Sector Leader Agrifood

Job Description

We are currently seeking a Sector Leader Agrifood:

• Full-time (40 hours per week)
• Initial contract of two years, with the possibility of extension
• Based in Hanoi (preferred) or Ho Chi Minh City
• Open to both Vietnamese national and international candidates

Who you are  
You are a senior professional with strong expertise in agri-food systems and international development, driven by a commitment to sustainable and inclusive transformation. You bring an entrepreneurial mindset, proactively identifying opportunities for growth, partnerships, and innovation, and combine this with collaborative and empowering leadership that enables teams to perform in complex environments.

You are impact-driven and committed to locally led solutions, aligning closely with SNV’s mission and values, and bringing both strategic vision and a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to delivering meaningful and lasting impact.

Position overview
SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995 and today has a strong in-country presence with over 50 national and international staff. From its head office in Hanoi, SNV implements programmes across more than 20 provinces, including some of the poorest and most remote areas. In close partnership with national and local authorities, SNV has driven systemic transformation, reaching 6.2 million people and supporting annual reductions of 738,803 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Its approach is rooted in locally led solutions and ecosystem transformation, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture, inclusive finance, and renewable energy, aligned with Vietnam’s development priorities and 2030 ambitions. https://www.snv.org/country/vietnam

Within this context, SNV Vietnam’s Agrifood sector plays a key role in advancing green and inclusive value chains, ESG standards, and low-emission agricultural practices. This is done in collaboration with private sector, investment, donor, and government partners, through flagship programmes in low-emission rice and coffee, alongside key initiatives in aquaculture and agroforestry.

As Sector Leader Agri-food, you lead, oversee and grow this portfolio in Vietnam. You are a key representative of SNV in the sector, engaging with government, donors, and strategic partners, and contributing as a member of the Country Management Team. You report to the Country Director, with a functional line to the Global Head of Agri-food and are responsible for ensuring strong programme delivery, strategic positioning and alignment with global sector priorities.

You coordinate knowledge management and learning, actively capturing and promoting achievements and lessons learned in close collaboration with the Global Agri-food Team. Business development is a core part of the role, requiring proactive networking, pipeline development and leading the preparation of high-quality funding proposals, supported by the global Business Development team.

Your overall contribution is to strengthen sector performance, expand the funding pipeline, and position SNV as a leading partner in green, inclusive, and low-emission agri-food systems. You drive programme development, business development, and knowledge management, working closely with global teams.

Initially, you will combine this role with Team Leader responsibilities for a large nature-based solutions project in its first year, with a planned transition over time towards greater focus on portfolio oversight and growth. You will operate within a dynamic Vietnam country team and an evolving organisational context, requiring adaptability and flexibility.

Key Responsibilities 

Positioning, Representing and Strategy

• Positions SNV within the sector at the country level, acts as a part of national sector working groups, builds and expands partnerships (with donors and existing partners) through professional profiling.
• Designs country strategy in line with global sector strategy, translates to country context and operationalises strategy.
• Aligns sector strategy with cross-cutting themes and provides coherence within country between sectors, in consultation with relevant internal stakeholders in contribution to the country positioning and year plan.

Business Development and Funding:

• Builds, maintains and utilises relationships with global/national stakeholders, represents SNV and identify funding opportunities in line with (government) guidelines and Business Development policies and procedures.
• Coordinates and supervises pipeline management, review quality of proposals and coherence in cross-cutting themes and analyse success ratio.
• Collaborates with global business development and technical leaders to develop business models for Inclusive Commercial Value Chain work, climate investment work, and carbon-related projects in Vietnam.

Knowledge and Learning

• Contributes to organisational learning by gaining and sharing knowledge and best practices. Prepares, maintains and updates the (sector) knowledge agenda.
• Collects and disseminates knowledge products to stimulate internal and external knowledge exchange and to support global learning.

Sector Operations, Compliance, and Portfolio Management

• Manages the Project Managers, Project Coordinators, and Advisors, steers, monitors and reports to Country Management Team on portfolio of sector projects/ programmes and executes quality control of country sector projects.
• Ensures compliancy with project objectives, customer requirements, corporate KQIs, delegation agreement and frameworks including monitor and evaluation indicators, timeline, budget and contract management, in consultation with the Country Director and where needed with other Sector Leaders.
• Maintains a consistent approach to planning, reporting, monitoring, and evaluating Agri-Food projects.

