Director to the Secretariat of the Nutrition and Sustainable Agri-food Collaborative

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Position Summary:

McGill is embarking on an ambitious collaboration with seven African organizations to support educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for sub-Saharan youth.  This Collaborative will foster interdisciplinary collaboration between academia, industry and policy makers to catalyze research, development and innovation and address   structural disconnects between educational institutions and the workforce that contribute to unemployment,

Reporting to the Executive Director, Strategic Integration, in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic), the Director of the Secretariat to the Collaborative will oversee a team of 6-8 professional and managerial staff responsible for strategic planning, financial management, reporting, communications, and program implementation for the Collaborative, including oversight of sub-award agreements with partner institutions. The team will likewise serve as a facilitating hub for activity across all partner institutions.

In this capacity the Director will be responsible for aligning the development and sustainment of programming in support of the three strategic outcomes identified for the Collaborative: experiential learning opportunities that promote climate-smart, traditional, and nutrition-rich agri-food practices rooted in community-based action research and innovation; access for young people, including young women, refugees and internally displaced people, and young people with disabilities, to inclusive and flexible learning opportunities across their careers; and education ecosystems equipped with policies, networks, skills, leadership, and resources to nurture youth-driven entrepreneurial ventures that address critical needs in the nutrition and agri-food ecosystem and spur inclusive economic growth.

The Director will likewise promote and reflect the shared Principles of Collaboration adopted by the Partner organizations (inclusive governance; diverse views make us stronger; partnerships, not projects; respect; equality and inclusion; commitment to those served by the Collaborative) in the co-development of Collaborative programming and deliverables and in the day-to-day management of the Secretariat to the Collaborative in support of the Collaborative.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the implementation of the full scope of the governance structure intended for the Collaborative; seek nominations to standing committees and working groups and define terms of reference and deliverables; strike ad hoc working groups in support of the Executive Steering Committee and/or the Secretariat to the Collaborative as necessary.
• Oversee annual activity reporting by all Collaborative partners, maintaining a coherent, integrated narrative of Collaborative activity and achievements across the full span of the program;
• Review and assess quarterly financial reports submitted by sub awardee institutions;
• Develop and maintain effective mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation with respect to intended outcomes of the Collaborative; oversee staff employed in Africa mandated to support program outcomes, ensuring effective integration with staff based at McGill and at other partner institutions.
• Lead McGill-based program initiatives in collaboration with Faculty-based Principal Investigators.
• Cultivate collaborative, collegial relationships with colleagues in University Advancement, Communications, and Financial Services, among other units to ensure McGill’s compliance to the partnership agreement are met and respected
• Cultivate collaborative, collegial relationships with and among partner institutions in support of the implementation of Collaborative programming and capacity-development for local stakeholders.
• Work directly with the Global Engagement team at McGill to transfer knowledge developed via the Collaborative to inform efforts to expand McGill’s engagement with sub-Saharan Africa.
• Provide strategic advice to McGill leadership and to leaders across the Collaborative with respect to program governance, achievement of deliverables, assessment of any changes thereto, and opportunities to expand the reach of the Collaborative.
• Direct and manage professional staff by recruiting and