Program Manager

About The Role
The Sustainability Program Manager contributes to the design, management, and successful delivery of sustainability programs for their dedicated customer(s). Acting as the local customer interface at Barry Callebaut, he or she ensures operational excellence and achievement of targeted objectives for their assigned customer(s). This role ensures coherence between the overall strategy and field implementation for specific customer(s), providing rigorous monitoring and reliable reporting. This role reports to the Country Sustainability Manager.
Key Responsibilities
The Sustainability Program Manager will lead the following activities, mainly within the scope of their dedicated customer(s):

• Operationalization of the sustainability strategy
• Contribute to identifying priority intervention areas and selecting beneficiaries of sustainability programs for assigned customer(s).
• Participate in defining and formalizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and stay informed of their development.
• Support identification and communication of key learnings and take part in sustainability strategy reviews for assigned customers(s).
• Implementation of sustainability activities
• Assist in translating customer programs into detailed operational plans with clear objectives, milestones, and timelines for each activity, collaborating with Pillar Leads and the Country & Operations Managers.
• Monitor timely and effective implementation of field activities according to customer objectives; identify and report necessary adjustments for assigned customer(s).
• Lead efforts in securing and maintaining the certification requirements of the various client programs
• Support continuous oversight of activity execution to improve efficiency and ensure quality and relevance of field interventions.
• Contribute to annual budgeting for sustainability programs and projects in collaboration with the Operations Manager, ensuring cost optimization without compromising activity quality.
• Team management
• Foster collaborative dynamics across functions to achieve field results and quality client deliverables.
• Support objective allocation based on work plans and performance monitoring at country level.
• Participate in approving objective allocations proposed by Sector Managers based on work plans and monitor performance at various sectors and societies.
• Contribute to designing training plans, building team capacities and supporting the implementation of individual development plans of field staff in collaboration with the Operations and Country Sustainability Managers.
• Customer management
• Define and manage the design of customer programs, integrating necessary technical expertise to ensure compliance with certification requirements and customer expectations.
• Track the implementation of customers’ program implementation, to ensure proper execution and alignment with sustainability goals and volume developments.
• Manage customer relationships, including organizing field visits to showcase program achievements and enhance transparency.
• Prepare reports and communications for customers, including quarterly reports featuring impact analyses and success stories, ensuring data relevance in coordination with global teams.
• Serve as the reference point for all strategic and operational questions related to programs internally and externally.
• Stakeholder management
• Ensure collaboration with key internal stakeholders (Sourcing, Traceability, Finance, etc.) for coherent and smooth activity execution in the sector and district levels.
• Coordinate governance and facilitate regular meetings with key teams (Pillar Leads, Country Operations, Procurement, Finance) to guarantee consistent management of customer programs.
• Participate in managing strategic partnerships with key external stakeholders. Manage relationships with district sourcing, societies and partner NGOs: contracting, monitoring commitments, and validating deliverables.
• Produce internal reports required by management and key stakeholders.
  

About You

• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Economics, Project Management, Business Administration or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience designing, implementing, and monitoring sustainability programs in the agricultural sector, preferably in cocoa.
• Proven experience coordinating partnerships with cooperatives, NGOs, and donors, as well as managing complex customer relationships.
• Strong expertise in defining and managing sustainability strategies, gained within agricultural and international organizations.
• Proven team leadership and capacity building skills
• Proficient in digital tools and platforms, Microsoft applications
• Solid budgeting and financial management experience
• Strong monitoring, evaluation & reporting abilities
• Experience with design and management of operational programs
• Willing and able to travel upcountry 50% of the time
  

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.
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