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Organizational Description

Tanager is an international nonprofit that connects smallholder producers and private businesses to co-create new ways of realizing life-changing economic and social opportunity. Our process builds on years of technical expertise, on-the-ground presence and public/private partnerships to unite economic growth with social innovation. Together, we are ushering in an era of equitable market systems that combine profitability with the power to address urgent challenges in poverty, malnutrition, and gender inequity.

Tanager provides a full range of services to co-create healthy markets that benefit all participants:

Connect: Tanager connects people and partners to bridge stakeholder divides, expand market access, and unlock the full potential of shared market opportunities. We bring the right people to the table and make sure every voice is heard, linking smallholder producers to major consumer brands and everyone in between.

Analyze: Tanager combines technical expertise and business perspective to assess markets, analyze supply chains, and pilot new technologies and tools. We test promising business models and shed light on issues critical to market success. We advance research vital to emerging economies. Our analytical approach helps us identify variables early on, which saves time and money in the long run.

Implement: Tanager is a flexible implementing partner with a track record of delivering results in complex, dynamic environments. We drive ambitious initiatives to the finish line with a clear roadmap and the right resources at the right time and place. Our global expertise and on-the-ground presence brings last-mile experience crucial to sustainable market solutions. Clients know they can count on us to keep our word and see things through.

People & Values

It takes bold hearts and resourceful minds to change the world. Our mission attracts high-caliber professionals who are dedicated to the work we do and the way we do it. We take risks, roll up our sleeves, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. We listen, learn, and adapt rapidly, without losing sight of our end goal or the momentum needed to reach it.

We are a networked team that supports each other. We live our mission and exhibit and embrace the following values:

Discernment

  • Make choices using sound thinking, intelligence, and experience.
  • Be honest and ethical in everything you do and say.
  • Set high standards and learn from your mistakes to continually improve.
  • Trust your teammates’ capabilities and intentions.

Connection

  • Build strong connections with our partners and communities to achieve results.
  • Work as a team with everyone at the table and reach out for input as well as advice.
  • Measure success, not by the boxes we tick, but by the real difference you make in people’s lives.

Balance

  • Strive to achieve equilibrium in all you do.
  • Exercise perspective and prioritize what is important.
  • Align the interests, expectations, and needs of those we work with.
  • Balance seriousness with humor and levity, and our work with our personal lives.

Agility

  • Ask, evaluate, innovate, and apply to deliver the best result for all.
  • Be agile, efficient, and adaptable in your relationships, processes, and work.
  • Take what we’ve learned and adapt to each new situation.

Project Summary

The Director, Food Systems Programs will lead nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems projects and activities, with a primary focus on Tanager’s flagship gender- and nutrition-integrated agriculture program in Burkina Faso. Over time, s/he will provide technical leadership on nutrition integration for the organization and lead/contribute to new business efforts. S/he will raise the visibility of the organization through publications, strategic partnerships, and engagements in industry forum, as well as mentorship of staff. S/he will lead or support client relationship manager for foundation and private sector clients interested in achieving nutrition outcomes through agriculture investments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management (70%)

  • Oversee Tanager’s portfolio of nutrition-sensitive and food systems interventions; serve as project manager for flagship program
  • Identify and mitigate potential and emerging programmatic and financial issues; facilitate collaboration between program staff, internal departments, and external organizations.
  • Collaborate with Team Leader and relevant staff on programmatic issues.
  • Support Team Leaders in the identification, selection, and orientation of personnel; contribute as a recruitment source and assist in assessing qualifications of candidates.
  • Provide guidance, technical leadership, and support to projects, including project implementation strategy, work planning, mentoring of staff, tool development, and accompaniment of implementation and monitoring and evaluation activities.
  • Coordinate with project implementation teams to ensure quality and timeliness of deliverables, within budget.
  • Provide support or leadership as needed to identify and secure partners, consultants, and full-time staff related to nutrition.
  • Facilitate nutrition-related learning agendas within and across relevant projects.
  • Liaise closely with ACDI/VOCA counterparts to deliver project commitments and promote best-practice nutrition-sensitive and food systems programming.
  • Maintain a collaborative relationship with donor, funder, and/or client counterparts.
  • Support routine project management activities including reviewing and submitting project reports to donors.

Thought Leadership (15%)

  • Facilitate nutrition-related learning agendas within and across relevant Tanager projects.
  • Participate in appropriate professional organizations and networks and establish an external professional network for increased visibility of Tanager.
  • Create and leverage synergies between Tanager and ACDI/VOCA and their work in food systems strengthening and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
  • Collaborate with Communications and Partnership Director to identify strategic industry outlets and opportunities for presenting and sharing Tanager experience and expertise.
  • Develop thought leadership content – i.e. white papers, expert blog posts, panel proposals – for use in social media, publications, and conferences.

Account Management (15%)

  • Manage strategic relationships with donors and clients; identify new partnerships and opportunities.
  • Identify and pursue new business opportunities in collaboration with Tanager and ACDI/VOCA colleagues
  • Lead proposal efforts for nutrition- and food systems-related investment opportunities; activities may include but are not limited to the following: create budgets, collaborate with partner organizations, collect field research, design implementation activities, establish monitoring systems and metrics.

Other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

Qualifications

  • Master of Public Health or master’s degree in international development, nutrition, food systems, agriculture, or other related field required (additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of advanced degree).
  • Minimum of six years’ experience, including overseas work, in international nutrition (particularly related to developing countries) required.
  • Excellent analytical and technical skills and expertise with the ability to work independently and in a team setting.
  • Expertise and technical knowledge in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems development, as demonstrated through delivery of high-quality research, training curriculum and implementation methodologies.
  • Fluency in English, written and oral, required. French language skills preferred.
  • Demonstrated leadership and team building skills, particularly leading cross-departmental and international groups.
  • The ability and willingness to travel internationally is required.
  • Adaptable and innovative. Collaborative and open to feedback.
  • Excellent interpersonal, problem solving, and communication (written and verbal) skills required.
  • Ability to build relationships and rapport with teams, staff, and clients at all levels of an organization, and navigate unexpected circumstances with creativity, calm, and positivity.

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