Head Of Agrifood Systems, PANA

Role Overview

This senior leadership position sits at the intersection of strategy, partnerships, and program execution, guiding a Pan-African agriculture portfolio that spans agrifood systems, agribusiness, and climate resilience. Day to day, you will translate high-level organisational priorities into actionable regional and country-level plans, while also representing the Foundation externally and coaching a team of specialists. Your work directly shapes how young people across Africa access dignified employment through more inclusive and sustainable agricultural value chains.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate the Foundation’s agrifood systems strategy into a coherent Pan-African portfolio plan, ensuring alignment with country teams and the broader organisational vision for youth employment.
• Identify, cultivate, and manage new regional and continental partnerships with governments, private sector actors, development organisations, and research institutions to unlock systemic change in agriculture.
• Provide hands-on, context-sensitive support to country program teams as they design and deliver agrifood, agribusiness, and climate-related initiatives, helping them adapt global approaches to local realities.
• Build and steward collaboration platforms, networks, and communities of practice that accelerate learning, scaling, and innovation in agrifood systems across Africa.
• Oversee the collection, synthesis, and integration of program learnings from multiple countries, feeding insights back into future program design and co-creation processes.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of agriculture thematic staff, setting clear objectives and accountabilities while fostering an environment of growth and accountability.
• Represent the Foundation at major conferences, workshops, and media events, and nurture relationships with senior leaders in government, donor agencies, foundations, and the private sector to strengthen the organisation’s public profile.
• Champion systems thinking across the portfolio, helping teams address root causes, overcome market barriers, and design programs that can scale sustainably across value chains.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A minimum of 12 to 15 years of professional experience in agricultural sciences, agribusiness, agrifood systems, rural development, nutrition, climate-smart agriculture, or a closely related field, with at least 7 years in a leadership role managing teams.
• A PhD or Master’s degree in agricultural sciences, agricultural economics, or a related discipline.
• Deep, established networks and demonstrated expertise in African agriculture, value chain development, private sector engagement, and inclusive market systems development.
• Proven experience initiating and managing large, complex programs, ideally in the agriculture or agribusiness sector; experience with youth empowerment and agri-preneurship is a strong advantage.
• Strong track record of engaging high-level government officials, business leaders, media, and other influential stakeholders across Africa.
• Comfort and skill in public speaking, conference presentations, and media interaction; formal media training is a plus.
• Working knowledge of systems thinking approaches, with the ability to design interventions that tackle root causes and enable market-based solutions.
• Substantive understanding of current trends, barriers, and emerging opportunities in African agriculture, agrifood transformation, climate resilience, and youth employment.
• Strategic thinking and influencing skills, with the ability to convert enterprise-level priorities into practical country-level portfolios and implementation plans.
• Strong commitment to advancing dignified work opportunities for young people, particularly young women, through inclusive agricultural value chain development.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritise effectively under complexity and ambiguity.
• Professional maturity, cross-cultural sensitivity, and impeccable integrity, aligned with the Foundation’s values and vision.
• Fluency in English is required; working proficiency in French and/or Portuguese is an added advantage.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is an opportunity to shape continental-level strategy in agrifood systems and climate resilience, working alongside committed professionals and diverse partners across Africa. You will have the platform to influence how major investments translate into real, scalable employment outcomes for young people, while growing a team of dedicated agriculture specialists. The role offers meaningful leadership exposure, high-level stakeholder engagement, and the chance to drive learning and innovation that will inform the future of agricultural development across the continent.