Dominican Republic: Program Consultant, Latin America Climate Smart Cocoa

General Description:

WCF is an international membership foundation that promotes a sustainable cocoa economy by providing cocoa farmers with the tools they need to grow more and better cocoa, market it successfully, and make greater profits. WCF's membership includes cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies worldwide, representing more than 80% of the global cocoa market. For more information, visit www.worldcocoa.org.

WCF is leading the USAID funded Feed the Future Partnership for Climate-Smart Cocoa which aims to address the challenges of climate change in cocoa-producing landscapes by increasing private sector investment and engagement that promotes and supports the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices. (Please find press release here.)

WCF seeks an experienced, dedicated and talented Program Consultant, Latin America Climate-Smart Cocoa (“CSC Program Consultant”) with specific knowledge of cocoa and/or climate related aspects. The CSC Program Consultant will coordinate the development of climate-smart program activities in Latin America and play a critical role in aligning and interfacing with different private and public stakeholders in the sector. The CSC Program Consultant will report directly to the Director of the Climate-Smart Cocoa Program, based in Washington, DC. The consultant must be fluent in both business English and Spanish. This engagement will be based in Latin America with preference given to Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua.

Specific Responsibilities:

· Collaborate with key partners to analyze the impact of climate change on cocoa production in major growing regions and build consensus with the private sector about the extent of the problem.

· Design, organize and facilitate (with Program Director) a consultative process to develop a private sector strategy for climate smart cocoa.

· Serve as the project's key coordinator in Latin America with headquarters, government counterparts, private sector stakeholders, subgrantees, academic institutions, and other local partners to exchange information and develop professional relationships.

· Collaborate and build alignment with existing climate platforms, particularly in Latin America.

· Collaborate with key partners to plan, develop and monitor pilot projects identified through strategy component (e.g., climate smart agriculture training curriculum or agroforestry demonstration farms). Identify new opportunities for pilot activities.

· Promote and expand private sector participation in the program.

· Report regularly (monthly, quarterly) to Program Director, adhere to work plan and coordinate local budget.

· Provide technical and management support for partners to implement planned activities across all projects in a timely manner. This will involve coordination with a CSC Program Manager based in West Africa and coordination with WCF staff in Washington, DC.

Engagement Requirements:

· Minimum Master’s Degree in International Development, Economics, Agriculture, Environmental Science or Natural Resource Management or related subject.

· Five or more years of experience in project implementation.

· Experience in agriculture development, preferably cocoa production and value-chain work. Experience working on climate change and environment related issues.

· Significant experience working in Latin America, including collaborating with public and private sector partners.

· Demonstrated experience in all phases of monitoring and evaluation processes, including the use of data and results to improve program quality.

· Excellent pro-active communication skills

· Ability to work well under pressure with interruptions and challenging deadlines.

· Strong writing, speaking and presentation skills in both English and Spanish. French language skills are a plus, but not required.

This engagement is a two-year term consultancy contract, renewable up to two additional years, based on performance. Consulting fees are dependent on level of experience. Estimated start date: August 1, 2016.

Interested and eligible consultants are requested to upload their proposal describing their interest in this engagement and WCF along with their consulting rate expectations and résumé to: https://worldcocoa.egnyte.com/ul/nJs0nKzbw5. Please address the letter to “CSC Consultant Search” and name your files using the following convention: ‘J.Doe Proposal’ and ‘J.Doe Resume’. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the engagement is contracted. No phone calls please. Only shortlisted consultants will be contacted.