity; and
• Willingness to travel 25-30% required.

An attractive remuneration package commensurate with this position’s responsibility will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail and telephone contacts) to recruit@agra.org. Please quote the job reference number in the subject line of the application e-mail.

To be considered, applications must be received by 24^th February, 2020.

For more information on AGRA, applicants can visit www.agra.org

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer