AGRA PRESIDENT POSITION
The AGRA Board of Directors seeks a highly regarded, articulate, and visionary leader with a demonstrated track record of exceptional results in agriculture and food systems. Following a decade of growth led by Agnes Kalibata, the next President will lead the organization through its ongoing transition in which internal structures, processes, strategy, and culture are being re-evaluated and aligned with the evolving organizational strategy.
Reporting to and working in close collaboration with the Board of Directors, the President will formulate organizational policies and drive strategic initiatives in alignment with AGRA’s mission, building on its current momentum and trajectory. This role will facilitate seamless communication and support to the Board and will regularly partner with the Board Chair and Committee Chairs on internal and external matters impacting AGRA. As the Head of a leading agricultural development organization in Africa, this role comes with tremendous external visibility and will involve critical stakeholder engagement and partnerships across the agriculture R&D, academia, private (i.e. consumer and food systems businesses), governments (inclusive of bi-/multilaterals), nonprofit sectors and farmer groups.
As an African-led, African-based organization, this individual should possess a deep understanding of the regional landscape, as well as deep knowledge of the unique issues and challenges faced by African farmers in today’s environment. Continuing to build AGRA’s credibility, influence, and external impact while fostering internal trust and nurturing an environment of transparency, collaboration, and inclusivity will be essential to ensuring a smooth leadership transition.
Position Location: AGRA headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Frequent travel required; approximately 50%
Direct reports: Please see the high-level organizational structure on the following page
Other key relationships include Partners in agriculture R&D, technical implementing partners, academia, private sector (i.e. consumer and food systems businesses), government agencies (countries and bi-/multilaterals), civil society and farmer groups.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The President Will:
In partnership with the Board of Directors, strengthen and refine AGRA’s organizational strategy, capitalizing upon the organization’s current position and expertise and paving the way for new donor- and/or private-sector-funded projects and programs.
Cultivate strategic public and private sector partnerships and deepen relationships with Governments, regional blocs and continental partners for impact.
Continue elevating AGRA’s international brand and identity. Serve as a spokesperson for the organization, leveraging mission, vision, and storytelling to communicate impact.
Optimize organizational structure and processes and accelerate ongoing realignment and change management efforts; expand internal management capability both through direct, hands-on leadership and by empowering other leaders across the organization. Connect decision-making and resource allocation to strategy.
Foster a high-performing organization by partnering with the senior leadership team on strategic workforce planning, attracting and retaining world-class talent, and engaging staff and developing their capabilities.
Share learnings of AGRA’s work and its partners to catalyse investments and policy actions. The President will leverage data-driven decision-making to drive impact and reinforce accountability.
Build trust by increasing transparency and collaboration across teams to amplify AGRA’s collective impact. The President will ensure ongoing commitment to diversity as well as equity and inclusion for staff of all backgrounds across active regions.
Be willing to travel up to 50%.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
Understanding that the role in leading and executing change will be multi-year, the priorities for the next President in the next 18-24 months will be to:
Strategic and Operational Alignment
Driving the organization’s impact through the alignment of strategy, structure and talent as the organization continues to transform from a centralized to a decentralized structure. The President will assess the programs and resources under development and make trade-offs, identifying opportunities that will have the greatest impact on smallholder farmers and determining the metrics and measurements that define impact.
People Leadership
At this moment of significant transition and of the expectation of transformation (internally and externally), the next President will lead at a time of enormous optimism and do so with transparency and will cultivate trust. They will create exponential impact by catalysing processes that leverage the power of the talented team to deliver results.
Partnership Cultivation
AGRA bears a strong reputation. To meet this moment, where there is great attention on the African continent for agricultural innovation and uplifting people out of poverty, the President will persuasively and authentically nurture relationships at the levels of Presidents and Prime Ministers, and Chief Executives around the world to cultivate alliances to collectively drive more impact. The President will also embed in the climate agenda into which AGRA could feature more prominently
If you wish to submit application materials or nominate someone to serve as the next President of AGRA, please email AGRAPresident@SpencerStuart.com
Apply via :
AGRAPresident@SpencerStuart.com
