Country Director

The Role

This position is an opportunity to contribute to the growth of the Philippine agriculture sector while creating social and economic gains for smallholder farmers across the archipelago.

The position holder is expected to be: a collaborative leader with an exceptional ability to cast a clear vision and build strong support among partners; highly adept at program planning and balancing the needs and interests of individual stakeholders while defining a shared agenda; an experienced and competent manager of people, resources, and relationships; comfortable being hands-on in both the facilitation of Communities of Practice / Working Groups and supervising the management of people and finances; tenacious, with a 'can do' attitude.

The position has overall responsibility for ensuring the PPSA's goal is realized and implemented with key stakeholders including agribusiness, government, development partners, and civil society. The role has the potential to grow with the PPSA and will involve engaging with the wider Grow Asia network across Southeast Asia.

Scope of Work

The Country Director manages the PPSA and is ultimately accountable to the PPSA Co-Chairs and Board of Directors. The position has overall responsibility for ensuring the PPSA's goal is realized and implemented with key stakeholders including agribusiness, government, development partners, and civil society.

The Country Director is responsible for:

• Stakeholder management - ensuring trust, alignment and collaboration between the PPSA's partners towards a clear vision. This will entail engaging: private sector partners of all management levels; government officials, departments and ministries; potential donors; farmer organizations; international and local NGOs; other stakeholders relevant to agriculture value chains in the Philippines.
• Ensuring the effective management of the PPSA Secretariat, which includes overseeing a small team of staff and developing operating budgets
• Lead the PPSA's fundraising activities.
• Knowledge and information building and sharing through strategic data collection and the convening of knowledge sharing events.
• The recruitment and management of specialist consultants to support the management and implementation of projects.
• Provide technical assistance and overall guidance in program planning, partnerships and engagement, and communications/promotions, to build the network and strengthen PPSA's advocacy and activities.
• S/he will closely work with Grow Asia Philippines so that all the efforts are aligned and contribute towards the overall goal of PPSA.

The PPSA Country Director will have the opportunity to and strengthen its relations with the partners. S/he will represent PPSA Secretariat and is consequently required to conduct him/herself in a respectful and professional manner.

The PPSA Country Director will develop an operating budget and a fundraising plan, to gather funds from PPSA partners. Successful fund-raising is critical to the future of PPSA.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Planning: Working closely with the PPSA board, co-chairs, and partners to convene the PPSA members, organize meetings, set agenda, and ensure follow through.
• Programs Planning and Performance Measurement: Oversee the implementation of the programs; Coordinate the collection of performance measurement data, including socio- economic and environmental data, from the individual Working Groups on a regular basis and liaise with partners on required performance measurement frameworks.
• Working Groups or Communities of Practice: Support the leads and members of individual Working Groups and help them to coordinate meetings to agree their aims and objectives, work plans and responsibilities of the partners.
• Stakeholder Management and engagement: Engage with current and new potential partners who have a role to play in the development of agriculture in the Philippines and can further strengthen the activities of the Network.
• Financial management: Lead the solicitation of financial support from donors and PPSA members (i.e., membership fees, sponsorship and support to Impact Funds), manage the PPSA's annual workplan and budget, and oversee the maintenance of the PPSA's accounts.
• Communicate and Promote: Oversee the development of communication material to highlight the accomplishments of the PPSA network and build reputational clout. This includes developing PPSA branding materials and guidelines, brochures, marketing kits, video, website, and reports.
• Representation: Represent the PPSA in national and international events/meetings.

Travel

The position holder should be prepared to travel on short notice to attend meetings, events and project sites, and represent PPSA in a diplomatic and professional manner.