Fairtrade is a simple way to make a difference to the lives of the people who grow and create much of the food and drink, and textiles and other products we consume every day. Despite the enormous value of these products in consumer markets, life for the small-scale farmers and workers at the start of the supply chains is a constant struggle to support themselves and their families. New regulations, unfair trade rules, volatile commodity prices, climate change and other shocks can easily undo years of hard work and drive them back into poverty.

For over 30 years, Fairtrade has demonstrated an alternative. By enabling consumers to choose products that offer a fairer deal for farmers and workers, by collaborating with businesses who want to respond to that demand and – most importantly – by partnering cooperatives, worker organisations and other kinds of producer groups, Fairtrade has become the world’s best known and most trusted ethical assurance scheme.

Fairtrade provides an essential safety net for producers by setting minimum prices for all major commodities. Fairtrade believes the best way to eliminate poverty is to pay farmers a fair price for their produce and workers a fair wage for their labour. Uniquely among sustainability standards Fairtrade includes fair prices in its standards as a critical pathway to better incomes and sustainable livelihoods, and the organization is working to achieve progress towards genuine living wages and incomes.

Through Fairtrade, farmers and workers gain additional funding to support their priorities. The Fairtrade Premium is an extra sum of money, paid on top of the selling price, that producer organisations invest in projects that are democratically decided by farmers and workers themselves. They choose how to spend the Fairtrade Premium to reach their goals, such as investing in infrastructure, adapting farming methods to climate change, or health and education in their community. In 2021, producer organisations earned more than €200  million in Fairtrade Premium.

Fairtrade is the only global sustainability standard which is equally owned and managed by producers, for producers. Our three producer networks account for 50% of the votes at our General Assembly and Fairtrade aims for balanced representation of the networks and the national Fairtrade organisations in committees and working groups.

But Fairtrade is far more than a certification scheme. Behind the famous Fairtrade label is one of the largest and most diverse global movements for change, working with more than 2 million farmers and workers, as well as a global grassroots supporter base of more than 2,200 Fair Trade Towns in 30 countries, and countless schools, universities and faith groups. Our advocacy work helps the people who are on the front line in the fight for fair and sustainable trade to have a voice in international forums on trade and climate change.

Fairtrade Organizational Structure:

• Three regional producer networks that represent farmers and workers in Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean
• Over 25 national Fairtrade organizations and marketing organizations that market and promote Fairtrade products in consumer countries
• Fairtrade International, the umbrella NGO that creates the internationally agreed Fairtrade Standards and coordinates Fairtrade worldwide
• FLOCERT GmbH, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary that provides independent certification for producers and traders, ensuring compliance with Fairtrade Standards

The Managing Director (MD) of Fairtrade International (FI) will be the key strategic and operational leader, tasked with steering FI and the broader Fairtrade organisation  through a critical period of transformation. Fairtrade International is at a pivotal stage – its main challenge lies in reinforcing its thought leadership and advocacy and accelerating its transformation to enable a more impactful deployment of the label across global supply chains.

The MD of FI must effectively balance the FI’s organization's dual nature as a thought leader and business enabler entity with managing a Membership-driven nonprofit. Navigating the political pressures and divergent interests of Fairtrade’s stakeholders - ranging from corporate clients to small producer organizations - will be a core responsibility. The MD will need to harmonize these interests while driving and enabling growth with impact and upholding the organization’s mission.

• Strategic Leadership: 1. Lead Fairtrade International through a complex transformation, ensuring alignment between its business activities and non-profit vison and mission. 2. Develop and implement the global strategy. 3. Oversee the delivery of annual workplans to support strategic goals. 4. Ensure effective collaboration with FLOCERT for strategy execution.
• Brand and Licensing Development: 1. Establish and drive brand licensing strategies that foster growth with impact through commercial partnerships, international accounts, entry into new markets and geographies and new service offers. 2. Manage the Fairtrade brand, including standards, pricing, and social protection, ensuring its global integrity.
• Stakeholder and Membership Management: Engage and manage diverse stakeholder interests, including corporate partners, producer organizations, and regional market organizations, balancing political pressures to ensure impactful outcomes for producers.
• Team Leadership and Organizational Transformation: Lead and develop the Management Board. Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture through mentoring and team development.
• Operational Delivery: Oversee delivery of global product/customer work plans that support sales growth and impact.
• Board Support: Collaborate with the Board of Directors in its mission to modernize governance, ensuring it aligns with Fairtrade’s evolving role as a business-oriented entity while preserving its non-profit foundations and support the board ensuring the effective preparation of the General Assembly and delivery of agreed outcomes.
• Organizational Effectiveness: Lead efforts to enhance internal processes, governance structures, and overall operational efficiency. Align the organization’s structure and capabilities to effectively enable strategy implementation.
• Ambassadorial Role: Serve as a key representative for Fairtrade International to external partners (e.g. international institutions, funding partners) and internal stakeholders (producer and market organizations) to enhance brand reputation and impact.

