Chief Executive Officer, HarvestPlus

Job Summary

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for its HarvestPlus Program. The successful candidate will have demonstrated exceptional leadership, and possess the entrepreneurial skills to lead a complex and successful global endeavor.  HarvestPlus is at a transformational point in its effort to promote the sustainable scale-up of biofortified crops globally to improve public health and nutrition, now underway in 50 countries.  The CEO will be an accomplished strategist, comfortably bridging public and private sector spheres – including their objectives, approaches, and operating environments.  As the organization’s top champion for biofortification, he/she will also be a proven resource mobilizer, and expert spokesperson capable of reaching a wide variety of audiences including policy makers, scientific, media, implementing agencies, and the general public.

Background

HarvestPlus leads a global effort to develop and disseminate nutrient-rich staple food crops to improve nutrition and public health globally, a strategy referred to as biofortification.  Mineral and vitamin deficiencies in developing countries are major public health problems in developing countries, with high economic costs.  Biofortification has demonstrated potential to make a major contribution to reducing these mineral and vitamin deficiencies, and offers the most sustainable solution.

The HarvestPlus vision is that one billion people will be regularly consuming biofortified crops by 2030.  To date, more than 100 biofortified crop varieties, developed under HarvestPlus funding, have been released in 23 countries.  In-country testing is currently in progress in more than 50 countries.  In 2015, HarvestPlus early-stage delivery activities directly reached two million farm households with biofortified crops.  Biofortification is widely recognized as highly cost-effective.  Nutritional efficacy is well-established.

HarvestPlus is an interdisciplinary program that works with the private sector, governments, multi-lateral institutions, civil society organizations, and academic and research institutions.  The annual budget of HarvestPlus in 2016 is $45 million.

The HarvestPlus program is a joint venture between the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), with more than 150 multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed staff members.  The position is located at IFPRI’s headquarters in Washington, DC, and will require significant international travel. For more information on HarvestPlus, please visit our website at www.harvestplus.org.

Essential Duties:

Leadership

• Achieve wide recognition and support for HarvestPlus as the global leader for biofortification.
• Develop and successfully pursue an evolutionary vision and roadmap for HarvestPlus to achieve the goal of reaching 1 billion people with biofortified crops/foods.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson for HarvestPlus with its highest level stakeholders, and in various international fora.
• Work with the joint venture leadership and lead engagement with HarvestPlus external advisory board.

Management and Transformation

• Provide leadership to HarvestPlus activities and staff, including serving as chair of the senior management committee. 
• Ensure effective operational management and coordination of HarvestPlus as it continues to grow and adapt its focus, function, and form, in response to evolving needs and opportunities.
• Manage overall budget, and ensure accountability and risk management systems are adequate and effective, especially in the face of evolving functions and activities of HarvestPlus.
• Ensure adequate resource mobilization and partnership development to meet HarvestPlus goals for biofortification generally and to support the wide range of HarvestPlus activities.  These include crop development and delivery (crop research, seed sector development, promotion of consumption) as well as nutritional, impact and policy research; advocacy, standards, and regulatory; and operational and technical support functions.  Directly engage to meet fundraising goals.
• Provide strategic oversight to and direct engagement in public and private partnership development for program research, crop development, crop delivery systems, technical assistance, and resource mobilization.

Results

Through multi-pronged approaches:

• Ensure the rapid uptake of biofortified crops by farmers and consumers in developing countries to keep on track to achieving 1 billion persons by 2030, including:
• 100 million farming households reached by 2020.
• 75 national governments acknowledge/engage with biofortification as a strategy to address micro-nutrient deficiencies.
• 6 biofortified crops (zinc rice and wheat; iron beans and pearl millet; provitamin A cassava and maize) released with target levels in 10 countries by 2020.
• Achieve the ‘mainstreaming’ of biofortication activities in:
  • Global and national agricultural research programs, national level seed distribution systems.
  • National health/nutrition policies and programs (including agricultural extension, nutrition education, and vulnerable group support).
  • A range of institutions that deliver new agricultural and food technologies, and programs in developing countries.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in relevant field with 15 years of relevant experience, preferably in an executive level position
• Minimum of ten years of experience as a manager of complex programs with a large, multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, and geographically-dispersed staff.
• Ability to inspire and communicate well to diverse audiences and under a range of circumstances throughout the global community.
• Experience in or substantial familiarity with marketing and distribution.
• Experience in or substantial familiarity with the research process.
• Demonstrated technical competence in one or more of the following areas: agriculture, human nutrition, seed distribution, crop extension, consumer marketing, and/or economics in the context of developing countries; extensive networks in one or more of these communities is a must.
• Demonstrated ability for successful fundraising from the private or public sector.
• Possess entrepreneurial spirit – innovative and goal oriented.
• Experience in developing countries.
• Familiarity with agricultural technology transfer.
• Ability to travel extensively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Management experience with organizational transformation.
• Understanding of impact and effort needed for branding.

IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. The Institute conducts research, communicates results, optimizes partnerships, and builds capacity to ensure sustainable food production, promote healthy food systems, improve markets and trade, transform agriculture, build resilience, and strengthen institutions and governance. Gender is considered in all of the Institute’s work. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world, including development implementers, public institutions, the private sector, and farmers’ organizations. IFPRI is a member of the CGIAR Consortium.

IFPRI offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits. IFPRI is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence. Women and developing country professionals are encouraged to apply.

To Apply

IFPRI employees:  Please send a cover letter and resume via email to Carla Tufano/Monica Dourado in Human Resources.

Please complete the online application via the Apply button and provide a complete resume, detailed letter of interest, and 3 references. For more information about IFPRI and/or HarvestPlus, please visit our websites atwww.ifpri.org and www.harvestplus.org. 

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