Summary of the Position

Summary of the Organization

Semilla Nueva develops high-yielding, climate-resilient maize seeds that have been conventionally
bred (non-GMO) to have higher levels of the most important missing nutrients: zinc, iron, and quality
protein. Our approach to large-scale adoption of these seeds relies on three strategies:

1. Breeding commercially competitive biofortified seeds, which can increase incomes and
   prevent crop losses for farmers who currently use older hybrid seeds or recycled OpenPollinated Varieties (OPVs);
2. Piloting subsidies to seed companies to profitably sell new, higher-yielding, climate resilient,
   biofortified seeds at prices the poorest of the poor can afford.
3. Working with governments to institutionalize these subsidies through paying for new subsidy
   mechanisms or modifying their existing subsidy mechanisms to focus on new, high-yielding,
   climate resilient, biofortified maize seeds.

In 2024, we will reach over 33,000 farmers and their families and feed over a million people. Our seed is
being used by the governments of Guatemala and El Salvador, with testing in process for an expansion to
East Africa and a goal to reach 3 million farmers, feeding 100 million people in the next ten years.

Specific Tasks

Departmental planning and management:

• Ensure team members are prepared for weekly meetings, prepare agendas with the FAHR Director, and ensure meeting minutes and follow-up
• Supervise of weekly departmental KPIs and support the team in overcoming challenges or setbacks
• When problems or needs for new solutions arise, research possible solutions, review and brainstorm with the team, and implement where possible or present to FAHR Director for decisions.
• Improve systems and practices related to how other organizational departments request support from the FAHR team and make it easier and more efficient for these departments to meet FAHR requirements.
• For new projects, ensure team understanding and alignment with the FAHR director and supervise implementation while identifying problems and proposing solutions.

Financial and administrative management:

• Support the Finance and Administration Associate Manager in developing annual draft budgets for each department in the organization, reviewing expenditures monthly, and creating scenarios for budgetary changes as needed
• When financial reporting systems change, supervise the rollout of new systems
• Supervise annual report filings, payroll processing, and payments for contracted services (US and Guatemala office)
• Improve systems to track grant agreements/contracts and ensure compliance, including financial reporting
• Understand donor preferences to guide financial execution and reporting

Human Resources and culture:

• Lead efforts with the HR coordinator to refine quarterly and annual performance reviews, 360 reviews, and team culture surveys
• Update job descriptions, annual review of salary and benefit benchmarks, and propose any adjustments
• Understand personnel needs within the organization, availability of talent in the market, and support department leads on the design of new positions and hiring activities
• Support the FAHR Director in systematizing and standardizing the hiring and onboarding process, developing indicators for outcomes, and presenting them to the leadership team.
• Create a framework for personal growth and training plans, support department leads in implementation, and monitor progress

Foundation and Grant Management:

• Oversee relationships with current foundation partners, ensuring ongoing engagement and satisfaction.
• Lead efforts in identifying and prospecting new foundation opportunities.
• Supervise the preparation and submission of grant proposals, ensuring accuracy, alignment with funder priorities, and compliance with deadlines.
• Oversee reporting to foundations and other grant-making organizations, ensuring timely and thorough updates.

Qualifications:

Soft Skills:

• Problem-solver and self-starter who can be up and running quickly after thorough organizational onboarding
• Ability to anticipate risks (proactively rather than reactively)
• A passion for contributing to and creating a highly effective and collegial organizational and team culture
• A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization, and problem-solving skills that support and enable sound decision-making
• Ability to track tasks through completion
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Takes initiative and is self-motivated, resourceful, detail-oriented, dependable, with strong attention to detail
• Values alignment: You embody our 4 team’s values: Conviction for real development, Find the way, Transparency that empowers, and Congruence

Hard Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, project management, industrial engineering or related field
• At least 5 years of overall professional experience; ideally, 3+ years of broad project and/or operations management experience
• Must be proficient in spoken, written, and reading business English and Spanish.

Dedired:

• Experience working with bi-laterals and/or government-funded projects
• Familiarity with USAID financial and reporting requirements

Recruitment Process

• 30-45 minute introductory conversation
• A technical activity to measure analytic, organizational, problem-solving, and presentation skills
• A two-hour interview
• Interviews with the Leadership Team and FAHR department leads
• Psychometric tests, background checks, and references
• Offer and final negotiation

Compensation and Location

• Compensation of 40,000-45,000 USD per year, depending on profile
• International health insurance fully covered by Semilla Nueva
• Location: Guatemala City
• Start date: as soon as we identify the right person
• Position type: Full-time

Before applying, please review our website: www.semillanueva.org, including blogs and annual reports.
To apply please send your CV to trabajo@semillanueva.org, with the subject line “Planning and Projects Manager – your name”

Semilla Nueva is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to sustaining a diverse community with a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and encouraging to all. We foster a culture of inclusion that celebrates and cultivates diversity along multiple dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, out of home care, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture, and experience.