Advisory services and portfolio management

• Provides expert (sector) advise in strategic projects and programmes, leads key assignments in the sector/country.
• Acts as the Project Manager/Team Leader for one or more projects in the sector.

People Management and Leadership

• Guides, leads and contributes to development and quality of practice, in line with global (sector) strategy, cross-cutting themes and in consultation with Global Sector Head and Country Management Team.
• Guides, leads, develops, coaches and motivates staff, to ensure project/Programmes goals are being realized.

Qualifications

What you bring

To be considered for this role, you bring:

• A Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Sustainable Development, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in international development and project management, with demonstrated responsibility for delivering and overseeing multiple projects.
• Solid expertise in agri-food systems, with hands-on experience in key value chains such as low-emission rice, coffee, mangrove shrimp, and agroforestry (including tree crops and forest protection).
• Practical experience linking agriculture to biodiversity and carbon markets.
• Working knowledge of blended finance (e.g. climate finance, structuring, technical assistance), private sector engagement, and approaches to de-risking SMEs.
• A proven track record in business development, including securing funding from institutional donors as well as engaging non-traditional partners such as private sector, philanthropy, and impact investors.
• At least 5 years of experience working in international contexts, preferably in Southeast Asia and ideally Vietnam.
• Experience in emerging markets or middle-income country contexts within agriculture and rural development.
• Strong experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), including managing large-scale data, working with external verifiers, and using digital MEL systems.
• Fluency in English, with strong communication and representation skills.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, with the ability to manage, coach, and develop high-performing teams.

Additional Information

• Expected start date: September/October 2026
• Travel requirements: frequently to project locations in Vietnam
• This position is open to Vietnamese citizens as well as international candidates.

Working at SNV 
At SNV we challenge and inspire and offer continuous growth. We offer meaningful opportunities to shape the future, expand your skills, and collaborate with a vibrant, global network of experts. At SNV your contribution matter, and your development is our priority.

We are home to 57 cultures working in 22 countries, with about 95% of our team members holding the nationality of the respective countries we work in. We promote international career development. Our workforce consists of a mix of both people with longstanding tenure, willing to share their institutional knowledge, as well as people with local expertise and knowledge. All with an inquisitive view and united in ‘ONE SNV’ working towards our purpose.

Together, we are committed to the effective and efficient stewardship of resources and maximising positive, lasting impacts. Our ability to deliver results rests on our robust foundation of experience, technical knowledge, evidence and learning; our commitment to strengthening capacities and catalysing partnerships; and the relationships and trust of those we work alongside.

SNV is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment and make recruitment decisions based on merit, competence, and organisational needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Women, persons with disabilities, and candidates from under-represented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply 
If you meet the key requirements and feel inspired by this opportunity, we warmly welcome your application. Please submit your CV and motivation letter by 5th of July 2026 via SmartRecruiters.

To ensure a focused and respectful recruitment process, we kindly ask that you apply only if you meet the essential qualifications and are available to work in the specified location.
Please note that only candidates progressing to the next stage of the selection process will be contacted. Individual feedback cannot be provided.

If this role isn’t the right fit but you’re interested in joining SNV in the future, we invite you to follow us on LinkedIn and our career page Vacancies | SNV to stay updated on new opportunities that match your profile.

Reference and vetting check
At SNV, our belief in the CARE principles — Commitment to impact, Adaptive to Context, Respecting Difference and Expertise in Practice — shapes how we work with each other and every interaction we have with our colleagues, partners, and the communities we serve. These values guide how we welcome new team members, ensuring our workplace remains a place of trust, safety, and dignity for all.

As part of our commitment to a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace, we carry out reference and background checks for all determined positions, with particular attention to safeguarding. You will be invited to provide the contact details of [two] referees, and we will only approach them once you have given your permission. We handle this process with care, empathy, and strict confidentiality, using the information solely for purposes related to your application and the role you have applied for.

SNV is committed to safeguarding and to protecting children and adults from all forms of harm, with zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, or any other form of misconduct. As part of creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment, all staff, consultants, and partners are expected to uphold SNV’s safeguarding, child protection, ethical standards, and CARE principles. In line with these commitments — and as a participant in the Inter‑Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS) — SNV will request a Statement of Conduct from your previous employer(s), covering any substantiated findings of misconduct, to ensure a recruitment process that safeguards and protect the communities we serve.