Vice President, Policy and State Capability

Job Details
The Vice President – Policy and State Capability, will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and is vital in achieving policy reform through oversight of business strategy execution and building relationships with government officials, key regional actors, stakeholders and donors, and should have at least ten years experience operating within this space. They will report to the President and serve as a key membe of the Executive Management Team, and his/her responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

Responsibility for the strategic role of supporting AGRA countries on Institutional capacity issues to improve the ability to use evidence based planning, draw fundable national Agriculture strategies with clear prioritization to optimize resource use while delivering on sector transformation,
The ability to coordinate sector stakeholders (donors, other ministries, private sector etc) to ensure buyin and funding of priority programs, the ability to track sector performance and build appropriate accountability mechanisms to ensure a fully functional sector.
Provide oversight on how AGRA supports country capacity for policy frameworks particularly; the development, reform and implementation of macro and micro policies (as need would be) characteristic of functional input, offtake and financial markets systems that are critical for creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in the Agriculture sector.
Provie support to AGRA Country Managers and teams, and being responsible for the execution of organization strategy on State Capability and Policy through all the instruments available to them in the institution and through engagement with a multiple stakeholders, ranging from Ministers of Agriculture, Development Partners, and other Stakeholders. The role drives the execution and management of all elements of the AGRA country focused strategy in the wider context of regional and continental agenda. This includes (but is not limited to) grant making and capacity building, government relations and policy development and contribution to resource mobilization.

The successful candidate will have:

A degree in a relevant field, ideally being educated to Master’s/PhD level
A strategic mindset and strong business acumen
Extensive experience working within multi-cultural and disciplinary teams
Proven experience working with senior officials and operators within governments to successfully implement policies
Demonstrable ability in influencing stakeholders and donors through having excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.