Senior Director, Coffee Division

Summary

The Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) is seeking a highly strategic and results-driven Senior Director, Coffee Division to lead the transformation of Jamaica's coffee industry. This role requires a visionary leader with uncompromising integrity, deep regulatory expertise, and a passion for sustainability and market expansion. The Senior Director will be responsible for policy development, industry regulation, market positioning, and climate resilience strategies to ensure Jamaican coffee remains globally competitive. The successful candidate will engage with farmers, processors, exporters, international certifying bodies, and trade agencies to drive growth, enhance quality standards, and secure market access. 💰Basic Salary: $6,300,000 - $6,900,000 JMD per annum.

Responsibilities

• Industry Regulation & Policy Development:

  • • Develop and implement regulatory frameworks that align with global coffee industry standards (e.g., EU Deforestation Regulation, USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance, FairTrade, ISO 22000).
  • • Ensure full compliance with international market access requirements, including traceability, climate adaptation, and sustainability certifications.
  • • Strengthen inspection, grading, and certification systems to enhance Jamaica's coffee value in global markets.
  • • Advocate for policy incentives that support reforestation, climate-smart agriculture, and specialty coffee development.

• Industry Development & Market Expansion:

  • • Lead global marketing and branding strategies to enhance Jamaica's presence in high-value specialty coffee markets (Japan, Europe, North America).
  • • Foster partnerships with international coffee buyers, certifying bodies, and trade associations.
  • • Develop export readiness programs for coffee producers to ensure compliance with trade and sustainability standards.
  • • Secure research grants and investment incentives to drive innovation in coffee varietals, post-harvest processing, and digitalized supply chains.

• Sustainability & Climate Resilience:

  • • Oversee climate-smart coffee farming programs, including agroforestry, soil regeneration, and biodiversity conservation.
  • • Develop resilience strategies to mitigate risks from climate change, hurricanes, and coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix).
  • • Implement digital traceability systems (e.g., blockchain, AI-driven analytics) for provenance authentication and transparency.

• Technical & Operational Leadership:

  • • Lead capacity-building programs for farmers, processors, and exporters on agronomic best practices, quality control, and financial literacy.
  • • Strengthen JACRA's data analytics capabilities to monitor global market trends, production volumes, and trade performance.
  • • Oversee post-disaster recovery plans for the coffee industry to ensure continuity of supply and financial stability for farmers.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy:

  • • Represent Jamaica's coffee industry at global coffee summits, trade expos, and regulatory meetings (e.g., International Coffee Organization, SCA, CIB, COI).
  • • Collaborate with universities, research institutions, and financial agencies to foster innovation and investment in coffee production.
  • • Lead negotiations for strategic trade agreements and investment incentives to enhance sectoral growth.

Required Skills

• • Extensive knowledge of global coffee supply chains, trade agreements, certifications, and sustainability requirements.
• • Proven experience in policy development and regulatory oversight in an agricultural commodity sector.
• • Demonstrated success in negotiating trade agreements and securing international market access.
• • Strong analytical skills to interpret market trends, economic data, and production forecasts.
• • Ability to engage high-level stakeholders, including government officials, international investors, and private sector partners.

Qualifications

• • Postgraduate degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, International Trade, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field, with at least 5 years of senior leadership experience in coffee production, processing, or trade.
OR
• • Bachelor's degree in the above fields plus 7 years of managerial experience in a relevant sector.

Additional Information and Instructions

Apply now at joinourteam@jacra.org Application Deadline: April 4, 2025

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