Do you want to help create more sustainable and just value chains?

We are looking for an inspiring, proactive, and outcomes-oriented Principal Programme Manager to lead design and implementation of ambitious system change projects. You will predominantly work on the sustainable value chains and livelihoods programme of work but should have the willingness, knowledge and expertise to support more broadly across Forum’s work. Read more about our work here.

About us

Forum for the Future is a leading international sustainability non-profit. For over 20 years we’ve been working to accelerate the shift to a just and sustainable future by transforming the systems we live in.

We specialise in addressing critical global challenges – from keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees to ensuring more sustainable food systems, value chains and livelihoods – by working in partnership with business, governments and civil society to catalyse change.

Together we can reinvent the way the world works.

Our people

We are a multi-cultural team of 80+ people, with offices in London, Mumbai, New York, and Singapore. We continue to grow our programmes of work across Asia and the United States. This post will work with a team of strategists and change designers focused on cultivating relationships with Forum’s external partners and multi-stakeholder coalitions to deliver transformational change.

Our work environment

We are inspired by the world in which we live and those with whom we share it. We celebrate the indivisibility of all life forms on Earth, are committed to the pursuit of equity, and seek to act justly in all we do. These values help build our common culture, shape our shared purpose and guide us in all actions and decisions. We believe in being courageous, adaptive, inquisitive, respectful, empathetic and playful. You can read more about our organisational values here.

We enjoy working in teams, collaborating, and learning from each other. We are a dynamic, flexible and supportive team of people who care about each other’s wellbeing and the world around us.

At Forum, we aspire to foster positive team spirit and to provide the best possible working environment for all our staff; one that is based on the highest standards of ethics, honesty, integrity, openness and transparency.

We are an inclusive organisation that encourages applications from across our diverse communities. We’re committed to building a team of capable and thriving people from all walks of life.     

Role in a nutshell

In this role, you will:

• lead the design and implementation of Forum’s flagship projects that aim to deliver system change, in particular, those in cotton, other agricultural commodities and textiles.

• nurture high-level relationships with Forum’s network of partner organisations and other key stakeholders 

• develop and fundraise for new projects that can deliver transformational outcomes

• actively contribute to the effective development of this workstream by using your substantial content expertise in sustainable value chains and livelihoods.

About you

We are not looking for an ideal candidate as we recognise and value diverse experiences that people bring to work. We are keen to hear from people from any relevant professional background who believe in our purpose, share our values, and will bring their skills and desire to enact change.

To thrive in this role you will:

• have passion for sustainability and a just, regenerative future

• have knowledge  and practical understanding or experience of value chains and global commodities, particularly agricultural, and related to textiles.

• be adaptable and resilient in the face of complexity and uncertainty that we’re working with

• be able and willing to juggle working across a number of different projects, geographies and teams

• be effective at highly distributed and networked ways of working, and skilled at using digital platforms

• have experience of applying tools, methodologies or working processes that create systems change. This might include applied systems thinking, design, futures, transformational learning, social innovation, collaboration, sustainability transitions

• enjoy working with people from different cultures and across geographies

• have experience in managing multi-stakeholder collaborative projects

• have honed communication skills to be able to translate complex ideas and processes effectively to different types of audiences, including facilitation and public speaking

• know how to build and nurture strong relationships and networks – be it with project partners or colleagues

• be keen to apply your curious and analytical mind, making connections and understanding how things fit into the bigger picture

• be a strong manager – of time, budgets, people and project teams

• your preferred ways of working are embodied by Forum’s values (being courageous, adaptive, empathetic, inquisitive, playful and respectful).

If you do not meet all of the requirements outlined in the job description but still believe you have the right mix of skills and experience to thrive in this role and further Forum’s ambitious goals for change, we encourage you to apply.

In return, we offer a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of systems thinking and change making. We work as a close knit, dynamic, and supportive team. We offer various opportunities for flexible working to help you manage your work life balance.

To find out more about this vacancy, please download and read the full job description.

To be considered for this vacancy, please complete the application form by the stated deadline.

We look forward to hearing from you!

How to apply

We use the Applied platform because it is designed to reduce bias in our recruitment process. To apply for this job, we ask you to answer a few work-based questions. Your answers will be randomised and anonymously scored by members of Forum’s selection panel. Our initial selection is based on how you answer these questions, rather than looking at your CV. Candidates with the top scoring answers will be invited to a structured interview where you get to meet some of the team. At the interview stage you will be asked questions that reflect the role and also to complete a work-based task, so you have the chance to demonstrate your skills.

The Applied platform includes instructions on how to use the portal. Once you start your application you will be presented with a dashboard which helps you to track your progress and reminds you of the closing date for the application. As you complete sections you can draft and save your responses to review and submit when you are ready to (as long as you’re within our required application deadline).

Please note:

All Forum employees are working remote for the rest of 2020; once the offices re-open, this position will be expected to work from either our London or Mumbai office.

If you do not already hold the right to work in the UK or India (depending on where you are based) and/or require sponsorship in order to continue working in your chosen location, you should think carefully before applying. This is because we will be unable to sponsor you.

Some of the personal data you provide to Applied when you apply for a role with Forum for the Future will be passed on to us for the purposes of (a) reviewing your application; (b) inviting you for interview; and/or (c) offering you a job and getting you set up as an employee. For full details on how we collect and use your personal data please visit our privacy notice here.

If your application is not successful, any personal data provided to us by Applied (including any personal data relating to equal opportunities monitoring as set out above) will be retained by Forum for the Future for no longer than 12 months after the application deadline has passed, at which point your personal data will be securely deleted. We only keep your information for that period in order to allow us to comply with relevant legal obligations.