The Market Shaping Accelerator at the University of Chicago is led by some of the world’s leading market shaping scholars including Nobel laureate Michael Kremer (UChicago), Professor and President of the Center for Global Development Rachel Glennerster (CGD), and Professor Christopher Snyder (Dartmouth). The accelerator aims to identify the most promising areas for market shaping instruments (such as Advance Market Commitments) to incentivize innovations that address pressing global challenges such as climate change and health.
Job Summary
The Market Shaping Accelerator (MSA) is developing a new set of Advance Market Commitments (AMCs) for climate-resilient crop innovation and scale-up, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where crop yields have remained low (Our World in Data) and will be hit by climate change (Hultgren, 2022). Read our draft memo here. We are seeking someone to lead this initiative full time. The Head of Climate-Resilient Crops will develop and execute the program strategy, secure support from policymakers and funders and manage and scale the MSA climate-resilient crops team. This position will work closely with the Market Shaping Accelerator Leadership team.
Responsibilities
- Leadership – develop and execute program strategy and lead the crops team, with support from the Market Shaping Accelerator leadership team
- Collaborating with policymakers, funders and other actors on delivering and implementing AMCs in this space
- Fundraising – securing sponsorship from funders and backing from policymakers for AMCs in this space, with support from the Market Shaping Accelerator leadership team
- Communicate authoritatively on topics related to agriculture, seed markets and climate based on a strong / growing command of these areas
- Engage effectively with domain experts and those with analytical expertise (including in economics) both internally and externally
Minimum Qualifications
- 5+ years of relevant experience and a proven ability to develop and implement strategic plans that align with organizational goals, particularly in areas such as agriculture, market shaping, or international development
- Strong interpersonal skills and experience building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, such as policymakers, NGOs, research institutions, and private sector partners
- Excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills
- Track record of orchestrating and driving progress across multiple workstreams, while maintaining high standards of quality and meeting deadlines
Preferred Qualifications
- Postgraduate degree related to business, economics, public policy, or agriculture
- 7 – 10+ years of relevant experience, at least 5+ years managing complex international teams
- Knowledge and experience of agriculture (seed markets, agronomy, or crop breeding), climate change and food security
- Work experience in low- and middle-income countries
Working Conditions
- This role is based in Washington D.C. in the CGD offices
- Domestic and international travel as needed
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (required)
- References Contact Information (3)(required)
- Writing sample (required)
To apply, please email marketshaping@uchicago.edu.