RAINFOREST ALLIANCE
Vice President, Planning and Global Operations
Job Description
Background:
The Rainforest Alliance is a highly regarded international nonprofit focused on conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods through transforming land use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. They pioneered the use of certification as a tool to encourage sustainable production and management and have trained hundreds of thousands of individuals in best practices. Since their founding in 1987, they have certified as sustainable more than 1.8 million acres of farmland, more than 157 million acres of forests, and more than 90,000 farms; certified more than 28 crops including coffee, cocoa, tea and flowers; have improved the lives of more than two million workers and their dependents; have directly trained more than 700 teachers reaching more than 11,000 students across the US and Guatemala; and have trained more than 2,200 tourism operators in best management practices.
The Rainforest Alliance operates across the United States and worldwide, and employs over 300 people, of whom 65% are based overseas. Currently, the Rainforest Alliance has satellite offices in 12 countries in addition to those in the United States, with plans to open more. Because they have undergone significant growth and will continue this rapid pace for the foreseeable future, there is a need for someone who can look at the organization strategically and ensure that policies, programs, finances, and human capital issues are smoothly integrated. Further, it is important that there are sufficient metrics, strategies and procedures in place that can measure the organization’s overall effectiveness. As such, the Rainforest Alliance has created a new position entitled the Vice President of Planning and Global Operations.
The Position:
Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President of Planning and Global Operations (“VPO”) will lead strategic planning, coordinate cross-divisional collaboration and integration, oversee operational support and effectiveness in the field, monitor and manage organizational risk in coordination with the General Counsel and CFO, and establish systems for ensuring compliance with external and internal obligations and policies. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the VPO will help guide the organization through significant growth and transition to establish systems, standards and infrastructure. This will include aligning organizational structure and human and financial resources around Rainforest Alliance’s strategies and goals; monitoring and improving performance against goals; developing a scalable infrastructure platform; and growing leadership capacity in the Rainforest Alliance’s global operations team.
He or she will be a strong leader and team-builder, with superlative organizational, evaluation, and problem solving skills. The VPO should have substantial experience in an international organization, with an emphasis on environmental or sustainable development issues. He or she will possess superior speaking and writing skills and be able to communicate successfully and persuasively within the Rainforest Alliance organization and with outside contacts, consultants, and legal counsel, when necessary. The successful candidate will be highly organized, diplomatic, possess sound judgment as well as honed interpersonal skills, and maintain a sense of humor under stress.
Specific responsibilities include:
Organizational Leadership
- Participate with other members of the executive leadership team in strategic planning to define the future direction of the Rainforest Alliance
- Develop and implement silo-busting/cross-functional procedures and protocols to enable successful collaboration across internal departments
- Foster a culture of integrity by setting an example of mature, authentic leadership, and by cultivating leaders throughout the organization
- Effectively lead staff planning meetings, regional meetings and other organizational events to advance organizational priorities and goals
- Support the President in developing strong working relationships with the Board of Directors, as called upon or as necessary
Planning, Evaluation & Research
- Oversee the Evaluation and Research (E&R) Unit, to ensure effective assessment and reporting of organizational impact and implementation of adaptive management, working closely with SVP for Programs
- Monitor and provide guidance and training to ensure operational excellence
- Manage annual planning process, working closely with SVP for Programs, CFO, EVP and other members of the senior management team
- Assess and analyze the implications of proposed actions and decisions by individual areas and departments on the whole of the organization
- Ensure the effective implementation of the strategic plan, including the measurement of performance and fostering cross-integration of strategic directions, goals, and initiatives between divisions and departments
- Lead organizational change to accommodate future business growth and program mix and to enable maximum organizational efficiency
Operations
- Facilitate the alignment of all aspects of the organization's programs and support services to reinforce the effectiveness of strategic and annual work plans. This includes determining country priorities; assessing and realigning key business processes, improving the organizational structure, and the oversight of metrics associated with operational effectiveness
- Ensure effective implementation of cross-divisional, grant-funded projects;
- Working together with the General Counsel, VP for Human Resources and CFO, oversee the appropriate regulatory and compliance issues of foreign operations including but not limited to host country employment, financial and legal requirements
- Working together with the General Counsel, VP for Human Resources and CFO, establish and manage systems for managing parent company and related company governance, compliance and legal obligations
- Working together with the General Counsel and CFO, manage and mitigate organizational risk
- Liaise with Executive Management Committee (EMC) and Board of Directors (BOD) on risk management matters
Supervisory
- Directly manage Assistant, E&R Unit, Program Operations Managers, with dotted line supervision to Heads of Office, Regional Directors, and cross-divisional Project Directors
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field; Masters Degree in international development, non-profit management, or related degree preferred
- Minimum of 15 years relevant work experience in operations management; 5 years managing at an executive level
- Experience in a large, complex, matrix or global non-profit preferred
- Ability to think strategically and operationally, with strong analytical skills and advanced competencies in management
- Leadership in a multi-office, multi-national organizational environment preferred
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Superb verbal and written communications skills in English
- Proficiency in other languages desirable (i.e. Spanish, French)
- Significant travel required
- Strong computer skills (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet and presentations)
The salary will be commensurate with experience. For more information on the Rainforest Alliance, please visit their website www.rainforest-alliance.org.
To Apply:
The Rainforest Alliance has retained the services of Harris Rand Lusk to conduct this search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications may be directed in confidence to:
Anne J. McCarthy, Senior Director
or
Mila Rosenthal, Senior Consultant
Harris Rand Lusk
261 Madison Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10016
mrosenthal@harrisrand.com
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