Devex Career Hub: Insider tips on working in food systems

For many aspiring global development professionals, the driving force behind a career path is purpose-driven work, and for those working in food systems, there’s plenty of purpose to go around. In this edition of Career Hub, I’m sharing some of what we learned from speaking to those working on the front lines of the food crisis. Plus, new job postings from UNICEF, DAI Global, and much more. + Join us on July 27: Whether you’re looking to connect with like-minded professionals, recruiters, or thought influencers, the ingredients you choose to put into your LinkedIn posts make all the difference. To learn what to do and when, register now for this event exclusively for Devex Career Account members. Top jobs this week 1. Head of International Policy and Advocacy UNICEF United Kingdom 2. Project Manager, MENA Management Systems International United States (Remote) 3. Senior Business Development Manager DAI Global UK Spain | Bulgaria | Serbia 4. Director, Global HR Operations myAgro Senegal + See the full list Foraging a new career path To ensure food security while also safeguarding the environment, the world needs more professionals that can bridge the gap between disciplines and sectors to come up with new and effective solutions. If this sounds like a career path for you, let’s meet a few food systems specialists and learn more about what goes into their work, including the skills needed to address these increasingly complex challenges. Edna Kalaluka, head of school feeding for the World Food Programme in Sudan — Looking for money is a big part of this job. It’s also a coordination role, where you have to talk to everyone, from food producers to people marketing or selling the food to other WFP teams. Kalaluka is also a so-called home-grown school feeding expert, focusing on connecting programs with local smallholder farmers to boost their livelihoods. Toyin Oluwole, food scientist and technologist at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research in Nigeria — Food loss is one of the many issues food scientists and technologists are working to solve. Oluwole’s day-to-day includes studying processes “from the farm gates, as soon as agricultural produce is harvested, until it gets to the table of the ultimate consumer in the most nutritious and safe form possible.” Ana Cristina Canales Gomez, independent livestock specialist and consultant — Livestock is an integral part of the household economy and contributes to family subsistence, income, and well-being, Gomez says. Her day-to-day consists of translating her knowledge as a veterinarian into policies and national strategies for countries that want to develop their livestock sector responsibly and sustainably. Read: Want to fix the food system? Consider these 4 career paths Explore more: How to build career expertise in food systems Who’s hiring? “The solutions are there, but we need to reinforce our work for diversity, our work for long-term solutions, our work with the people who have the knowledge, who we have neglected for years.” --— Lola Castro, regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, World Food Programme We recently published a roundup of who is actively hiring on Devex’s job board in response to the global food crisis. Here are a few of the top roles that currently need filling. • Solidarites International: Clichy, Ile de France, France — Food security and livelihoods coordinator, closing on Aug. 11. • World Bank Group: Washington D.C., United States — Senior agribusiness specialist, closing on July 31. • World Food Programme: Rome, Italy — Assistant executive director, programme, closing on Aug. 1. • World Vision: Kenya — Chief of Party, USAID Kenya Feed the Future project, closing on July 26. Read more: The globaldev organizations hiring in response to the food crisis + Want to see salaries on Devex job board postings? To view these, you do need to be logged in at Devex.com with at least a Community Membership account — if you don’t have one, you can create it now for free. A Community Membership account also gives you access to more Devex articles and events. Or, try a Career Account with a 15-day free trial to unlock all career advice articles, events, and much more. Members-only jobs this week 1. Individual Consultant: Global Impact Study Advocacy NGO United States 2. Project Management Lead, Rewards Review Medical humanitarian organization Worldwide 3. Finance Transformation Senior Officer Climate foundation Belgium 4. Senior Operations Advisor Humanitarian aid agency Worldwide + See the full list Hail to the chief (of party) To qualify as a chief of party, candidates need to have a wealth of experience in managing development projects and in handling similar-sized budgets. But there’s much more for prospective COPs to know, from understanding how USAID’s complicated recruitment process works to planning for the unique challenges that arise in the role. This is why we’ve compiled this guide for the chief of party position, which is loaded with advice from those who have held or currently hold the role, as well as data analysis on salary expectations and much more. Download: Your guide to being a chief of party (Career) Explore more: What we know about salaries for chief of party positions (Career) + Our in-house recruitment specialists are currently compiling talent pools based on specific global development skill sets, from chiefs of party to monitoring, evaluation and learning specialists. Candidates can update their Devex profiles to be considered, and employers can learn more here. Around the watercooler News and views from around global development worth knowing about. • WHO wants to move? At a recent online town hall, WHO laid out a new policy that would require internationally recruited staff to move to a different duty station every two, three, or five years. The agency says this will increase diversity, efficiency, and flexibility. That’s not how several employees described it to Devex. • Following the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s decision to bring back staff to their offices, Devex’s latest This Week in Global Development podcast delves into the topic of remote work and the potential direction the sector may be heading in. + To keep up to date with all the must-read global development coverage, be sure to sign up to the daily Devex Newswire. 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