Country Lead - International Sustainability Organization

Selection process developed by matteria

Location and Work Mode

Based in Mexico City - Remote

Who we are

International sustainability organization that works with businesses, institutions and local partners to develop and scale practical solutions to complex environmental challenges.

Our impact

Our work seeks to accelerate systemic change in the way food is produced, distributed, consumed and valued. Through collaboration with businesses and other actors across the food ecosystem, we promote the use of evidence and measurement to identify opportunities for prevention, improve operational practices and generate environmental, economic and social value.

Purpose of the Position

To strengthen and scale a national sustainability initiative in Mexico by mobilizing private-sector participation, building strategic partnerships and securing the resources required to expand its reach and measurable impact.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Initiative Development

• Lead the strategic direction and overall performance of the initiative, evolving and scaling its approach with a clear focus on the prevention and measurable reduction of food loss and waste.

• Translate international experience and proven approaches into strategies that are relevant to the Mexican context, using existing models as reference points rather than fixed formulas.

• Continuously assess what is and is not working and identify new approaches, partnerships and propositions capable of increasing participation and impact.

• Connect short-term execution with the initiative's broader ambition of creating long-term, systemic change within Mexico's food system.

Business Engagement & Value Proposition

• Re-energise engagement with existing participating companies and attract new organizations by building a compelling and differentiated value proposition.

• Engage senior decision-makers and demonstrate how reducing food loss and waste can create operational, commercial, environmental and reputational value.

• Understand each company's particular context, priorities and challenges and co-design relevant approaches, rather than applying or selling a fixed solution.

• Expand the initiative's relevance beyond sustainability departments by connecting its proposition with functions such as operations, supply chain, procurement, marketing, innovation and senior management.

• Help participating companies progress from initial commitment toward measurement, action, continued measurement and demonstrable reduction.

• Build the enthusiasm and momentum required for companies to see genuine value in participating in the initiative.

Stakeholder & Ecosystem Leadership

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across business, government, funders, NGOs, technical partners, contractors and the wider Mexican food ecosystem.

• Navigate complex institutional and stakeholder dynamics with maturity and political sensitivity, advancing strategic objectives while maintaining trust and goodwill.

• Manage relationships across organizations with different interests and perspectives, creating alignment around shared outcomes.

• Strengthen the initiative's credibility and positioning among relevant national and international stakeholders.

Evidence, Measurement & Impact

• Champion a culture in which measurement informs action, encouraging companies to understand where food loss and waste occurs and use evidence to identify opportunities for change.

• Work with internal specialists and external technical partners to translate technical findings, operational assessments and measurement data into business-relevant insights and actions.

• Help companies connect food-waste reduction with operational efficiency, environmental performance and broader organizational value.

• Ensure that progress and tangible examples of impact can be clearly demonstrated to participating companies and relevant stakeholders.

Governance & Long-Term Sustainability

• Lead the initiative's governance processes and facilitate engagement with its strategic advisory stakeholders.

• Translate strategic recommendations into effective implementation.

• Regularly review and evolve the strategy to ensure the initiative remains relevant, progressive and positioned for long-term sustainability.

• Provide clear reporting on performance, impact, progress and stakeholder engagement, supported by tangible examples of outcomes and value.

• Contribute to building the momentum, relevance and participation required to sustain and scale the initiative over time.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, develop and energise a small local delivery team, creating clarity around priorities and strengthening accountability and performance.

• Coordinate effectively with technical partners, consultants, contractors and other organizations contributing to delivery.

• Leverage the expertise and resources of a broader international organization to accelerate local impact.

• Facilitate the exchange of knowledge, lessons and innovations between Mexico and international teams.

Representation & Influence

• Serve as a senior spokesperson and ambassador for the initiative.

• Represent the initiative with senior business leaders, government stakeholders, partners and other relevant actors.

• Participate in relevant events, forums, networking opportunities and communications that strengthen visibility and encourage participation.

• Communicate complex food-system and sustainability issues in a compelling way for different audiences, adapting the proposition to different stakeholder motivations.

Requirements and competences to work with us

Education

Backgrounds could include Business, Economics, Engineering, Sustainability, Environmental Studies, Food Systems, Agribusiness, International Development or related disciplines.

Additional education related to strategy, sustainability, innovation, business development or food systems may be valuable.

Experience

• Senior professional experience in areas such as strategy, business development, consulting, strategic partnerships, programme/initiative leadership or related roles.

• Demonstrated ability to combine strategic thinking with commercial or business-development capabilities.

• Experience engaging senior executives and decision-makers and influencing stakeholders without necessarily having direct authority over them.

