Category-Manager/in

OVERVIEW:

Fairtrade is the most recognized and trusted sustainability label, working to make trade fairer for people and planet.

For more than three decades, Fairtrade has been making an impact on the way trade works. We believe that every farmer and worker should have access to a better way of doing business, and a better way of living. 

Fairtrade International is an independent non-profit organisation representing more than two million small-scale farmers and workers worldwide. It owns the FAIRTRADE Mark, a registered trademark that appears on more than 37,000 products. Beyond certification, Fairtrade International and its member organisations (three producer networks and 19 national Fairtrade organisations) partner with producers and businesses, engage consumers, and advocate for a fair and sustainable future.

 Unit’s description and purpose: 

Global Products, Programs and Policy (GPPP) provides leadership to the Fairtrade system with selected product, program and policy intelligence. To this end GPPP provides information, tools and strategic direction as the main outputs. 

GPPP facilitates and contributes to coherent implementation of strategic plans within the Fairtrade system. GPPP develops new ways of delivering Fairtrade’s intended impact in a changing business environment and risk context.

PRINCIPAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Role purpose: 

The Cocoa Manager is responsible for implementation of GPPP cocoa works based on work schedule agreed with the Senior Advisor Cocoa. The work will deliver measurable impact for farmers and workers under its 2026–2028 Global Strategy. 

The Cocoa Manager joins a team that works fluidly, sharing responsibilities across multiple workstreams supporting each other where the need is the greatest to achieve their objectives. The environment is dynamic and priorities can shift with external events impacting workplans.  

In addition to other duties the Cocoa Manager, working within GPPP cocoa, will  work in close collaboration with Producer Networks, National Fairtrade Organisations and the Fairtrade International Global Impact team responsible for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, to ensure the Fairer Futures Programme – West Africa Cocoa is implemented professionally and on time. The programme is primarily focused on increasing the household income of farmers who are members of Small Producer Organisaitons in the programme. The programme leads to farm level interventions through Small Producer Organisaitons including pruning, cocoa tree planting and shade tree planting among others. The programme includes further interventions on income such as Village Savings and Loans Association, and interventions on social compliance including increasing the effectiveness of child labour monitoring, reporting and remediation. 

Future working responsibilities may extend to other geographies and other commodities.

Main Responsibilities:            

• Supporting National Fairtrade Organisations, in their responsibilities to maintain and grow the market for Fairtrade cocoa.
• Supporting Producer Networks, in their work with Small Producer Organisations, and maintaining and growing the market for Fairtrade cocoa.
• Programme design. Work with stakeholders, and mostly importantly the Producer Network, to ensure programme design is based on evidence with robust monitoring, evaluation and learning contributing to the evolution of the programme.
• Programme implementation. Co-management with the Producer Network based on agreed reporting structures and formats providing oversight and reporting to stakeholders in a timely manner. This will include the running of, and reporting to, a working committee.
• Financial reporting.  Responsible for ensuring timely quarterly financial reporting including an understanding of any variance from plan and agreed actions to remediate that situation.
• Programme monitoring, evaluation and learning. Working with Fairtrade International monitoring, evaluation and learning experts and the Producer Network to ensure implementation and prioritisation of effective monitoring, evaluation and learning in a timely manner.
• External programme reporting. Working with Fairtrade International monitoring, evaluation and learning experts, Producer Network and National Fairtrade Organisations ensuring agreed reporting deadlines are met with quality reporting to be used with commercial stakeholders, government and other interested stakeholders.
• External stakeholder engagement, traders. Working closely with the Producer Network manage relationships with exporter, importer and processers of cocoa who purchase Fairtrade cocoa from Small Producer Organisaitons. Traders are a critical part of the supply chain and their incorporation into the programme is desired and necessary.
• External stakeholder engagement, events. Working with National Fairtrade Organisations you will be speaking at public and trade events on the strategic objectives of our work, the progress and impact with the aim of influencing the sector.
• External stakeholder engagement, media. Where required you will interact with media.
• Fairtrade Standards and Pricing. Liaising with the lead department in Fairtrade on standards and pricing, Fairtrade’s Standards Unit and Pricing Unit, you will be working on standards and pricing matters relating to Fairtrade’s cocoa work and the programme.

This will include and not limited to consultations, queries and evolution of standards and pricing. 

Other tasks that are consistent with the level and responsibilities of this post.

SKILLS REQUIRED:

Level of education: The position holder will have an undergraduate degree in science or the arts. 

Years of professional experience: A minimum of three years' experience in complex project management which includes implementation in the global South and preferably West Africa.

Language requirements: Fluency in English and French required. Professional proficiency in Spanish is an advantage. 

Job Specific Competencies/knowledge: 

• Project and Programme Management
• People management, particularly where they are not under your direct management
• Stakeholder Management
• International Development Expertise
• Planning and execution
• Financial reporting
• Negotiation
• Public speaking
• Capacity Building

Personal Qualities: 

• Cross-cultural communication
• Facilitation
• Rapid Learning
• Collaboration/Teamwork
• Customer Service
• Presentation Skills
• Relationship Management
• Evidence Collecting
• Flexibility
• Seeking and action on feedback

Software/Tools:

• Microsoft 365 (Excel, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint, Teams, Planner)
• Miro (or similar online whiteboarding tools)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

• This is a two-year full-time position within Fairtrade International.
• Location is at Fairtrade International offices in Bonn, Germany with the opportunity for hybrid work arrangements
• The office language is English
• Salary as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Wholesale and Foreign Trade Industries for North Rhine Westphalia Group 6a and over tariff payments starting from €5455 Gross per month
• Holiday Bonus and 13th salary
• 30 days of holidays per year (for fulltime employees)
• Subsidised public transportation ticket
• Subsidised meal services
• Childcare cost subsidy

Please note that Fairtrade International is strict on compliance with the required qualification criteria mentioned above, and only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.