Senior Conference Advocate & Strategic Advisor
Part-Time, Hourly Contractor
Program: Affordable Nutrition Coalition (2026 Pilot)
Reports to: Coalition Director (Taylor Quinn)
Role Purpose
The Senior Conference Advocate & Strategic Advisor will combine high-trust conference representation and relationship-building with targeted strategic advisory support to advance the Coalition’s 2026 strategy: pairing rigorous, mainstream-ready evidence with trusted messengers in the rooms where food system funding and policy decisions are shaped.
The Advisor will work alongside the Coalition’s cohort of organizations, providing technical and strategic guidance within their area of expertise.
Contract Term & Timing
- Ramp-up: August–early September 2026
- Primary execution: September–November 2026, with an emphasis on the fall international conference season
- Reevaluation date: November 30, 2026
Scope of Work
A. Conference Advocate
- Attend selected priority international conferences and convenings on behalf of the Coalition; international travel is expected.
- Represent Coalition perspectives credibly in international development, food security, food systems, and smallholder agriculture settings.
- Build and maintain trust-based relationships with decision-makers across multilateral agencies, development banks, large NGOs, and foundations.
- Identify and pursue side meetings, informal briefings, and follow-up conversations during and after events.
- Capture practical insights from conferences—including what resonated, what pushback emerged, and who was influential—to inform Coalition learning and future engagement.
B. Strategic Advisor
- Review and/or draft conference-specific talking points, meeting briefs, audience-specific advocacy tools, and preparation materials for Coalition advocates and coalition organizations.
- Participate in the development of the Affordable Nutrition Toolkit, including reusable templates, talking-point cheat sheets, Q&A tools, nutrient snapshots, and related materials.
- Advise on engagement strategies and framing for mainstream development and food system audiences, informed by field experience and sector credibility.
- Provide feedback on Coalition translation outputs—including briefs, one-pagers, and Q&A tools—to strengthen clarity, rigor, and audience fit.
- Participate in targeted preparation and debrief calls related to conferences and high-leverage stakeholder meetings.
Time Expectations
During travel and conference periods:
Hours will vary depending on preparation requirements, conference schedules, and follow-up needs.
When not traveling:
Approximately 0–5 hours per week of strategic engagement, flexing with the conference cycle.
Key Outputs
The role will focus on lightweight, practical deliverables, including:
- Participation in selected priority conferences and completion of agreed follow-up actions in coordination with the Coalition Director.
- A simple running record of key contacts, meetings, and next steps.
- Brief post-event debrief notes capturing key takeaways and recommended next moves.
- Reviewed, edited, or drafted messaging and talking points for upcoming conferences and stakeholder engagements.
Compensation & Invoicing
- Hourly rate: Competitive compensation based on the candidate’s home geography.
- Billing: Hourly, invoiced on an agreed cadence (e.g., monthly), with travel-related work, conference time, and advisory hours itemized.
Candidate Profile
Relevant Sector Experience
Significant professional experience in international development, food security, food systems, and/or smallholder agriculture.
High-Level Representation
Proven experience credibly representing organizations at major international conferences, forums, and convenings.
Relationship & Network Building
Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with decision-makers across multilateral agencies, development banks, large NGOs, foundations, and other influential institutions.
Strategic Messaging & Communications
Expertise in reviewing, drafting, and refining conference talking points, meeting briefs, and audience-specific advocacy materials tailored to mainstream development audiences.
Technical Guidance
Ability to provide strategic and technical advisory support to Coalition partner organizations.
International Travel Flexibility
Willingness and availability to travel internationally during the peak fall conference season, particularly September–November.
Collaboration
The Senior Conference Advocate & Strategic Advisor will work closely with the Coalition Director and the Coalition and Strategy Manager, while coordinating with other Coalition advocates as needed.
The objective is to ensure coherent preparation, consistent representation in priority forums, and disciplined learning across the Coalition’s 2026 conference cycle.
Application & Selection Process
Application
Candidates should submit a CV and Cover Letter via email to taylor@tailoredfood.org.
In the Cover Letter, candidates should explicitly state their primary area(s) of expertise relevant to the Coalition’s work, such as:
- International food policy
- Smallholder agriculture
- Relationships with specific multilateral agencies
- Plant-based advocacy
- Other relevant food systems or international development expertise
Review & Shortlisting
Applications will be reviewed against the core profile requirements to identify candidates for the interview stage.
Selection Interview
Shortlisted candidates will complete a single-round interview before August 15, 2026, focused on alignment, strategic fit, and technical expertise.
Final Offer & Onboarding
The selected candidate will receive an offer to begin the ramp-up phase in August 2026.
