Senior Engagement Manager

Job Posting Organization:
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent research organization established to improve people's lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate. With over 2,000 staff members, WRI operates in more than a dozen focus countries and collaborates with partners in over 50 nations. The organization is dedicated to leveraging data, expertise, and global reach to influence policy and catalyze change across various systems, including food, land, water, energy, and cities. WRI's mission is to guide human society towards sustainable living that protects the environment and meets the needs of current and future generations. The organization values independence, integrity, impact, partnership, and care, and is committed to advancing gender and social equity in its mission, ensuring equal opportunities in employment for all qualified applicants regardless of their background.

Job Overview:
The Senior Engagement Manager will play a pivotal role in the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), which is focused on transforming food and land use systems to create a sustainable future for people, nature, and climate. This position is a maternity cover expected to run from September 2025 to September 2026 and will require the individual to work in a hybrid model, spending 8 days per month in the office. The role involves leading FOLU's engagement with key stakeholders, delivering research, coordinating consultations, and co-designing dialogues aimed at food systems transformation. The successful candidate will be responsible for translating insights into technical briefs for external audiences and contributing to knowledge products while integrating equity into their work. The position reports to the Global Knowledge and Engagement Director and is housed within FOLU at the World Resources Institute, one of FOLU's core partners.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Engagement Manager will have a diverse set of responsibilities, primarily focused on delivery (70% of the role), thought leadership and strategy (20%), and fundraising (10%). Key duties include leading the delivery of research to inform FOLU's engagement strategy, gathering inputs from coalition and external stakeholders, and synthesizing information to extract key insights. The manager will work with FOLU partners to design and deliver multi-stakeholder workshops, particularly focusing on the soy sector in Brazil and China in 202

• They will act as the lead author of technical briefs summarizing outputs from multi-stakeholder dialogues, ensuring a clear target audience is defined and managing the publication process. Additionally, the manager will contribute to and lead on FOLU knowledge products, support annual work planning processes, and identify opportunities for further research and engagement. In terms of thought leadership, the manager will support the development and implementation of FOLU strategies for business and financial institution engagement. For fundraising, they will assist in developing concepts to support key strategies within FOLU, collaborating closely with the Head of Business Engagement and the Knowledge and Engagement Director.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a completed bachelor’s degree in Environment Studies/Science, Agriculture/Food Systems, International Development, Economics, or a related field. Relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree. The position requires at least 6 years of project management experience, particularly in a multi-stakeholder context, along with demonstrated knowledge of food and land use systems. Stakeholder management experience is essential, as is the ability to prepare presentations and written communications for diverse audiences. Candidates should have experience distilling insights and data points into useful outputs for stakeholders, managing inputs from multiple stakeholders to achieve deliverables, and working with both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Experience in leading the writing of external research products and managing budgets is also required.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a completed bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as Environment Studies/Science, Agriculture/Food Systems, International Development, Economics, or a related area. Candidates with relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a formal degree, indicating that practical experience is valued alongside academic qualifications.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 6 years of project management experience, particularly in contexts involving multiple stakeholders. Candidates should have a proven track record in managing projects that require collaboration across various sectors and stakeholders, demonstrating the ability to achieve deliverables effectively. Experience in food and land use systems is crucial, as is familiarity with both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The candidate should also have experience in preparing presentations and written communications tailored to diverse audiences, as well as leading the writing of external research products.

Languages:
Proficiency in written and spoken English is mandatory for this position. While English is the primary language required, additional language skills may be beneficial, particularly those relevant to the regions and stakeholders involved in the food and land use systems, such as Portuguese or Mandarin, given the focus on the soy sector in Brazil and China.

Additional Notes:
This position is a maternity cover expected to last from September 2025 to September 202

• It is a hybrid role that requires 8 days per month in the office, with the option to be based in either the WRI Europe office in The Hague or London. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission, as WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization. The potential salary for this position varies based on location, with a range of €57,000 – €71,000 if based in the Netherlands and £45,000 - £56,000 if based in the UK. Salary will be commensurate with experience and other relevant factors. Applications must be submitted through the WRI Careers portal by the deadline of 21 July 2025, although the application period may close earlier if a high volume of qualified candidates is received.