Manager, Urban-Rural Alliances (Food Systems) needed at C40 Cities

Position Description:

• The Manager, Urban-Rural Alliances (Food Systems) is a critical role responsible for spearheading a two-year, funded project focused on transforming regional food systems in Africa. This project involves collaborating with a select number of African cities to forge strong, formal alliances with their neighbouring municipalities. The core goal is to co-create context-specific sustainable governance frameworks for regional food system coordination. Through this framework, the Manager will drive the development of new or repurposed business support programmes aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and smallholder farmers. The ultimate impact of this work is to increase the availability of healthy, sustainably produced, and affordable food in cities, and improve the food economy in the surrounding productive communities, contributing to greater food security and resilience across the urban and rural areas. 
• This position directly supports C40’s broader Food Programme, which works to transition cities towards regenerative resource management, making it easier to eat healthy and sustainably within planetary boundaries, whilst wasting less food.

Responsibilities: 

• Project and working group management: Establish and manage a working group of African signatory cities of the C40 Thriving Food Systems Accelerator to facilitate project delivery.
• Governance framework development: Oversee the assessment of appropriate governance mechanism models for urban-rural alliances, including primary research, managing planning, scheduling, procurement (RfP, contracting), and monitoring.
• Direct city support: Directly support a number of selected C40 cities in Africa to pilot the co-creation of a governance mechanism with neighbouring municipalities for regional food systems coordination.
• Business programme development: Support participating cities in coordinating with neighbouring municipalities to assess existing support programmes, conduct a gap analysis, and facilitate city action to develop the framework for new or repurposed business support programmes for smallholder farmers and SMEs.
• Knowledge sharing & replication: Capture and disseminate learnings to support wider city replication of successful urban-rural engagements, aiming to increase the availability and affordability of healthy food that is sustainably produced. 

Person Specification:

• The Manager, Urban-Rural Alliances (Food Systems) will be an experienced and proactive individual, able to manage their work independently and make the most of a complex portfolio in a high-profile area of C40’s work. They will join a team of dynamic C40 staff and leading cities around Africa. They will be passionate about food systems, and working with a diverse range of cities to find practical solutions to successful collaboration linking productive landscapes with centers of consumption. 
• Strong experience designing and advising on regional food systems interventions, with a specific focus on urban-rural coordination.
• Proven experience in developing and advising on business support programmes for smallholder farmers and SMEs, and a deep understanding of the interests, drivers, and constraints of formal and informal private sector partners in a regional food systems context.
• Experience working internationally, particularly in Africa, across time zones, in multiple languages, with diverse cultures and stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge and experience in cross-municipal and urban-rural engagement, with excellent relationship management skills, including a proven understanding of the political dynamics between city and neighbouring local governments.
• Experience of successfully managing multi-stakeholder programmes or partnerships from initial challenges to the co-design and delivery of successful solutions.
• Proven ability in managing service providers, including developing and executing contracts, monitoring deliveries and programmatic performances and ensuring compliance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills essential, including proven ability to develop reports, deliver compelling messages and facilitate virtual meetings or webinars.
• Proven ability in developing, delivering and reporting on programme plans, including contract and budget management.
• Strong problem-solving, interpersonal and strategic thinking capabilities coupled with an outcome, delivery-oriented approach required.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in locally spoken languages would be beneficial.