• Business Leadership: 1. Proven experience in managing or leading a sizable, complex organization, ideally in sectors such as agriculture, food, or fast-moving consumer goods. 2. Familiarity in managing relationships with large retail partners and corporate stakeholders is essential. 3. Additionally, experience in overseeing business development within a membership-based or cooperative framework will be a significant asset.
• Cooperative and Membership-Driven Organization Experience: The ideal candidate should have experience in cooperative organizations or similar entities that combine business and membership-driven interests. This background is crucial for navigating Fairtrade’s unique structure, where business success is interwoven with satisfying the needs of a diverse and often vocal membership.
• Licensing and Brand experiences: Skilled in building brand portfolios through strategic licensing and partnerships. Proven ability to manage intellectual property, negotiate licensing deals, and expand market reach while maintaining brand integrity. Experienced in creating engaging brand experiences and integrating licensed products into marketing and sales strategies to drive growth.
• International and Multi-Stakeholder Management: Experience working within a global context, ideally with exposure to both developed and emerging markets, driving change in a complex multi-cultural, multi stakeholder environment.
• Global Food Supply Chains: Experience spans global food supply chain from understanding 1. current producer challenges in the South, 2. fast changing trade regulations, 3. trading practices (fair and unfair) and 4. the manufacturing and retailing relationships.
• Project Management: Solid understanding of project management principles, including planning, execution, and delivery of complex projects. Experienced in coordinating cross-functional teams, managing timelines, budgets, and resources to achieve project goals efficiently. Skilled in risk management, problem-solving, and ensuring projects align with business objectives.

• Hands-On and Pragmatic: The MD will need to be hands-on in operational matters while maintaining a strategic vision. Given Fairtrade’s current challenges, this is not a traditional leadership role where high-level direction is sufficient; active involvement in driving transformation is essential.
• Membership-Oriented Leadership: The MD must be highly attuned to the unique challenges of managing a membership-driven organization, balancing the sometimes conflicting demands of corporate partners, producer organizations, and Fairtrade’s broader mission. The ability to “herd cats” and navigate sensitive political pressures will be key to success.
• Resilience and Emotional Intelligence: Given the nature of the role and the diverse, sometimes critical, voices within the Fairtrade movement, the MD must possess a high level of resilience. They must be able to contextualize criticism and remain focused on long-term goals despite the complexities and frustrations of managing divergent stakeholder interests.
• Values-Driven Leadership: A strong commitment to Fairtrade’s mission of promoting fairness and sustainability within global supply chains is critical. The candidate should be passionate about the organization’s social impact and demonstrate a deep understanding of its role in supporting marginalized producers.
• Global Perspective: While the role is based in Germany, the MD should bring an international mindset and experience across multiple markets. Experience working in or with organizations in Europe, North America, or emerging markets, particularly in the cooperative or agricultural sectors, will be highly valuable.
• Collaborative and Consensus-Oriented: The MD must be an inclusive leader, skilled at building consensus and aligning diverse interests within Fairtrade’s global network. Strong listening skills and a diplomatic approach will be necessary to successfully manage relationships across regions and sectors.

• Fluency in English is required, with proficiency in Spanish highly preferred. 
• Additional languages are an asset.
• Education to Master’s level is desirable, with an MBA or a comparable degree in business/management a strong plus.

Contact Astrid Jakubass, ajakubass@ericsalmon.com by Friday 31 January 2025 if you are interested in this role.

Please be advised that Fairtrade International is collaborating with the external executive recruitment firm 'Eric Salmon & Partners' (www.ericsalmon.com) for this recruitment process.