Operational Officer (intern)
Period: 6 months
Starting: Immediately
Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Contact point: Guus ter Haar
Vacancy opening date: 14 November 2022
Vacancy closing date: 28 November 2022
Required documents: Linkedin CV and motivation letter (+-500 words)
Can you think from the perspective of both farmers and corporate sustainability managers? Do you want to deepen your knowledge on regenerative agriculture? Do you get a kick from finding the sweet spot between positive impact and profitability? And are you driven to understand how sustainable agriculture projects develop and scale up? Then you might be the next addition to our growing team!
reNature’s goal is to create regenerative agriculture systems at scale. To realize this, we collaborate with a growing number of farmers, communities, and organizations worldwide that want to drive the transition towards regenerative farming systems. reNature’s aim is to help them realize: net-positive impacts in environmental, social, and economic domains. We do this by bringing together the required resources, such as expert knowledge (farmers, scientists), funding, and off-takers, creating the conditions for success and scale.
We work as a team of driven, proactive, and independent people that take responsibility for the quality of their own work, as well as that of the team as a whole. We think in opportunities, and have a strong sense of conducting business ethically. And whilst we work hard, we have fun and love doing what we do.
So what are we looking for?
You will join an international scale-up in the regenerative ecosystem that has embarked on a journey to be the best partner for corporates, institutions, and smallholder farmers when it comes to regenerative agriculture. reNature is a premium ‘profit-for-purpose’ brand. Our value comes from having a great understanding of client’s needs and delivering high-quality solutions with excellent delivery, all the while having impact in mind.
This is easily said, but not easily done.
As an Operations Officer, you help us achieve this goal. You will be the right hand of the COO and will work on a broad range of operational topics. You might be spending the morning drafting legal documents for a regenerative project in Kenya with a smallholder farming cooperative, just before lunch you are updating the financial budget for a huge project in the Amazon, and in the afternoon you will work together with the project managers to improve the process of our product delivery. A day will never be the same and this is a huge opportunity to see all ins and outs of project management for regenerative projects.
You will be under direct guidance from the COO, combining several roles within the Project Management team:
- 50% of your time is dedicated to Project Management:
- Drafting project plans based on input from the Project Managers;
- Assisting with contracting activities, such as getting documents signed in due time and following up where needed;
- Updating budgets and planning for current and future projects;
- Filling in the details for financing submissions;
- Making sure we stick to our deadlines.
- 25% of your time is dedicated to Quality Management;
- Improving the templates and processes within the operational team;
- Making deliverables ‘client-ready’
- 25% of your time is dedicated to Office Management;
- Assisting the COO with day-to-day operations and managing agendas;
- Small office-related tasks, such as ordering office supplies and organizing lunch;
- Other ad-hoc tasks.
You:
- Love to organize processes in the most efficient and precise way;
- Are great at spotting challenges, because you love finding solutions;
- Get excited about finding the balance between impact & financial performance;
- Care about making the world a better place, lead by example, and inspire others to act;
- Enjoy a good discussion, but always keep it respectful, whether talking with a farmer, client, or team member;
And you have:
- A relevant educational background equivalent to a Master’s degree (MA or MSc) in a field within the natural sciences (e.g. forestry, agronomy, biology, environmental sciences, or related fields) or social sciences (e.g. geography, rural economics, environmental policy).
- Experience working with online tools for communication, remote work (Google suite, Zoom, Slack, Mural); experience with task & project management tools is a plus (Asana, Harvest);
- Interested in sustainable/regenerative agriculture (e.g. agroecology, agroforestry, silvopasture, permaculture techniques);
- Strong organizational and time management skills, being able to handle the planning & execution of multiple priorities at the same time;
- Structured, solution-focused, mentally flexible, creative;
- Proactive; you need to be able to identify what you need to complete your work, ask what you need from others, and work ahead to avoid potential bottlenecks.
- Fluent in English. Portuguese and other languages are a plus.
- Previous (internship) experience, for example in sustainability, project management, innovation, or operations is a plus.
- Experience with proof-reading/drafting business & legal documents is a plus.
- Residence in the Netherlands, and working from the office several days per week is required to be able to fulfill this position effectively.
- A valid working visa or equivalent. reNature is currently not able to sponsor visa application processes.
- We have a preference for applications without a thesis-writing component.
And we offer you:
- An organization that values diversity and equality above everything else.
- A flexible working environment.
- A young and diverse team of impact-driven individuals;
- An organization at the forefront of the regenerative transition of agriculture;
- A team with an international presence and ambition;
- A team that cares more about your experience, personality, and mindset than your CV;
- Welcoming feedback and improvements to make your working with us more enjoyable and effective;
- A shared love for what we do.
Do you see yourself in the text above, and are you excited to apply for this creative and exciting position? Then please use this link to apply:
reNature is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to diversity as well as fostering an inclusive working environment. Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
