Job Description

World Vision is hiring a Senior Technical Advisor for Food and Market Systems to serve on the Food Security and Livelihoods sector team within the Resource Development department.

At a Glance

Role: Senior Technical Advisor, Food & Market Systems

Location: Washington, D.C. USA

Reports to: Senior Director, Food Security & Livelihoods Sector

Required experience: Master's degree required. Ten or more years’ international relevant technical experience, related professional experience, or research institution experience strongly preferred. Minimum of 6 years required. Must be able to establish strong relationships cross culturally. Proven work experience securing and/or managing significant funding from institutional donors. Deep technical knowledge in food security, food systems and/or market-based approaches to agricultural livelihoods is required.

Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the U.S.A. for any employer.

Travel: Up to 25% of time both in development and fragile contexts.

The Job:

World Vision is looking for a Senior Technical Advisor for Food and Market Systems to lead technical strategy and implementation within her/his area of expertise, as applied to World Vision’s Food Security & Livelihoods global portfolio]. The STA will and position World Vision as a leader in innovative and quality sector responses. S/he will represent World Vision’s programming in the sector to major public and private donors, foundations, NGOs, research and learning partners, private sector partners and other professional organizations. The STA will also provide key technical leadership in acquisition of critical public and private funding resources as well support the FSL Senior Director and in building and strengthening partnerships with donors and other agencies. S/he will contribute to consistently high program quality by providing evidence-based, ongoing technical assistance and capacity building support for relevant field programs within her/his portfolio. The STA will help carry out World Vision’s Christian organizational mission, vision, and strategies, personifying the ministry of World Vision by witnessing to Christ and ministering to others through life, deed, word and sign.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

Resource Acquisition:

• Responsible to lead in sector-specific support to acquisition of USG,USDA, multilateral donor funding and support to private program fundraising.
• Serve as technical lead for assigned acquisition efforts, using her/his expertise to facilitate technical strategy development and cohesive design across all bid themes, in alignment with donor requirements and team win themes
• Write pertinent technical sections of complex, high-value proposals.
• Contribute to project and proposal development, standard-setting, tools development for capacity building, and setting and monitoring of milestones.

Program Quality and Impact: Provide technical support on food and market systems to WVUS’ IPG’s Program Implementation teams.

• Participate in the technical oversight of grant-funded projects and portfolios, including standard setting, tools development, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Review and provide sectoral feedback on implementation reports for public and private grants.
• Support the development and dissemination of evidence and best practices.
• Provide strategic technical guidance on technical issues pertinent to her/his area of expertise to ensure that promising practices, new developments, and lessons learned are incorporated into programming.
• Provide operational framework, strategies and mechanisms for programming with the field to drive quality results.

Strategic External Engagement and WV Partnership Engagement:

• Cultivate and strengthen strategic partnerships with various donor agencies and institutions (USG federal agencies, selected foundations, multilateral agencies, private sector, and academic and research institutions), locally and internationally, to increase our ministry
• Participate in sector-related global/regional communities of practice and working groups
• Represent WVUS to external agencies, international organizations and donors
• Advocate with partners, locally and internationally, to push forward the agenda for sector-specific funding and programming
• Build WV’s reputation in the field by presenting at sector conferences and workshops

Global Technical Expertise:

• Participate in WV Partnership working groups in the design, development, revision, dissemination and promotion of WV sector strategies, standards, guidelines, working papers, tools, and training materials.
• Provide strategic input and support to WVUS/the Partnership in developing/reviewing appropriate policies and programmatic coordination for sector-specific policy implementation
• Participate in the documentation of proven models, emerging/promising practices, as well as best practices.
• Foster organizational learning to promote technical excellence

You Bring These Skills:

The STA should have expertise in applying food systems frameworks to new program design and to guide support to live programs. In particular, the STA should understand the dynamics of food supply chains and food environments and their impacts of consumer behaviors and outcomes, particularly in terms of nutrition. We seek strong understanding of agricultural market systems development as a segment of the overall food system. We also seek candidates with proven track records in partnering with researchers to pursue critical learning questions and publishing the results of program (including new technical tools) or research insights.

Education and Experience:

Master's degree required. Doctoral level preferred in relevant field. Ten or more years’ International relevant technical experience, related professional experience, or research institution experience strongly preferred. Minimum of 6 years required. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Track record in peer reviewed or grey literature publication strongly preferred. Must be able to establish strong relationships cross culturally. Proven work experience securing and/or managing significant funding from institutional donors. Deep technical knowledge in food security, food systems and/or market-based approaches to agricultural livelihoods is required. Proficiency in a language other than English preferred.

Additional Skills We Are Interested In:

To succeed in this role the STA will need to be able to work effectively within temporary and long-term team structures. S/he will need a proven capacity in leading key technical processes such as program design, technical capacity building workshops and framework or theory of change development. The STA must have a strong mastery of the key and diverse literature relevant for strengthening poverty, nutrition and food security outcomes through food and market systems approaches. This includes understanding historic and contemporary drivers of systems-level change including COVID-19. S/he must also be able to effectively contribute to and compelling convey World Vision’s evidence of impact to donors, peer agencies and program stakeholders.

Where This Job Could Take Your Career:

The STA role reflects a key milestone in the arc of a technically focused international development career. While already encompassing mid to late career experience, the STA role also has growth potential for field program and sector leadership positions within World Vision. You’ll be part of World Vision USA as well as part of the larger World Vision International Partnership. Globally, we have over 40,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries (~1,000 staff with World Vision US).

About World Vision:

We're a global Christian humanitarian organization. We partner with children, families, and their communities to empower them as they reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. For nearly 70 years, World Vision has followed Jesus' example to show unconditional love to the poor and oppressed. We serve every child regardless of faith.

Salary Range & Benefits:

Your salary is important to you, so it’s important to us. Please share your salary expectations with us in the application process to get the conversation started. We also have a robust and comprehensive benefits package to round out our total compensation package. Click here to learn more.

To Apply:

Click the Apply box in the lower left corner. We look forward to reviewing your application.

What happens next?

We review applications nearly every day assessing strength of fit for the role. If questions arise on our end, we will message you to learn more. Short-listed candidates are contacted for an initial phone conversation with our recruiting staff. Moving deeper into our selection process you can expect to interview 1:1 with a hiring manager. Finalists normally participate in a panel interview where the opportunity to connect with additional members of our staff lends itself to more of a 360-view of the role. Our goal is to fill this vacancy with the right person in the shortest amount of time. All interviews will be virtual at this time.

Job Location: Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Working Environment / Conditions: Standard office environment. Domestic and international travel, up to 40% of the time. May require trips to hazardous locations.