Summary of the position

The Finance, Administration, and HR (FAHR) Manager will oversee day-to-day financial management,
implement administration systems, and oversee hiring and human resources. They will manage a team
of nine people and report directly to the FAHR Director. The ideal candidate must have a growth
mindset, resilience to overcome challenges, and be prepared for the hard work of a fast- growing startup organization.

Summary of the organization

Semilla Nueva has a team of 50 employees with a budget of $4.9M. The organization is based in
Guatemala, with a US legal presence, activities in Honduras and El Salvador, and support from some of
the world’s most prestigious donors, including USAID, Cartier Philanthropy, the Mulago Foundation and
many others. Semilla Nueva develops high-yielding, climate-resilient maize seeds that have been
conventionally bred (non-GMO) to have higher levels of the most important missing nutrients: zinc, iron,
and quality protein. Our approach to large-scale adoption of these seeds relies on three strategies:

1. Breeding commercially competitive biofortified seeds, which can increase incomes and prevent
   crop losses for farmers who currently use older hybrid seeds or recycled Open-Pollinated
   Varieties (OPVs);
2. Piloting subsidies to seed companies to profitably sell new, higher-yielding, climate-resilient,
   and biofortified seeds at prices the poorest of the poor can afford.
3. Working with governments to institutionalize these subsidies.
   Our goal is for a minimal amount of subsidy to support hundreds of thousands of farming families to use biofortified seeds, consume biofortified maize, and sell biofortified maize into the market, while improving their incomes. The biofortified maize sold in the market will be purchased and eaten by millions of poor consumers, improving the nutrition of these populations. In 2023, three seed
   companies in Guatemala produced and sold our seed, reaching over 24,000 farmers and feeding
   800,000 people. Our seed is being used by the governments of Guatemala and El Salvador, with testing in process for El Salvador and Eastern Africa and a plan to reach 3 million farmers, feeding 100 million people within the next ten year.

Qualifications

Soft Skills

• Ensure team members are prepared for weekly meetings, prepare agendas with the
• FAHR Director, and ensure meeting minutes and follow-up
• Supervise of weekly departmental KPIs and support the team in overcoming challenges or setbacks
• When problems or needs for new solutions arise, research possible solutions, review and brainstorm with the team, and implement where possible or present to FAHR Director for decisions
• Improve systems and practices related to how other organizational departments request support from the FAHR team and make it easier and more efficient for these departments to meet FAHR requirements
• For new projects, ensure team understanding and alignment with the FAHR director and supervise implementation while identifying problems and proposing solutions.

Hard Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or related field
• At least 5 years of overall professional experience; ideally, 3+ years of broad financial and operations management experience
• Must be proficient in spoken, written, and reading business English and Spanish.

Desired

• Experience working with bi-laterals and/or government-funded projects
• Familiarity with USAID financial and reporting requirements

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

• 30-40 minute introductory conversation
• A technical activity to measure analytic, organizational, problem-solving, and presentation skills
• A two-hour interview
• Interviews with the Leadership Team and FAHR department leads
• Psychometric tests, background checks, and references
• Offer and final negotiation

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

• Compensation of 40,000-45,000 USD per year, depending on profile
• International health insurance fully covered by Semilla Nueva
• Location: Guatemala city
• Start date: as soon as we identify the right person
• Position type: Full-time

Before applying, please review our website, blog, and Annual Report which are found at www.semillanueva.org

How to apply?

To apply please email your CV to trabajo@semillanueva.org with the subject line “FAHR Manager –
your name”

Semilla Nueva is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to sustaining a diverse community with a
work environment that is welcoming, respectful, an

Desired:

• Strong time management, delegation, and prioritization skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience developing and implementing innovative nutrition programing.

Languages: English and Spanish fluency required.

Travel: Ability to undertake field travel (up to 25%).

Specific Tasks

The Chief of Party will be an experienced manager whose responsibilities include:

• Primary liaison with USAID Guatemala on all strategic, technical, and management matters associated with the ProMaize project and is responsible for all implementation tasks.
• Primary liaison with the Government of Guatemala; ensures successful client relationship and fosters strategic opportunities sustaining a government-supported biofortified maize seed subsidy.
• Responsible for ensuring quality control and the overall responsiveness of technical assistance, as appropriate.
• Responsible for all aspects of program leadership and implementation, including: development and management of annual work plans; annual reporting and compliance requirements; overall budget management; and quality and timeliness of technical deliverables.
• Collaborates with the Breeding and R&D teams, the Finance and Administration teams and the M&E team to ensure high-quality, evidence-based results.
• Supervises at least one direct reports, Deputy Chief of Party, and coordinate project activities: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning officer. Ensures positive work environment and effective teamwork resulting a high-quality implementation and deliverables.
• Ensures that all project activities are implemented in compliance with the USAID ProMaize FAA, USAID Guatemala expectations, Semilla Nueva policies, and Guatemalan law.
• Manages financial resources to ensure compliant and effective distribution of project funds.
• Travels domestically to project sites.
• Performs other duties as needed.

How to apply

To apply please send your CV and a brief, 2-4 bullet point explanation of why you think you may be a
good fit for us, and why we may be a good fit for you. Please send to contact@semillanueva.org with
the subject, Chief of Party, ProMaize, and your last name.

Semilla Nueva is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to sustaining a diverse community with a work environment that is welcoming, respectful, and encouraging to all. We foster a culture of inclusion that celebrates and cultivates diversity along multiple dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, out of home care, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture, and experience.