Earthworm

Earthworm Foundation (EF) is an international dynamic non-profit organization which helps companies transform their supply chains across the world for the benefit of people and nature.

About Earthworm Foundation

Earthworm Foundation currently has presence in 20 countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, India, and several locations within West Africa, Europe and the Americas. We employ more than 200 people worldwide and work with big and small companies, communities and producers of raw materials to create compelling examples of transformation of environmental and social practices. With an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, we work on the ground with people to create inspiring examples of change. We focus on creating value, engage without judging and carry hope and a positive vision of the future.

What Makes Us Unique

Beyond providing advice on policy set up based on our strong technical expertise, we see the world through interactions and relationships. Operating between two worlds (NGO-Companies/Buyer-Supplier), we encourage our partners to look inside, and are not only their environmental conscience. In addition to traceability and assessments, we create and innovate solutions to the challenges companies and communities face.

What We Offer

A unique work experience in a dynamic non-profit directly impacting the conservation of the environment and improvements in human rights and social equity through supply chains.

An organic environment with the chance to work in a multicultural team.

The opportunity to lead complex projects, build customer relationships and develop new business, with exposure to different tasks.

Our Rurality Program by EF

Rurality is a program led by EF (http://rurality.org/) of Earthworm which seeks to catalyze innovation between businesses and smallholder farmers in the supply chain. Close to 2 billion people around the world live and work on small farms, often family-run. These farmers are not only the lifeblood of supply chains; they are innovators with the potential to profoundly and positively impact the human and natural ecosystems surrounding them. Rurality believes they are entrepreneurs who should be empowered to realize their vision. Rurality places the farmer at the heart of the society. The initiative uses a business-minded approach to work with farmers participating in already existing supply chains. Significantly, the initiative believes that there are not one size fits all solutions.  Staff are field-based and work side-by-side with farmers and the mill/company.  Ultimately the initiative seeks to identify empirical and practical solutions to empower family farmers and build their resilience

Basically the Rurality teams are in daily contact with farmers, working with and alongside them towards key principle objectives to develop their resilience such as: 1) organizing and reinforcing the relationship between the actors across the supply chain to provide traceability to the farm level; 2) improving logistics to increase efficiency and minimize on-field losses; 3) building farmer capacity in best agricultural environmental practices.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

We are looking for a Project Coordinator in Turkey to support work with one of our members, a strategic actor in the hazelnut supply chain. Essential responsibilities and functions include:

• Design project activities working in close collaboration with our member, farmers, manavs, local government, communities, and other key local stakeholders;
• Animate workshops and work-session with a wide audience including governments, International institutions, NGOs, companies and communities;
• Bring about innovative solutions to tackle recognized issues in agriculture supply chains (for ex. transparency in supply chains, farmer revenue diversification, transition to climate-smart agriculture, etc.)
• Carry out training and coaching on social and environmental practices
• Independently provide regular written reports and updates on progress and challenges to the Line Manager and other members of the Project team outside Turkey;
• Undertake desk research, including legal research and documentation to support project work;
• Ensure efficient and fruitful collaboration with our member’s team in Turkey;
• Engage and build trust with key stakeholders in the field

The successful candidate will be passionate about making a positive impact for farmers and farm workers in the Turkish hazelnut value chain. He/she will be a self-starter with drive and motivation, have professional experience working with smallholders, businesses and civil society, and be passionate about agriculture but also about environmental and social issues throughout supply chain. The position is full-time over a 9-month period with possibility to extend. The position will be based in the hazelnut growing region of Turkey with need for frequent travel across the growing regions. Candidates who are passionate about the role, yet not fulfilling all the below qualifications are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor or Master’s Degree in Agriculture/Rural Development/Economics or other relevant topics
2. Demonstrated work experience in improving farmer resilience related to farming as a business, climate-smart and regenerative agriculture transition, or transparency in supply chains (5 years at least)
3. Experience in working with farmers on innovative farming techniques (organic/regenerative/permaculture)
4. Experience in rural businesses and entrepreneurship
5. Understanding of goods and cash flows in agriculture supply chains
6. Native Turkish and fluency in English

Skills and Competencies:

1. Strong experience in field work and research
2. Experience with capacity building, project management and stakeholder engagement
3. Excellent communication skills and proven capacity to engage with a broad group of stakeholders (from farm workers, farmers, civil society, government, and private sector)
4. Proactive with a capacity to initiate work and manage deliverables independently;
5. Problem-solver, creative thinker and good communicator
6. Ability to adapt to fast paced work and a challenging environment