• Experience developing, adapting, implementing or scaling business models, strategic programmes, solutions or initiatives.

• Experience working in complex environments involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated experience leading, motivating and developing teams.

• Exposure to the food system or related sectors sufficient to understand its fundamental dynamics and engage credibly with businesses operating across the value chain.

• Experience in sustainability, food loss and waste, circular economy or related environmental issues is valuable, but deep technical specialisation in food waste is not required.

Knowledge and Skills

• Sufficient understanding of the food system and food value chains to understand business challenges, ask relevant questions and exercise sound judgment.

• Strong strategic and commercial thinking.

• Ability to understand complex organisational problems and develop tailored value propositions and solutions.

• Consultative approach to business development and stakeholder engagement.

• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills.

• Excellent negotiation and influencing capabilities.

• Ability to interpret evidence and data and translate it into meaningful insights for business leaders.

• Strong executive communication and presentation skills.

• Credible and confident public speaker.

• Ability to operate effectively with a high degree of autonomy and independence.

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and adapt strategy as circumstances evolve.

• Fluent Spanish and English, both written and spoken.

• Willingness to travel nationally and internationally as required.

Competencies

Entrepreneurial Mindset
Approaches ambiguity with curiosity, initiative and independence. Is comfortable exploring possibilities, testing approaches and finding new routes forward when there is no predefined answer.

Consultative & Commercial Orientation
Understands the stakeholder's problem before proposing a solution. Identifies what creates value for different businesses and co-creates propositions rather than relying on a standard offering.

Strategic & Systems Thinking
Sees the broader food-system challenge while understanding how change happens at individual company level. Connects organizational actions with the broader ambition for systemic impact.

Adaptability & Creative Problem-Solving
Uses established approaches as a starting point while adapting them to local realities. Recognises when an approach is not working and intelligently explores alternatives.

Stakeholder Sensitivity & Diplomacy
Reads complex relationship dynamics and knows how to move an agenda forward while maintaining trust and goodwill across different organizations and interests.

Mature Judgment
Balances entrepreneurial drive with pragmatism. Understands what makes operational, commercial and institutional sense and knows when to push, adapt or reconsider an approach.

Influence & Executive Presence
Credibly engages senior leaders, communicates compelling propositions and mobilises stakeholders around action.

Collaborative Leadership
Creates momentum within a small team while effectively leveraging specialists, contractors, partners and international colleagues.

Our team profile

Is entrepreneurial, curious and solutions-oriented, and comfortable operating without a predetermined playbook.

Is genuinely motivated by achieving meaningful and measurable environmental impact.

Combines ambition and drive with diplomacy and mature judgment.

Listens carefully to stakeholders and approaches relationships through collaboration and co-creation.

Can operate independently while remaining highly collaborative with local and international teams.

Values evidence, learning and continuous adaptation.

Can navigate complexity without losing sight of the ultimate objective.

Is motivated by creating long-term systemic change rather than simply delivering a short-term project.

Key interests for working with us

This opportunity is particularly relevant for someone motivated by climate action, sustainable food systems, food loss and waste prevention, circular economy, resource efficiency and systemic change.

We are looking for someone who sees food-waste reduction not simply as a waste-management challenge, but as an opportunity to transform how companies operate, measure performance and use resources—creating environmental value while strengthening the efficiency and resilience of the food system.

Reasons to join our team

• The opportunity to lead a nationally relevant food-systems initiative at an important stage in its evolution.

• The chance to influence leading companies and other actors across Mexico's food ecosystem and translate sustainability commitments into practical action.

• Significant entrepreneurial freedom, with the opportunity to help determine what will work in Mexico rather than simply implement a predefined model.

• Access to international expertise, technical capabilities and proven approaches to food-system transformation.

• The opportunity to combine business transformation with measurable environmental impact.

• An established ecosystem of companies, partners, technical organizations and stakeholders from which to build the initiative's next stage.

• The opportunity to contribute to a long-term transformation agenda, with a role designed to build and scale impact over the coming years.

Relevant details before applying for this vacancy

• Location: Ideally Mexico City, Mexico.

• Work model: Home-based / remote, requiring a high degree of autonomy and self-motivation.

• Languages: Professional fluency in both Spanish and English is required.

• Travel: Availability for national and international travel is required.

• Team: The position will lead a small local delivery team while collaborating with technical specialists, external partners and international colleagues.

• Scope: This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for strategy, business engagement, stakeholder relationships, team performance and overall initiative impact.

• Organization: The identity of the hiring organization and additional programme details will be shared with candidates as they progress through the selection process.