IRS26359 - Associate Program Director: Systems Development and Scaling

CIMMYT; India; Hybrid; INR 8,555,000 - 12,357,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing allowance

Company car

Health insurance

Children's education support

Paid vacation

Annual travel allowance

Retirement plan

Relocation assistance

Job summary

CIMMYT is seeking a senior leader to head Systems Development and Scaling within SAS, guiding strategy, partnerships, and investment to scale innovations across regions. This role will drive cross‑country impact, sustainability, and institutional capacity.

Based in CIMMYT offices across Latin America, Asia or Africa, the role leads multi-country teams, advances funding, and integrates delivery in policy, seed systems, and private sector platforms to improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers.

Qualifications

• PhD (or master's with exceptional experience) in agricultural or development economics, sustainable development, agricultural systems, rural development, agroecology, public policy or a related field.
• At least 10 years of distinguished leadership in agricultural development, scaling or program delivery in international contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate Systems Development and Scaling vision and strategy aligned with CIMMYT objectives.
• Oversee partnerships, fundraising and investment pipelines with government, development banks and private capital.
• Mentor multi-country, transdisciplinary teams and manage budgeting, compliance and risk.

Skills

Leadership across multiple countries

Funding/financing expertise

Education

PhD or Master’s with exceptional experience in agricultural/development economics or related field

Job description

About us:

CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow's problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.

For more information, visit cimmyt.org.

Purpose:

Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Systems Development and Scaling portfolio of SAS, so that tested innovations are adopted at scale and contribute measurably to CIMMYT 2030 strategy, providing feedback and insights to improve innovation development within CIMMYT's Discovery portfolios.

Key accountabilities

1. Systems Development and Scaling vision and strategy:

Define and execute the System Development strategy for SAS, aligned with CIMMYT's Excellence in Science and Innovation objectives, identifying high impact opportunity innovations, innovation combinations, countries and pathways using scaling science tools and approaches together with cost-benefit evidence. Strengthen coherence across country and regional projects so that investments build lasting institutional capacity and systems change.

2. Systems and scaling science:

Contribute to research in scaling science, aligning outcome delivery with tangible and high-value monitoring and learning.

3. Delivery pathways:

Embed innovations in public delivery systems (policy, extension, seed systems) and in market and enterprise systems (private distribution, value chains, digital platforms). Promote viable delivery models and partner ownership that can continue beyond project funding.

4. Finance:

Build the investment case and pipeline to align innovations with government programs, development banks, climate finance, and private capital.

5. Enabling environment:

Identify and co‑develop opportunities to alleviate policy, regulatory, and institutional barriers to innovation adoption, working with national partners.

6. Partnerships and influence:

Build equitable, long‑term, impact‑oriented partnerships with national agricultural research systems, universities, private sector players, international centers, non‑governmental organizations, and international agencies. Advocate for CIMMYT's agenda in international forums and promote its outputs.

7. Inclusion and safeguards:

Ensure system development and scaling activities actively consider broad inclusion of beneficiaries, document and mitigate barriers to participation and benefit sharing, agree safeguards and accountability arrangements with partners and relevant institutional functions, and manage legal, and intellectual property in partner agreements.

8. Funding and results:

Lead and contribute to fundraising through projects, institutional partnerships, donor and private‑sector engagement. Set targets and actively monitor scaling implementation and impacts.

9. Talent and operations:

Mentor and lead multi‑country, transdisciplinary teams; oversee budgeting, resource allocation and compliance; manage delivery, financial and reputational risk. Set objectives and review performance for direct reports, build successor capacity, and work with Program Managers and Finance to monitor commitments, partner delivery and cost recovery.

10. Interface with Discovery Research:

Agree readiness criteria with the Discovery project leads and wider CIMMYT research programs, and feed field evidence, farmer feedback and demand signals back into research priorities.

11. Support the SAS Director in program‑wide planning.

Key outputs:

An annual Systems Development and Scaling workplan and budget; a funded portfolio with outcome targets and learning milestones; viable delivery and financing pathways with agreed partner responsibilities; evidence of sustained adoption and benefits; and documented feedback to Discovery.

• PhD (or master's with exceptional experience) in agricultural or development economics, sustainable development, agricultural systems, rural development, agroecology, public policy or a related field.
• At least 10 years of distinguished leadership in agricultural development, scaling or program delivery in an international research or development organization, academia or industry.
• Proven interdisciplinary and cross‑sector team leadership across multiple countries.
• Demonstrated success in securing funding, including public, development and private finance, and managing large

The position will be based at a CIMMYT office in Latin America, Asia or Africa.

The position is for an initial fixed-term for three (3) years, after which further employment is subject to performance and the continued availability of funds.

CIMMYT’s internationally competitive salary and benefits include housing allowance, car, comprehensive health and life insurance, assistance for children’s education, paid vacation, annual home travel airfare, contribution to a retirement plan, and generous assistance with relocation shipment.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Internal applications could be considered in line with internal eligibility guidance, please contact HR for more information.

This position will remain open until filled.

CIMMYT is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity. Women are encouraged to apply.