Thematic Advisor Participatory Plant Breeding

Do you want to fight for equality? Tackling inequality at its roots, together with colleagues, our partner organizations and activists in more than 90 countries? To change the systems behind it, once and for all

Oxfam Novib stands behind the people who stand up for equality. Together, we fight for a world where everyone has equal opportunities, regardless of gender, ethnicity or skin color. A world where everyone feels safe; where income gaps are shrinking instead of growing, where climate change is tackled in a firmer and more honest way.

Equality is the common thread in our work and projects, both internally and externally. We recognize that our team of colleagues can become even more diverse, and that only with a diverse team can we gain a broad perspective on the world. Therefore, we want to encourage everyone who hesitates to apply, no matter the reason. Our aim is to create an environment where everyone not only feels welcome, but where diversity is embraced and celebrated. Let's strive together to build a team that offers a rich variety of perspectives, enabling us to achieve an inclusive and inspiring work environment.

**Job description**

The Thematic advisor Participatory Plant Breeding will be part of the GREEN Climate Resilient Communities Unit (CRC). The CRC unit supports the interest of 500 million smallholder farmers and indigenous communities that feed 90 percent of the population in the developing world. When their crops fail, millions go hungry. They are on the frontline of climate change, living in some of the most vulnerable landscapes. Our programs and partners support them to voice their demands, find local solutions, promote agro-ecology, and locally led adaptation, manage natural resources sustainably, protect their land rights and achieve food security.

The CRC’ seeds for resilience program based on the former SD=HS program, supports smallholder farmers - especially women, and youth - to have the capacity to access, develop and use plant genetic resources - in conjunction with agro-ecological practices and land rights - to improve their food and nutrition security. The seeds program fosters women’s leadership, support rural communities and their allies to voice their demands and influence government and private sector decisionmakers. The program is implemented in countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia and has activities at global level related to influencing, knowledge creating and linking& learning.

Your role will be to strengthen farmer managed seed and food systems led by women and their communities, improve their access to crop diversity and facilitate that this diversity contributes to local food and nutrition security and climate resilience. Responsibilities include strengthening the networks and cooperation with national (farmer) organizations, rural communities and their allies including research institutions; supporting national partners and their rural community networks to improve their capacity to access, develop and use plant genetic resources as part of their fight for farmers’ rights; share materials and develop strategies to handover the training of trainers’ methodology to national counter parts and contribute to strategies and project proposals to enhance and improve the technical and research innovation aspects of the seeds for resilience program.

You will report to unit head of CRC as line manager and to the seeds for resilience program manager on program delivery.

**Key responsibilities**
- Provide internal and external (thought) leadership on Participatory Plant Breeding, especially on rural female farmer’s capacity to access, maintain and improve and develop plant genetic resources.
- Manage the daily implementation of Participatory Plant Breeding parts of seeds for resilience programs in close cooperation with country offices and partner organizations.
- Take responsibility for the assigned budgets related to participatory plant breeding, elaborate proposals for the planning of the effective and efficient use of these resources, monitor the expenditures and reports on this to the project lead.
- Lead the data gathering with (local) partners and country offices for monitoring, evaluating, knowledge building and learning on Participatory Plant Breeding and share these with program stakeholders; pro-actively support exchange on these.
- Evaluate, innovate, and adapt the strategy on Participatory Plant Breeding as part of the seeds for resilience program to strengthen women led food seed and nutrition security.
- Develop new integrated program elements and reach out to donors and partners for joint fundraising on participatory plant breeding and armer managed seeds systems as part of agro-ecology & agro-biodiversity approaches in especially West Africa
- Ensure that the program follows Oxfam Novib’s organizational priorities especially regarding systemic change, gender and youth participation and feminist leadership.

**Required skills an