We are hiring a Senior Agroecologist
& Program Coordinator

Ready to make a change for the livelihoods of smallholder farmers while preserving natural resources? We are looking for a Senior Agroecologist & Program Coordinator, passionate about ecology, social justice and innovative solutions that contribute to a better world, who will co-design and implement transformational agroecology projects in Africa, Asia and LATAM, to generate impact at scale.

This opportunity is for an experienced hands-on agricultural project development professional who will actively help us drive change towards regenerative agriculture with our private and civil society partners.

Who are we?

In Livelihoods Venture we manage 3 impact funds that have in common to support rural communities in reconciling a sustainable use of natural resources and a tangible improvement of their livelihoods, in the long run (www.livelihoods.eu). With each project connected to tens of thousands of people over up to 20 years and implemented by outstanding, local organizations in the field, the Senior Agroecologist & Program Coordinator in Livelihoods Venture will play a key role to deliver results in line with our ambitious mission.

Who we are looking for:

A passionate, experienced and result-driven professional with a strong background and first-hand experience in agroecology and sustainable agricultural practices:

  • Lead co-design and implementation of agroecology projects adapted to the local context, including in tropical agriculture, in Africa, Asia, LATAM, for the benefit of smallholder farmers.
  • Consolidate and upgrade the Company’s agronomic skills, from a hands-on as well as a scientific angle.
  • Actively contribute to the rural development and transition to agricultural activities that combine social and environmental change.
  • Bring expertise on hands-on agroecology practices (soil health, soil fertility, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry…) to our colleagues and partners and help adapt these to the local context of the projects.
  • Understand and manage points of view and jargons from different actors (business, technical, academic, investors, public., etc..) to propose intelligent, practical action plans that create an alignment of all stakeholders.
  • Crack technical, technological, organizational issues with a good dose of out-of-the-box thinking, inspired by a good knowledge and understanding of real cases of transformative projects.
  • Improve the impact of each project, bringing in science, new perspectives, ideas or emerging technology.
  • Scout for new project opportunities, in line with our values, and be able to deliver real, measurable transformation in the agricultural or natural landscapes that poor communities rely upon for their livelihoods.
  • Coordinate project participants and activities in the long run, by being part of project governance, anticipating opportunities and risks, monitoring and achieving results over the whole project lifetime.

Key qualities of our Senior Agroecologist and Program Coordinator:

  • Result-oriented Be able to adapt to changing situations and have an updated plan A, B and C to deliver objectives.
  • Hands-on experience: on agricultural farming and agroecology. Use your experience in the field to implement projects at scale while adapting to their local context.
  • Empathetic. Know your stakeholders, speak their languages, listen to their points of view and understand their agendas.
  • Change-embracing. Be open to- and keep a curious eye on- innovation, new plans, new opinions in a fast-growing market.
  • Didactic. Know how to make a point in a few words, adapt to your public, be able to facilitate informed decision-making.
  • Multi-tasker. Prioritize, deal with pressure, keep track of the progress of several tasks simultaneously and be ready to rearrange priorities in response to new information.
  • Intercultural skills: being able to understand and adapt local to different cultures among your colleagues and with project partners (international).

Background:

  • Graduated in agronomy or have the equivalent hands-on field experience;
  • 10 to 15 years proven track-record of relevant experience in propagating agroecology in developing economies, close to smallholder farmers, rural communities, demonstrating tangible achievements; Having worked in a variety of climatic and cultural contexts is a serious plus.

Skills:

  • English spoken and written with ease, as working language
  • Functional oral French or strong drive to learn it is a plus.

Location can be flexible for an outstanding candidate willing to work on-line daily with the Livelihoods team and network and go frequently to Paris. The job also requires frequent travel for field visits and interaction with Livelihoods and partners’ teams.

Salary and benefits commensurate with the position and candidate experience.

Livelihoods values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

If you fit this profile, send your resume and motivation letter THROUGH THIS LINK!
 

MORE INFORMATION ON LIVELIHOODS VENTURE:

In Livelihoods Venture we are a team of specialists who work closely with our local partners in Asia, Africa and Latin America to design and deliver projects with strong impact to improve the lives of smallholder farmers while preserving natural resources and foster carbon sequestration. Our mission? Implement sustainable farming models with long-term impact (10 to 20 years) and drive long-term change for the livelihood of local smallholder farmers, local communities while protecting and restoring a healthy environment.

Through our projects, we focus on creating inclusive economic opportunities to deliver results for farmers, businesses and the environment. In other words, we help the ambitious environmental and social promises come true 😊!

Livelihoods Venture, is our social business located in Paris, which advises our 2 different and complementary impact funds: the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (“L3F”) and the Livelihoods Carbon Funds (“LCF1 and LCF2”), having a total investment capacity of over 200mEUR for large-scale projects with an investment horizon of 6 to 20 years:

  • The L3F, in partnership and with the strong support of industrial players, is accompanying their transformation towards ambitious sustainable sourcing from smallholder farmers. With projects in all continents and focusing on a variety of agricultural produces (dairy, vanilla, coconut, cocoa, rice etc.), L3F is already working with tens of thousands people improving their farming practices, yields, restoring their environment and connecting them to the markets in a mutually beneficial way.
  • The LCF1 and LCF2 funds, supported by 10+ large corporates committed to climate action, are transforming corporate carbon offsetting needs into ecosystem restoration and protection in Asia, Latin America and Africa to the tangible benefit of rural communities.

12 major companies have invested in our funds so far: Danone, Schneider Electric, Crédit Agricole S.A., Michelin, Hermès, SAP, Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, La Poste, Firmenich, Voyageurs du Monde, Mars Inc. and Veolia. Our investors share knowledge and risks to implement impactful solutions for rural communities while making their activities more sustainable.

All our Funds and activities are strictly governed by the Livelihoods Charter and are action-driven front runners in the global context of raising awareness for climate risk and sustainable sourcing. For more information please visit: https://livelihoods.eu/.