Agriculture Program Lead
The Agriculture Program Lead is assigned to lead and coordinate the implementation, stakeholder engagement, and operational oversight of MBC’s agriculture and food security initiatives across key program areas, including Adopt-a-Coop, Price Transparency, Logistics and Cold Storage, Technology Adoption, Market Access, Impact Investment, Replicating Models, and Policy Reform.
The role is responsible for leading project implementation, partnership coordination, stakeholder engagements, and program activities involving government agencies, cooperatives, private sector partners, development organizations, and technical experts. The assignment also includes coordination and supervision of project personnel, monitoring of deliverables and implementation timelines, and support in ensuring effective execution of program objectives and commitments.
In support of the long-term development of MBC’s agriculture portfolio, the role is likewise expected to contribute to program planning, partnership-building initiatives, monitoring of sector developments, identification of implementation opportunities, and scaling of relevant models, initiatives, and collaborative engagements aligned with organizational priorities.
Responsibilities
Program Leadership and Coordination
- Lead and coordinate the implementation of assigned agriculture and food security initiatives, thematic workstreams, and partnership activities.
- Support planning discussions, workplan development, implementation strategies, and operational priorities aligned with MBC’s agriculture portfolio objectives and organizational directions.
- Contribute to internal coordination, strategy discussions, and organizational initiatives related to agriculture, food security, and sector development.
- Exercise initiative, sound judgment, accountability, and ownership in managing assigned projects, stakeholder engagements, and implementation activities while ensuring alignment with approved objectives, timelines, deliverables, and MBC standards.
- Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, maturity, and a constructive attitude in carrying out responsibilities.
- Receive feedback professionally, apply lessons learned, demonstrate continuous improvement in performance and effectiveness and show a willingness to learn, adapt, and improve based on feedback..
- Identify operational gaps, implementation risks, coordination challenges, partnership opportunities, and areas for improvement relevant to assigned agriculture initiatives and thematic priorities.
Project Management and Implementation
- Leads and coordinates the day-to-day implementation of agriculture-related projects, including timelines, deliverables, stakeholder coordination, and follow-through on commitments.
- Ensure projects, activities, deliverables, reports, and stakeholder commitments are completed and submitted on time.
- Lead coordination with cooperatives, government agencies, technical partners, consultants, and private sector stakeholders.
- Ensure meetings, trainings, consultations, and project activities are properly prepared, coordinated, and aligned with clear implementation objectives.
- Monitor project progress and implementation readiness, and recommend adjustments where necessary.
- Support the implementation and expansion of MBC’s Adopt-a-Cooperative Program and related agriculture initiatives.
- Monitor project budgets, expenses, and resource utilization, and coordinate with relevant teams to ensure activities are implemented within approved budgets and funding requirements.
- Take ownership of assigned responsibilities and proactively identify and resolve issues, reducing the need for supervisory intervention over time.
Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Development
- Represent MBC in agriculture-related meetings, forums, consultations, site visits, and stakeholder discussions.
- Build and maintain professional relationships with government agencies, legislators, cooperatives, development organizations, industry groups, and private sector partners.
- Support the development of strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives relevant to MBC’s agriculture agenda.
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to support project implementation and organizational objectives.
Policy, Research, and Sector Monitoring
- Monitor developments, trends, policies, and emerging issues related to agriculture and food security.
- Attend relevant meetings, forums, and discussions to remain informed on sector developments and opportunities.
- Prepare concept notes, briefers, presentations, reports, and policy-related materials.
- Support agriculture-related policy discussions, advocacy initiatives, and stakeholder engagements of MBC.
- Conduct stakeholder, market, and landscape mapping related to agriculture, logistics, agri-tech, and food systems.
Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting
- Maintain organized and updated records of project activities, stakeholder engagements, meetings, and implementation progress.
- Prepare progress reports, meeting summaries, donor updates, and internal documentation as required in a timely manner.
- Track deliverables, commitments, timelines, and follow-up actions across agriculture-related projects.
- Ensure outputs and documents are accurate, complete, well-organized, and consistently aligned with MBC standards prior to submission, requiring minimal revisions for quality, accuracy, completeness, and attention to detail.
- Resource Mobilization Support
- Provide program support in the preparation of proposals, concept notes, sponsorship materials, and donor communications.
- Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to support fundraising and partnership development activities.
Qualifications & Key Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree in public policy, economics, political science, environmental studies, development studies, or related field.
- At least 2–4 years of experience in policy research, program management, government engagement, or sustainability advocacy.
- Strong understanding of Philippine governance processes, program implementation, stakeholder engagement, development work, and multi-sector collaboration involving government, private sector, civil society, and development partners.
- Excellent writing skills; ability to draft briefs, talking points, and analytical notes clearly and accurately.
- Strong coordination, stakeholder management, and project-tracking skills.
- Ability to work on multiple concurrent programs with tight timelines.
- Commitment to transparency, evidence-based policymaking, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
- Policy Analysis & Research
- Stakeholder and Government Engagement
- Project and Event Coordination
- Clear and Professional Communication
- Attention to Detail and Accuracy
- Team Collaboration
Stakeholder and Partnership Coordination
The Agriculture Program Lead may require coordination with the following:
- MBC Agriculture Leaders Committee
- Government agencies and regulatory bodies involved in agriculture, food security, logistics, trade, and rural development initiatives
- Cooperatives, farmers’ groups, and agriculture-based organizations
- Development organizations, donors, and funding institutions
- Private sector partners, industry groups, and technical experts
- Consultants, research institutions, and sector specialists
- Other stakeholders and partners relevant to assigned agriculture initiatives and thematic workstream