Agricultural Transition Programme Manager - 1 year Maternity Cover Contract

EIT Food is seeking a dedicated and results-driven Programme Manager to lead and coordinate projects focused on advancing sustainable and regenerative farming practices. This role involves overseeing cross-border initiatives, engaging with diverse stakeholders across Europe, and ensuring the successful execution of projects that contribute to the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of agriculture.

As a Programme Manager, you will play a key role in managing projects at scale, supporting ecosystem development, and driving knowledge exchange between stakeholders. You will also work closely with agrifood companies, policymakers, cooperatives, and startups to develop and implement innovative solutions for sustainable food systems.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Co-orchestrate publicly co-financed programmes such as Scale-Up Regenerative Agriculture and Regenerative Innovation Portfolio among others, including programme coordination, business development, collaboration procurement, communication, monitoring and reporting.
• Cooperate with startups and industry partners around regenerative agriculture incl. innovation scouting for regenerative agriculture solutions
• Search for external funding to develop and expand the activities within the EIT Food regenerative agriculture programmes.
• Establish and maintain insightful relationships with farmers, farming associations and companies
• Present EIT Food and EIT Food Regenerative Agriculture programmes at events and meetings.
• Perform other activities around agriculture-related business development and public programme management as required.

This role requires strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic leadership skills, as well as a deep understanding of regenerative agriculture, supply chains, and agrifood innovation.

Programme & Project Leadership

• Design, implement, and oversee projects and landscapes that support sustainable and regenerative agricultural transition.
• Ensure the alignment of projects with EIT Food’s mission and objectives while driving measurable impact.
• Develop and manage project plans, budgets, and timelines, ensuring effective resource allocation.
• Supervise project managers and agronomists responsible for executing various agricultural initiatives across multiple countries.
• Provide operational guidance to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Identify and implement funding strategies to sustain and expand the programme’s impact.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Build and maintain relationships with key agrifood stakeholders across Europe, including farmers, agribusinesses, cooperatives, startups, policymakers, research institutions, and public sector actors.
• Lead cross-value chain collaborations to drive innovation adoption in regenerative agriculture and sustainable food production.
• Engage with agrifood companies to co-develop procurement and market strategies that promote regenerative farming and sustainable supply chains.
• Represent EIT Food at European and international relevant events, workshops, and technical sessions to advocate for regenerative agriculture and innovation.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing between regions, ensuring best practices are transferred and scaled effectively.

Innovation & Knowledge Development

• Stay up to date with advancements in regenerative agriculture, carbon farming, digital agronomy, and supply chain innovation.
• Support the design and implementation of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems to track progress and impact.
• Contribute to thought leadership by producing reports, case studies, and guidelines that inform policy and industry practices.
• Work with startups and agrifood innovators to support field-testing of new technologies and solutions for regenerative agriculture.

Operational Excellence & Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and support a team of project managers to ensure high performance and strategic alignment.
• Foster a collaborative, supportive, and results-driven team culture.
• Set clear objectives, provide performance feedback, and support the professional development of team members.

Implement processes to enhance efficiency, impact measurement, and knowledge sharing across projects.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• University degree in agriculture, agronomy, natural resource management, sustainability, food systems, or related fields. Or equivalent by experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in agriculture, sustainability consulting, food systems innovation, or agrifood business development.
• Proven experience in managing multi-stakeholder programmes at a pan-European level.
• Knowledge of regenerative agriculture principles, sustainability frameworks, and agrifood supply chains.
• Strong understanding of Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) systems for soil health, carbon sequestration, and impact assessment.
• Experience in fundraising, grant writing, and securing external financing for large-scale initiatives.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic leadership: Ability to drive pan-European initiatives and align them with broader agrifood transition goals.
• Stakeholder engagement: Excellent ability to engage with farmers, cooperatives, agrifood companies, policymakers, and research institutions.
• Project management: Strong planning, execution, and monitoring skills, ensuring the successful delivery of KPIs.
• Business acumen: Understanding of agrifood industry trends, supply chain dynamics, and investment needs in sustainable agriculture.
• Communication & advocacy: Strong verbal and written communication skills, public speaking, and ability to influence policy and industry practices.
• Problem-solving: Proactive approach to identifying challenges and designing solutions for systemic impact.
• Adaptability & collaboration: Ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving environment with multiple stakeholders across different countries.

WHAT WE OFFER

Working at EIT Food means joining a team of like-minded individuals who are dedicated to creating a better future through food innovation. We cultivate a culture of collaboration, inventiveness, inclusivity, and constructive feedback. All employees are encouraged to contribute their ideas and expertise towards our mission of creating a more sustainable and inclusive food system.
Together, we're making a real impact on the food industry and we're looking for talented individuals like you to join us.

As a valued member of our team, we'll provide you with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

CONTRACT TYPE

Full-time temporary position.

LOCATION & TRAVEL FREQUENCY

The role can be based in any of the EIT Food locations: Belgium (Leuven), Spain (Bilbao & Madrid), Germany (Freisling), Poland (Warsaw), Netherlands or UK. We offer hybrid working.

Frequent travel within Europe (8 days/ month).

Please note that all applicants must be legally authorized to reside and work in their selected location.