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Cocoa Sustainability Assistant

PT Asia Cocoa Indonesia • Singapore • Added on Jun 29, 2026
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As a Cocoa Sustainability Assistant based in Singapore, you will provide critical support to the implementation and strategic development of the Good Cocoa & Beyond programme. Your daily focus centers on managing project documentation, tracking budgets, and coordinating with origin teams to ensure that sustainability initiatives transition from high-level strategy to concrete action in the field. You will act as the operational bridge between global leadership and the localized project teams.

This role is fundamental to the integrity of the cocoa supply chain, directly impacting the livelihoods of farmers and the resilience of rural agricultural communities. By monitoring KPIs and refining impact reports, you ensure that the group’s ethical commitments translate into measurable social and environmental outcomes across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is a rare opportunity to tackle systemic challenges like living income and traceability at the source.

This suits someone who possesses strong project management fundamentals and a genuine passion for agricultural sustainability. You should be comfortable navigating complex data and collaborating across diverse time zones with multicultural teams.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

You will be responsible for the administrative and operational lifecycle of the company’s flagship sustainability programme. This involves drafting project proposals, meticulous budget monitoring, and the preparation of comprehensive impact reports to ensure transparency. You will track specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess the progress of initiatives targeting rural farming communities. Beyond data management, the role includes a significant communication component. You will prepare strategy presentations for suppliers and customers, while also creating social media content and brochures that highlight the program’s outcomes. You will also help maintain programme databases and ensure all strategic documents are up to date with the latest MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) standards.

Key learning opportunities for this job

Candidates can expect to gain deep technical knowledge of agricultural supply chain complexities, specifically regarding third-party certifications, living income, and traceability. Working under the Global Cocoa Sustainability Manager provides a unique vantage point on how corporate strategy is designed and then deployed across different geographic regions with distinct socio-economic challenges. You will also sharpen your skills in MEAL frameworks and sustainable financial management. The fast-paced nature of the cocoa industry offers hands-on experience in cross-functional liaison, teaching you how to align sustainability goals with the commercial realities of trading and marketing departments.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal profile holds a degree in a relevant field like sustainability, international development, or agribusiness, with prior experience in project management. Financial literacy—specifically in budgeting and expenditure tracking—is essential for the monitoring aspects of this role. You should demonstrate a clear understanding of environmental and social issues affecting commodity supply chains. Soft skills are equally important; the role requires a self-starter attitude and the ability to work independently while remaining a collaborative team player. Proficiency in English is mandatory, but additional language skills in French or Spanish are highly valued due to the company's projects in Africa and Latin America.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, highlight any experience you have working with multi-cultural teams across different time zones. Since the role involves supporting 'origin' teams, demonstrating an understanding of the specific agricultural contexts in West Africa or Southeast Asia will give you a significant advantage. If you have managed datasets or frameworks related to social impact, be sure to quantify those achievements. Your cover letter should reflect an analytical mindset. Rather than just stating an interest in sustainability, explain your perspective on human rights or climate change challenges within the cocoa sector. Aligning your tone with GCB Cocoa’s focus on 'meaningful change' and practical implementation over mere compliance will resonate well with the hiring team.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The role focuses heavily on the social and economic pillars of sustainability, particularly farmer livelihoods and community development. You will work on initiatives that address living income gaps and human rights within the supply chain, ensuring that cocoa sourcing is both ethical and traceable. Environmental aspects like climate change adaptation for smallholder farmers are also likely to be a priority. You will be tracking how field projects help cocoa-growing regions become more resilient, while also supporting the development of policies that minimize the environmental footprint of the grinding and procurement process.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the primary challenges is coordinating diverse stakeholders across different cultures and time zones. Ensuring that data flowing from remote agricultural sites is accurate and timely requires persistence and excellent communication skills. You may also find it challenging to balance the immediate demands of budget tracking with the longer-term goals of program strategy development. Navigating the complexity of commodity markets can be difficult, as you must align sustainability objectives with the fluctuating priorities of trading and marketing teams. Maintaining momentum for impact-driven projects while adhering to strict corporate KPIs requires a high degree of organizational resilience.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day might begin with a coordination meeting with the Global Sustainability Manager to review the status of ongoing projects in origin countries. You might then transition to deep-work tasks, such as analyzing KPI data to draft a quarterly impact report or reviewing a budget proposal for a new community initiative. In the afternoon, you could switch to a creative or communicative mode, drafting social media posts or updating a presentation for a major customer. The day often ends with cross-functional calls to discuss sustainability commitments with the trading desk or responding to inquiries from international project partners.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

This position serves as an excellent springboard into senior sustainability management. Success in this role demonstrates an ability to handle the operational complexities of global supply chains, preparing you for roles like Sustainability Manager or Lead for Social Impact. Professional development is supported through exposure to high-level strategy review and programme design. There is also the potential for geographic or thematic specialization. As you gain expertise, you might move into specific lanes like traceability tech, carbon sequestration projects within the supply chain, or managing large-scale donor relationships with civil society and industry bodies.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will work most closely with the Global Cocoa Sustainability Manager and the local project implementation teams at origin. These internal interactions are vital for ensuring that strategy is correctly applied on the ground. You will also collaborate with internal trading and marketing teams to ensure sustainability is integrated into commercial deals. Externally, you will interact with suppliers, customers, and industry bodies. This may also extend to engaging with donors and civil society organizations who contribute to the project funding or provide third-party oversight of GCB’s sustainability progress.

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