Director of Trade Policy at U.S. Wheat Associates
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), a non-profit organization working to promote exports on behalf of wheat producers, has an opening for a new position in its Arlington, Virginia, headquarters. The Director of Trade Policy has responsibility for a broad scope of work but is primarily focused on trade policy.
Position Title: Director of Trade Policy
Organization: U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is the export market development organization working in over 90 countries on behalf of the U.S. wheat industry. USW operates from two U.S. and 13 overseas offices to provide information and advice to wheat importers and processors for the purpose of increasing U.S. wheat exports and the profitability of U.S. wheat farmers.
Position Location: Arlington, Virginia
Description: This position reports to the Vice President of Policy and is responsible for assisting on trade policy, biotechnology, plant breeding innovation, and food aid issues that impact the export of wheat. The position requires travel within the United States and around the world on behalf of U.S. wheat producers.
Areas of responsibility include:
Work with the VP of Policy to develop an annual trade policy strategy and to implement activities addressing trade barriers affecting U.S. wheat exports with governmental agencies and other stakeholders.
Conduct analyses and regularly report findings on trade policy constraints and opportunities to USW staff, board members, state commissions and industry partners.
Interact with personnel from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Trade Representative, the State Department and other government agencies and agricultural associations on trade policy issues.
Maintain and update trade policy information and communications on the U.S. Wheat website. Draft industry position statements, articles and fact sheets on trade policy issues including free trade agreements, WTO compliance and trade irritants.
Coordinate policy actions with USW overseas offices, state wheat commissions, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), and other affected organizations as appropriate. This includes an active role in the Food Aid Working Group, Wheat Breeding Innovation Committee, and Joint International Trade Policy Committee.
Monitor international food assistance activities and work with overseas offices, Congress, humanitarian groups, USDA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on utilizing wheat in food assistance programs.
Monitor the regulatory landscape to advance the development of plant breeding technology tools for the U.S. wheat industry. This includes domestic and global policy/regulatory environments for hybrid wheat, GMO wheat, and gene editing.
Follow daily trade policy publications, Federal Register notices and other media sources to keep abreast of initiatives to ensure a timely industry response.
Position Requirements
The candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, experience in agricultural and/or trade policy and an understanding of agricultural trade and markets. The position requires creative thinking, the ability to influence others, excellent analysis and writing skills, the capability to provide presentations to various groups, strong computer skills, a positive and energetic outlook and comfort interacting with a wide range of people. This role requires extensive domestic and international travel (approximately 30% of time) with an ability to manage international meetings and relationship mapping as well as accommodating time zone differences. Trips may require up to two weeks away from home.
Submit your resume and a cover letter by email to: Dalton Henry at dhenry@uswheat.org.
About U.S. Wheat Associates: USW is the industry’s market development organization working in more than 100 countries on behalf of U.S. wheat producers. The activities of USW are made possible by producer check-off dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions and through cost-share funding from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW is an equal opportunity provider and employer. USW prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or family status, age, disability, political beliefs or sexual orientation.