Director, Agriculture Policy

About the role

The Director, Agriculture Policy will lead Environmental Defense Fund’s efforts to develop and implement effective and innovative agricultural policy solutions in the United States and around the world. This role is a key leader within the Climate-Smart Agriculture team and the Agriculture, Water, and Food (AWF) focus area.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of strategies and workplans for agriculture policy, focusing on cropland and fertilizer use.
• Engage trustees and donors to raise funds and liaise with the EDF Executive Team and Board of Trustees.
• Identify emerging issues and trends to define EDF’s role and value add, and develop strategies based on assessed needs and opportunities.
• Guide strategy for analyzing complex agriculture issues and designing solutions to reduce climate impacts of agriculture by strengthening management and aligning stakeholders' economic incentives with the health of the planet.
• Advance EDF Organizational Effectiveness and Culture (OEC) goals, ensuring people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Represent EDF and the Climate Smart Agriculture team in various fora, communicating on key areas of expertise.
• Provide expert advice and consultation to policymakers, partners, staff, and other stakeholders on agricultural policy.
• Play a key lead role in fundraising efforts, including drafting proposals, growing relationships with donors and foundation officers, tracking and reporting progress, and other functions.
• Identify and cultivate new funders and individuals to contribute to fundraising goals.
• Oversee consultants and coordinate with staff and partners to ensure aligned execution of work to achieve results and work closely with financial operations lead on budget matters.
• Guide, motivate, and develop staff, prioritizing professional development and ensuring staff understand how their work relates to EDF’s global strategy.
• Coordinate across EDF teams to ensure EDF priorities are met.
• Develop a team management plan that clarifies roles and responsibilities, empowers staff, and ensures staff are in the right roles.
• Take accountability for effective and impactful implementation, ensuring that EDF attains its technical, financial, and contractual commitments for work under the Director’s purview.
• Proactively identify and manage risks, escalating as necessary to executive leadership.
• Ensure compliance with EDF’s policies, procedures, and project management processes, and actively contribute to the strengthening of these.
• Serve as a global thought leader and thought partner to influence the broader Ag, Water and Food agenda.
• Guide and oversee novel research that advances our understanding of resilient cropland mitigation and leads to robust solutions.
• Periodically author op-eds or other thought pieces to enhance EDF’s positioning and expand understanding of policy (and other) solutions.
• Proactively strengthen existing and cultivate new partnerships from all sectors (public, private, nonprofit, etc.) that enable EDF to expand the scope, scale, and impact of its work.
• Convene key government, private sector, community, and other stakeholders to advance programming priorities.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree required. A Master’s degree may substitute for up to two years of experience.
• Deep subject matter expertise in agriculture and fertilizer use.
• Strong track record of planning, developing, and implementing strategic programs across complex institutional and stakeholder landscapes.
• Proven ability to lead small teams, oversee multiple complex projects concurrently, and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary internal team members and external partners in a dynamic environment across multiple time zones.
• Attention to detail, personal organization skills, and exceptional project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use independent judgment to plan, prioritize, and organize a diversified workload and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated success in building trusted, high-impact relationships with government agencies, universities, NGOs, agricultural organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Proactive with a strong ability to set priorities and take initiative consistent with broad strategic guidance and to execute in a fast-paced environment with varied stakeholder interests.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency, and inclusivity and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Willingness and ability to engage in travel, as needed.

Pay and Benefits

This is a 2-year fixed-term position with full benefits and the possibility of extension. The annual salary range is $143,000 - $153,000 USD/Yr.

The position is located in Washington, D.C., with a preference for a hybrid schedule. Fully remote candidates may be considered who are comfortable traveling to D.C. for critical meetings.

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization.