Project Manager, Circular Food Systems

Job Summary:

As the Project Manager, you will oversee the technical and programmatic implementation of an exciting 3-year project on the hot agenda of food systems transformation in Rwanda specifically and Africa widely. The project entails policy and business development work streams, with the main goal of enhancing the enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate the adoption of circular food practices. You will be working closely with the directors for Vital landscapes and strategies. As the Project Manager, you will oversee the successful implementation of the project to address agroecological practices, food loss and food waste, policy barriers, and support to SMEs to advance a transformative food agenda on the continent.

In this role, you will be the focal point for WRI Africa and will lead key areas including research, policy analysis, SME support, stakeholder engagement, and convening roles and coordination of project partners. As the Project Manager, you will represent WRI Africa in local, national, and regional events on the issues of food loss and food waste, and circular economy. In this role, you will lead the development of research, policy, and communication outputs of the project in collaboration with relevant WRI staff.

This is a full-time limited-term position with an end date of 10/31/2024

Project direction and implementation

• Lead successful implementation of the Circular Food Systems project in Rwanda with close collaboration with the directors for vital landscapes, strategy, RDI and other WRI staff who are relevant for the success of the project 
• Provide technical leadership on circularity in food systems to guide and lead project activities that align with the project goals and objectives in both the policy and business development workstreams of the project
• Oversee all partners involved in the project and ensure their activities align with the project goals and objectives
• Design an execution plan for the project including key resources, timelines and deliverables for each of the project partners and staff.
• Co-lead and coordinate with relevant counterparts within WRI to develop a monitoring and evaluation plan for the project
• Recruit and develop staff to support effective implementation of work under this project and portfolio.

Stakeholder Engagement, Policy and Advocacy

• Develop and implement a strategy for the policy workstream of the project together with relevant WRI staff and external partners
• Co-lead and coordinate activities related to policy analysis and stocktaking together with project partners
• Coordinate all partners involved in the project for effective delivery of project outcomes and impacts
• Develop effective strategies for engaging with policy makers and other key stakeholders, including those at sub-national level such as local community leaders, district officials, national governments agencies involved in the food and circular economy sectors, civil society organizations etc.
• Establish and manage strong collaborations with external partners on advancing the goal of circular food systems in Africa
• Proactively identify and leverage opportunities to focus attention on circular food systems
• Design and implement roundtables, workshops or other convening events with stakeholders both local and international
• Represent WRI Africa food systems work in local and international forums in the topics of food system transformation, circular economy, etc.
• Research, knowledge and thought leadership
• Plan, design, and conduct policy-relevant research and analysis and contribute to relevant publications on circularity in food systems in collaboration with the directors for RDI, vital landscapes and strategy and other relevant staff
• Support data collection, analysis and write up of publications under the project
• Lead in authorship of communication material including brochures, blogs, op-eds and other communications outputs
• Provide inputs and lead in strategic communication activities, including the Climate Change Conference of Parties (COPs) and other key events in collaboration with the director of communications
• Represent WRI at meetings and workshops, and communicate research with external audiences
• Review knowledge products written by other WRI researchers about circular food systems.

Donor relations and fundraising

• Lead timely and quality financial and technical reporting to the donor for all project workstreams and partners
• Manage and build strong relationships with partners and donors under this project
• Support fundraising efforts for work on circularity in food systems including addressing food loss and food waste for WRI Africa by integrating technical and practical experiences and networks build under this project
• Additionally, in keeping with WRI’s commitment to gender and equity across our programs and projects, the project director will be required to identify relevant equity and gender issues and ensure adequate and systematic integration including in all project activities including those led by partners, staffing structure, SME selection budgeting and monitoring of project outcomes

Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in relevant fields, such as agriculture economics, environmental science, food engineering, Agroforestry, ecology, or others; relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted
• Minimum 5 years of  full-time relevant work experience in the areas of agroecological practices, circularity, food loss, and food waste management, and SME development
• Significant technical knowledge on food loss and food waste, circularity, SMEs/ entrepreneurship development, agroecology, and policy analysis
• Experience and networks in Rwanda in this field is an added advantage
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing strong partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders and policymakers
• Experience working in an international environment with local, regional, and global partners is an added advantage
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrable research record (e.g., involvement in published papers and reports)
• Demonstrated ability to build, manage and grow a project or program
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Detail-oriented and organized thinker who can juggle multiple, competing priorities
• Ability to travel when needed
• Strong command of English and preferable working knowledge of French.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with cover letter. Resume and cover letter must be submitted in English to be considered. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. 

Program Overview:

WRI’s strategy for Africa is to catalyze a green, inclusive, and resilient transformation of Africa’s economies for the benefit of people and landscapes. Our work at sub-national, national and regional level is being streamlined in three inter-connected pillars: Vital Landscapes, Thriving Resilient Cities, and Institutional and Economic Transformation. Food systems work fall under Vital Landscapes. The vision for the Vital landscapes pillar is an integrated landscape approach for management of forests, agricultural lands, and water bodies for prosperity of Africa’s people and to deliver on biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation in Africa.

To realize this vision, the pillar covers work around four key areas:
(i) forest protection/conservation and landscape restoration (ii) food systems transformation
(iii) integrated ocean management and
(iv) tackling inequality by embedding equity across all aspects of our work.

Vital landscape projects and programs span across more than 10 African countries, led by a vibrant and dynamic team of researchers and project implementors. There is strong coordination with WRI global teams that work on Food, Forests, Oceans, and the Equity lab.

WRI Overview:

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills, and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence, and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years, and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.