Regional Director

Rikolto (formerly VECO/Vredeseilanden) is an international NGO with more than 40 years of experience in partnering farmer organisations and food chain actors across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Rikolto runs programmes in 14 countries worldwide through eight regional offices.

We are hiring a Regional Director for Rikolto in Vietnam

This is a challenging leadership position in which you actively contribute to the development of impactful food systems in this region. Together with your team you create a high performance and inspiring environment to bring about changes in the food and agriculture sector. You will also play a significant global role as part of Rikolto’s International Management Team.

Read more about our work in Vietnam...

Purpose: Develop, lead and manage the Vietnam regional office as part of the Rikolto network organisation. Lead the Rikolto-programme, taking into account the regional context, so as to achieve sustainable and scalable impact in the targeted food systems
Reports to: Executive Director / Board of Directors
Member of the International Management Team (the key decision making body which reports to the Board of Directors)
Manages: Regional office staff
Location: Rikolto office in Hanoi
Job size: 100%
Travels: Intensive travelling may be required
Deadline to apply: 7/7/2019

Responsibilities

Programme

End responsibility for the regional programme in line with global Rikolto policies, strategies and guidelines, taking into account the regional context. This means:

• Leading the implementation of the 2017-21 Strategy and Programmes (currently focused on rice and horticulture)
• Leading the further development of strategies and policies to have greater impact on food system development in the Region, including contributions to Rikolto’s international clusters and working groups.
• Leading Rikolto’s Inclusive Business approach to ensure that new win-win business models are developed between food chain actors (farmer’s organisations and private companies)
• Leading strategic planning on working with food system and food smart city in Vietnam, including Da Nang, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, HCM city and Can Tho
• Leading up-scaling and structural change strategies at regional level
• Ensuring the regular and systematic assessment of the programme’s performance, and adjusting if needed, by using the Planning, Learning and Accountability system
• Enhancing partnerships with strategic partners, including CIAT, IFPRI, other research organizations/universities, World Bank, Phoenix, Loc Troi, etc. in implementing and developing Vietnam’s programme

Fundraising, Communications and Programme Development

• Lead Vietnam’s regional office’s fundraising strategy, internal and external communication strategy
• Deliver on the global priority to develop the financial autonomy of the regional office through fundraising and communications work.
• Ensure Rikolto is integrated into strategically relevant local and regional networks and ensure that Rikolto does not operate in (splendid) isolation.
• Represent Rikolto in the region and ensure the liaison between the region, Rikolto in Belgium and its key stakeholders (volunteers and donors)
• Support the programme team in developing contents for advocacy (e.g. policy briefs, case studies, toolboxes, research summaries) context analysis/programme development (e.g. academic research, questionnaires), and awareness-raising (e.g. consumer campaign) purposes
• Lead the preparation for expanding our Vietnam programme to the Southeast Asian region

Ensure strategic planning toward the transition to food system-focused intervention strategies. This entails:

• Planning and monitoring/coaching the implementation of strategies to develop Rikolto in Vietnam’s core values and businesses, including, for instance, participatory Guarantee Systems, Inclusive Business Relationships, Food Smart Cities, smart urban food governance, Sustainable Rice Production, Integrated rice farming system.
• Providing strategic, methodological and technical guidance to programme staff in designing, planning, implementing, monitoring and adjusting actions meant to achieve structural change

Management and change management

Ensure the successful functioning of the Rikolto office. This entails:

• the development of specific policies for the regional program (financial, HR, programmatic) in line with Rikolto global policies, and taking into account the regional context and legal framework
• End responsibility for the legal status of the regional office and its effective operation including financial and HR management
• Managing and inspiring the regional team
• Daily managing the programme development support team
• Being an active and visible coach to the team

Support the further evolution of the Region towards being a high performing and financially autonomous hub of the global network

Profile

Qualifications:

• Masters degree or equivalent in (Development) economics, Business Administration, (Sustainable) agriculture, or Development studies or equivalent by experience

Languages:

• Very good knowledge of English as working language of Rikolto (essential)
• Very good knowledge of main local languages in the region (preferable)

Experience:

• Background in International Development Cooperation/International Private Sector
• Experience in collaborating with private actors, multi-stakeholder approach
• Experience in a network organization is an asset
• Sufficient knowledge of and experience with financial management and reporting
• ? 5 years in management position
• ? 5 years of living and working in a developing country
• Good knowledge of the regional context

Skills and knowledge:

• Has a good knowledge of development issues, inclusive business models, value chains and associated areas
• Has a global vision and a broad interest, is able to see problems from different angles and seek solutions with experts
• Knows key concepts and methods in financial and HR management
• Is an excellent cross-cultural communicator and an active listener
• Is a strong networker
• Has fundraising capacities
• Shows strong leadership
• Can manage, coach and motivate a team
• Is able to put people in their strengths
• Has change management skills and the capacity to steer, in a strategic manner

Attitude:

• Has a strong affinity with Rikolto mission and values
• Firmly believes in co-creation of development through constructive dialogue and coordinated multi-stakeholder action
• Has a positive attitude focussed on win-win solutions
• Has an entrepreneurial spirit
• Acts with integrity and respects others?(working together)
• Constructively challenges self and others (making it happen)
• Can be relied on to deliver commitments (accountable)
• Creates strong morale and spirit in his/her team, fosters open dialogue and shares successes (building effective teams)
• Inspires people to act (in accordance with the vision/plan of Rikolto)
• Is willing to learn and share lessons learnt

How to apply?

Please send your motivation letter with cv to [email protected]

Deadline for application: July 7th 2019