Global Initiative Facilitator

TERRA (Together for the Expansion of Resilient and Restorative Agroforestry and Agroecology) is a Plan to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) for Axis 3, Key Objective 9 of the COP 30 Action Agenda. It aims to scale up agroecology and agroforestry (AE/AF) systems to restore biodiversity, enhance climate adaptation and mitigation, strengthen food and nutrition security, and generate decent rural incomes, with a focus on family farmers, including indigenous peoples and traditional communities, rural women and youth.

PAS TERRA operates along two tracks: mobilizing five acceleration levers (strengthening cooperatives and farmers organizations; technical capacity building; blended finance; access to seeds, bio-inputs, and machinery; value addition and market access) and fostering international policy dialogues on the challenges and opportunities associated with expanding agroecology and agroforestry. PAS TERRA is led by a steering committee comprised of the Ministry Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA) of Brazil, FAO/Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Agroecology Coalition, The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT (CGIAR), and NOW Partners Foundation (NOW).

About the role

The Global Initiative Facilitator will support the implementation of the initiative at the global level, ensuring strategic alignment among the founding members, institutional partners, target territories, and other key stakeholders. The Facilitator will serve as the primary focal point for the initiative’s global coordination, fostering dialogue, collaboration, and consensus-building among diverse actors, while facilitating policy, technical, and operational processes that advance the agendas of productive forests, agroecology, restoration, and sustainable rural development.

The Facilitator will also support the initiative’s governance, monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes, ensuring the generation of strategic information to inform decision-making and adaptive management. The Facilitator will report regularly to the six founding members of PAS TERRA, providing updates on implementation progress, challenges, emerging opportunities, and strategic recommendations to support collective governance and the consolidation of the initiative at a global scale.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation and coordination of TERRA priorities, including:
  • Facilitate and support founding organizations and country partners in implementing agreed priorities and activities.
  • Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and knowledge-sharing among the different TERRA constituencies.
  • Facilitate policy, technical, and operational processes of TERRA under Steering Committee (SC) supervision.
  • Develop and monitor implementation of the annual work plan and budget for approval by the SC.
  • Monitor progress and results.
  • Provide regular updates to the SC and TERRA partners on progress, opportunities, and implementation challenges across TERRA initiatives.
  • Support the development of TERRA’s resource mobilization strategy, including identifying and connecting opportunities, engaging with potential donors, and following up on partnerships on behalf of the SC.
  • Strengthen national and international partnerships.
  • Manage potential conflicts of interest, ensuring impartial facilitation across the six founding organizations and other TERRA constituencies.
• Plan, organize, and facilitate regular meetings of the SC and TERRA partners:
  • Organize regular coordination meetings among TERRA founding organizations and TERRA partners.
  • Support TERRA initiatives representation in strategic forums and high-level engagements.
  • Draft documents for discussion and approval by the SC.
  • Organize public events and support outreach and communication efforts on TERRA to external stakeholders.
  • Maintain effective liaison with TERRA partners and facilitate coordination across partnerships.
  • Support potential workstreams to be assigned among partners with defined tasks and responsibilities to achieve TERRA goals.
• Reporting:
  • Elaborate monitoring reports on the implementation progress of TERRA activities, work plan, and budget.
  • Elaborate general reports to guide SC decision-making on resource mobilization, partnership opportunities, and event results.
• Ensure compliance with FAO standards and guidelines, including:
  • FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31
  • FAO social media policy and guidelines
  • Social Media Branding Guidelines
  • FAOSTYLE
  • FAO terminology
  • FAO Names of Countries
  • Story guidelines, story templates, UN map standards, and FAO logo policy

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Environmental Sciences, Agriculture, Rural Development, Public Policy, International Relations, Economics, Public Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the design, coordination, and implementation of programs and initiatives related to sustainable rural development, agroecology, productive forests, landscape restoration, climate action, biodiversity conservation, bioeconomy, or related fields.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Portuguese.
• National of Brazil.

Skills

• Experience in building strategic partnerships and mobilizing financial and technical resources from bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, and other development partners.
• Experience in results-based management, strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL).
• Previous experience working in international organizations, development cooperation agencies, or global partnerships is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of climate finance, blended finance, sustainable investment mechanisms, and rural financing instruments is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of French, Spanish, German, or Mandarin would be an asset.
• Relevant experience in agroecology, agroforestry, and/or biodiversity-agriculture policy processes (e.g., GBF, Rio Conventions).
• Experience in multi-stakeholder facilitation and coordination, including with government, donors, producer organizations, indigenous peoples and traditional communities, civil society organizations, research institutions, and development partners.
• Proven experience facilitating policy dialogue, multi-sectoral governance processes, and strategic engagement at national, regional, and international levels.
• Strong knowledge of policies and development frameworks related to agroecology, productive forests, sustainable food systems, climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and rural development.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and reporting skills, including the preparation of strategic documents, technical reports, policy briefs, and donor communications.
• Availability for fieldwork and travel.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.