Alliance of Champions for Food System Transformation Consultant

Alliance of Champions for Food System Transformation (ACF)

Start date: 01 March 2025.

Duration: Initial five months (through 31 July 2025), with a possible extension through March 31, 2026 (end of Norwegian funding period).

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 25 February 2025 (11:59 CET).

The objective of this consultancy is to lead the implementation of the ACF's 'Betting Big' workstream, which comprises two time-sensitive core elements as requested by member countries:

·       Supporting the integration of food systems transformation into member countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UNFCCC process

·       Facilitating and accelerating food systems investment in low and middle-income member countries

The consultant will be responsible for delivering concrete results in both areas ahead of key milestones at the Africa Food Systems Forum (early September 2025) and COP30 (November 2025). This work requires immediate engagement with member countries to ensure timely NDC submissions and to develop investment opportunities that can demonstrate tangible impact at these upcoming events.

Consultant's Responsibilities:

·       Lead strategy development and implementation for the ACF Secretariat's country engagement work, with particular focus on Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam

·       Build and maintain relationships with senior government officials in member countries to facilitate their engagement with the ACF's objectives

. Provide technical expertise and guidance to member countries on incorporating food systems transformation into their NDCs

·       Identify and facilitate investment opportunities in member countries' food systems

·       Coordinate with relevant stakeholders (CGIAR, FOLU, and other entities in the food systems space) to maximize support for member countries

·       Lead the preparation of high-impact deliverables for major international events, particularly the Africa Food Systems Forum and COP30

·       Work closely with the Head of Secretariat to ensure alignment of country engagement activities with overall ACF strategic objectives

·       Contribute to the development of ACF's public messaging and advocacy materials

·       Support the monitoring and evaluation of country engagement activities to demonstrate impact

·       Travel to member countries and international events as required to support program implementation

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables:

1.              Member engagement and support:

·       Lead the Secretariat’s work with founding (Brazil, Cambodia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone) and new (Tanzania, Vietnam) members of the ACF to ascertain their support needs in relation to delivery of ACF goals. This will include:

o   working with Secretariat country leads to identify key actors and build the necessary relationships in each country;

o   supporting members to identify their food systems investment needs and opportunities, including via available technical assistance or other resources within and beyond the ACF network of members and Secretariat family of institutions;

o   depending on countries’ requests, potentially going a step further and helping to match these with investors (e.g. via the investment summit that Sierra Leone is planning for 2025), and

o   support for member countries’ efforts to incorporate ambitious national food transformation plans into their NDCs and NBSAPs. 

2.              Demonstrating progress:

.        Identify the progress made by ACF members on investment in their food systems transformation efforts, with a view to advocacy at key international events throughout 2025. These are likely to include the One Planet Network in Brazil in May; the UNFSS+4 summit in July in Ethiopia; the Africa Food Systems Forum in Senegal in September, and COP30 in Brazil in November.

.        Work with MEL- and communications-focused Secretariat colleagues to ensure that i) member countries can identify clear success criteria and underpinning metrics to demonstrate their progress against the ACF’s ten agreed action areas, building on the ‘progress snapshots’ launched at COP29, ii) the investment story is told clearly and well at the events listed above, with a particular focus on AFSF in September, and iii) and that ACF countries come to COP30 in November with a clear story on progress against ACF commitments.  

3.              Event planning and delivery:

Support the planning, design and delivery of an ambitious set of public events over the course of 2025, culminating at COP30 with the ACF’s ‘Betting Big’ showcasing of member achievementssince launch, particularly in terms of mobilising investment and integration of food systems into their NDCs.

Key milestones:

•      May 2025: One Planet Network meeting in Brazil

•      July 2025: UNFSS+4 summit in Ethiopia

•      Early September 2025: Africa Food Systems Forum in Senegal (key reporting milestone)

•  November 2025: COP30 in Brazil (major milestone for showcasing NDC and investment impact)

Qualification Skills & Experience:

The successful candidate will possess:

• An advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g. nutrition, health, international development, or related areas)
• At least 10 years' experience in the international aid sector
• Proven expertise across key ACF focus areas: nutrition and health; trade and multilateral diplomacy; climate change; food systems
• A strong track record in working with complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Experience working with high-level government officials
• A proven ability in international development project management
• Excellent written, spoken and presentation skills in English

Additional desired skills include:

• Experience working in different country contexts, including low- or lower-middle income countries in Africa and/or Asia.
• Additional languages (especially Portuguese or Spanish).

All applications must be submitted online by clicking the 'Apply' button below. If you require assistance or face challenges in submitting your application, please email smo-bidding@cgiar.org with the position title in the subject line. Please note we will not accept applications through this email. 

Please ensure that your resume and cover letter are in English and do not contain your marital status, age, or photograph. Documents provided in a language other than English will not be considered.

CGIAR is committed to fair, safe, and inclusive workplaces. We believe that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational, and multi-disciplinary, collegial working environment. We consciously create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

All received applications will be acknowledged; however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. 

We look forward to hearing from you!