Director, Programs

BACKGROUND:

Grow Asia was established by the World Economic Forum in 2015 in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat in response to the urgent need to transform food systems to be more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient to climate change. Today, Grow Asia is the only ASEAN-accredited multi-stakeholder platform that unites all actors across the agri-food ecosystem. Headquartered in Singapore, Grow Asia works with more than 780 partners to design and deploy market driven solutions for smallholder farmers. We do this by convening leading decision makers from governments, companies, finance institutions and community groups to blend public, private, and philanthropic capital and mobilize tailor-made partnerships that can implement scalable projects at a field-, national-, and regional level.

The Grow Asia network comprises our regional office in Singapore and five country chapters in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. The network operates through 44 national and sectoral Working Groups and is already reaching more than 3.7 million smallholders across Southeast Asia with market ready solutions. In 2020, Grow Asia was accredited as an Entity Associated with ASEAN. This accreditation recognizes the important role Grow Asia plays in the region, particularly in facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships and acting as a delivery mechanism for ASEAN programs.

THE ROLE:

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Programs will manage a team of regional and country program staff who are responsible for delivering a suite of programs funded by Grow Asia's Public-Private Impact Funds. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design, delivery, and reporting of regional and country level projects, including seeking new sources of funding, managing relationships with new and existing stakeholders among our network of 780+ partners, and building strong communications strategies to amplify results.

This high-profile role requires an independent thinker and problem solver with a strong sense of self- motivation, who thrives in a highly collaborative, dynamic team environment. The successful candidate should bring experience in leading diverse teams to design and implement successful technical assistance programs focused on climate resilience, gender inclusion, digital solutions, and sustainable finance across multiple disciplines and countries.

RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning and Program coordination

• Lead the strategic planning and coordination of Grow Asia's regional programs to ensure successful delivery of all program objectives in line with the goals of the organization
• Oversee program design, delivery, and timely reporting of projects under GrowVentures, GrowHer, GrowRight, and GrowBeyond – including but not limited to ongoing programs funded by GIZ, DFAT, IUCN, GEF8, Korea, JAIF, ASEAN, IDRC, Cargill, Visa, Thai Wah, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
• Supervise and support program teams to implement regional and country-level events and projects, including the mapping of regenerative value chain projects, on-farm capacity-building, and financial literacy training for smallholder farmers, especially women.
• Ensure that in-country programs and field-level implementation adhere to requirements and expectations of donors and partners
• Provide technical knowledge on climate adaptation and mitigation and sustainable finance in the context of UN sustainable development goals and business ESG disclosures.
• Ensure alignment of regional programs to regional and national policy objectives, especially in the ASEAN context.

Grants Management and Reporting

• Supervise the management of grants and blended investments from concept to close. This entails designing and reviewing submissions, overseeing project design and implementation, drafting and reviewing reports, and ensuring results are accurately monitored and recorded.
• Contribute to the development of program log frames, indicators, implementation plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks in line with donor expectations
• Collaborate with senior staff to create and maintain systems for efficient and transparent capture of program data for timely and informative internal and external reporting
• Ensure that all reports (both internal and external) are timely, of high-quality, and responsive to donor requirements in collaboration with regional and country teams
• Work closely with the senior leadership team to report on the impact of grants – both internally and externally
• Oversee communications with donors and investors, and where appropriate, provide technical support and compliance-related information to partners
• Contribute to the prioritization and selection of new donors, investors, and grants and actively contribute to the development of concept notes and funding proposals

Partnership Development and Communications

• Represent Grow Asia in cultivating relationships with donors and partner organizations in new and existing programs
• Support the development of governance and/or advisory bodies that will provide strategic guidance to GrowRight and GrowBeyond
• Build relationships and strong stakeholder engagement with senior leaders from government,

private sector, multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, and research institutes
- Support systems to ensure regular collection of impact stories and evidence from regional and country partners on a regular basis
- Engage with regional policymaking bodies and governments to ensure programs inform policy dialogues, consultations and other processes
- Work closely with the Communications team to plan strategic and regular communication about GrowVentures, GrowHer, GrowRight and GrowBeyond at the national, regional and international levels
- Represent Grow Asia in external events, conferences, and international areas, as required
- Lead and participate in global and regional calls and donor meetings, as needed

Organization and Team Leadership

• Supervise, coach, and collaborate with program staff to ensure programmatic and team success, as well as to support the team's ongoing professional development and growth
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback with the team
• Actively seek new talent during recruitment processes and adhere to Grow Asia's diversity and inclusion commitments
• Create, maintain, and oversee systems and processes to ensure effective management of the daily operations of all programs that support the organization's goals
• Design and deliver annual strategic work plans and budgets, ensuring programs are aligned to the strategic goals of the organization
• Contribute to the smooth running of governance meetings and annual events, including but not limited to Grow Asia Governance Councils and the Grow Asia Investment Forum
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence
• Oversee and maintain effective and harmonious communication pathways between regional and country staff to ensure alignment in program delivery, design and reporting

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT:

• Masters' degree in a discipline related to the position (business, finance, sustainability, environmental management, International Development, agricultural economics, or equivalent)
• A minimum of 10 years work experience in increasingly senior roles, ideally focused on climate change and/or sustainable finance in food, agriculture, and/or forestry sectors (spanning corporate, non-profit, consulting, and/or research roles)
• Strong team leadership experience and skills, with proven success and ability to manage diverse teams across geographies
• Experience in Monitoring & Evaluation linked to sustainable development, especially finance and/or climate-related initiatives (i.e. writing proposals and ESG reports, developing results frameworks, designing M&E aligned to organizational outcomes)
• Experience in strategic design, execution, and management of multi-country programs
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, with fluency in spoken and written English and, ideally, one other Southeast Asian language
• Excellent attention to detail
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interface at all levels of seniority both internally and with our partners in the public, private, and civil society space
• Self-started, with the ability to work independently
• High level of integrity and commitment to socio-economic development and food systems transformation
• Emotional maturity, patience, curiosity, and a sustained willingness to change one's mind
• Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions

Location: Singapore or Hybrid (Southeast Asia)

Travel requirement: Up to 40%, mainly within Southeast Asia

Start date: Immediate

WHAT'S ON OFFER:

In addition to a competitive salary, this role provides a unique opportunity to (1) develop your capabilities and broaden your skill set in an organization that supports continuous growth, (2) work with a highly motivated, collaborative, efficient and compassionate team that also values autonomy, (3) be part of a dynamic, well-respected and credible entity in Southeast Asia, (4) connect with the World Economic Forum and its Food Action Alliance, participating in the global agenda on food security and agricultural development, and (5) contribute to social, economic and environmental progress in Southeast Asia and beyond.

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified applicants are invited to send your resume, cover letter and writing sample to Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Due to the volume of applications expected, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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As a multi-stakeholder platform, we believe all voices matter, and we actively seek to bring them to the table. Aligned with this ethos, CPSA - Grow Asia is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity.