About Earthbanc

Earthbanc is a mission driven business that supports the development of agroforestry, reforestation and carbon projects. We support landowners to grow new forests and restore ecosystems that bring back biodiversity and support farmers with new sources of potential revenue. Earthbanc supports communities on the front line of climate change and engages with farmers, landholders and NGOs. 

Earthtree is present in  Kenya and India, and the subsidiaries of Earthbanc that develop agroforestry projects. In both countries  Earthtree supports landowners to grow new agroforest systems in a highly data driven manner, supporting farmers with new potential sources of revenue. 

We support communities to help their land regeneration goals and engage with farmers, and landholders to help them achieve their land productivity goals. Agro commodities are a key part of the strategy for increasing revenue per hectare for the landowner, enabling a sustainable cash flow, so that landowners are incentivised to keep the trees on their land for project duration. 

About the role

The Director of Agro Commodities will lead strategic initiatives to develop and optimize the agricultural commodity business  in Kenya, end to end. This senior leadership role is responsible for establishing and growing profitable commodity trading channels, building relationships with producers and buyers, and ensuring sustainable supply chain development within Kenya's agricultural sector.

What you'll do

• Develop and execute end-to-end agrocommodity strategies, working in collaboration with our operations team.
• Manage relationships with potential buyers throughout the entire cycle - from sourcing and identification to building trust and closing deals.
• Ensure the operations team implements proper processes for quality control and delivery to meet specific crop requirements and client specs.
• Collaborate with landowner engagement teams to develop compelling narratives and effective strategies for landowner onboarding.
• Develop and implement comprehensive strategies for processing, trading, and distributing high-value agricultural commodities.
• Oversee commodity trading operations, including pricing, risk management, and logistics.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including producer groups, cooperatives, large-scale farmers, processors, and buyers.
• Lead market research and analysis to identify opportunities for value creation and business expansion.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, quality standards, and international trade requirements.
• Negotiate and secure beneficial contracts with both producers and buyers.
• Develop focused agrocommodity market feasibility studies and recommend optimal crop selection to meet buyer demand.
• Implement sustainable and ethical sourcing practices in line with global standards.
• Assess processing requirements and necessary equipment for each crop type to enable sales scaling.
• Drive innovation in agrocommodity trading, including digital solutions and sustainable sourcing initiatives.
• Work with agroforestry design teams to optimize production of high-demand crops that deliver strong financial benefits to both the project and landowners.
• Collaborate with internal teams including finance, legal, and operations to align business objectives.
• Stay informed on agricultural trends, climate conditions, and market dynamics affecting commodity markets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Agribusiness, Economics, International Trade, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in agricultural commodity trading or supply chain management.
• 5+ years in senior leadership roles within the agricultural sector in East Africa.
• Extensive knowledge of Kenyan agricultural markets, production systems, and value chains
• Strong understanding of local trade regulations, risk management, and financial instruments in commodity trading.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful agricultural commodity strategies. 
• Has experience of managing the harvesting, processing and selling of agro commodities such as Ginger, Lemongrass, Chillies, Mulberry or other crops.
• Ability to independently write short form agrocommodity market feasibility study, financial model, project scoping and reports, project management and implementation plans, project risk management plans, project cost and returns spreadsheets. 
• Result-oriented work approach with the ability to work quickly from concept creation to the implementation of successful projects with key stakeholders. 
• Technical skills that include a mixture of statistical analysis, remote sensing, carbon modelling, and/or forest biometrics.
• Experience with one of the following project management or program management software tools is required or there must be a commitment to learn one of these software packages: Monday task management.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team, as well as independently, with colleagues based in different locations and time zones around the globe.
• Strategic thinking with ability to identify market opportunities and risks
• Strong financial acumen and business planning capabilities. 
• Strong network within the Kenyan agricultural sector. 
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in diverse environments. 
• Eagerness to grow and learn in an evolving environment. Reliable, flexible and able to adapt in a fast growing company.
• Proficiency in multiple languages is a plus.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment where you can make a significant impact.
• Fast growing business with a great opportunity to quickly grow your career.
• Opportunity to positively impact climate, biodiversity and communities in Kenya and globally. 
• Professional development opportunities.

We value diversity and inclusion, and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without any form of discrimination.