Director General

About

World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg)

The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), founded in 1971, is the only international non-profit institute dedicated exclusively to vegetables. With headquarters in Taiwan, field operations are led from regional centers in Benin, India, Mali, Tanzania, and Thailand and additional country offices. WorldVeg is uniquely positioned to lead vegetable-focused research and innovation to address today’s pressing nutrition, health, employment and income challenges.

Every country in the world is affected by malnutrition, and three billion people – more than a third of humanity – suffer from poor quality diets, including one-quarter of all children under five. Nutrition challenges are increasingly complex: rising obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases coexist alongside child stunting and micronutrient deficiencies in many countries. Consuming sufficient quantities of nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits is critical for improving diets. However, healthy diets are more expensive than calorie-dense, staple grain-heavy diets, and 2-3 billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet, including more than two-thirds of people in low-income countries. The healthy diet affordability crisis is part of a legacy of the Green Revolution’s research and policy focus on cereal staples beginning in the 1960s. Today, the world spends US$700 billion on agricultural subsidies per year, mostly on staple grains. Only 2-3% of international agricultural research spending is dedicated to fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable production and trade can also generate many employment and income opportunities. Per square meter, net benefits from growing vegetables are 5-7 times what can be earned from staple crops such as rice, maize, or wheat. In addition, the ability to produce large amounts of produce in relatively small areas and within a short time period makes vegetables especially attractive to youth, women, and marginalized groups with limited access to land, including displaced people living in refugee camps.

Vegetables have a key role to play in all five areas identified by the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. These are (i) nourish all people, (ii) boost nature-based solutions, (iii) advance equitable livelihoods, decent work, and empowered communities, (iv) build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses, and (v) support means of implementation. To realize the true power of vegetables, actions are needed at the food system level, to make vegetables more available, accessible, affordable and desirable through push (production and supply), pull (demand and activism) and policy (legislation and governance) mechanisms. These must also be undertaken at macro (global and national), meso (institutional, city and community) and micro (household and individual) levels. As the only nonprofit institution dedicated to vegetables, WorldVeg is a key leader of global efforts to diversify food systems through science and innovation.

Over more than 50 years, WorldVeg has mobilized public and private sector resources to build world-class expertise, infrastructure, and a growing network of trusted partners around the world. But more resources and partners are needed to address the critical supply, demand and policy issues that constrain the huge nutritional and economic potential of vegetables.

To ensure that WorldVeg can deliver science and innovation for enhanced vegetable production and consumption in a rapidly changing world, the vision of the organization is to double its budget by 2033, from US$30 million to US$60 million.

What makes WorldVeg unique?

Genebank WorldVeg’s globally important genebank, improved varieties, production and postharvest methods help farmers to increase their vegetable harvests, raise incomes in poor rural and urban households, create jobs, and provide healthier, more nutritious diets for families and communities.
Global leader with over 50 years of excellence as the only international organization with a specific mandate on vegetable research and development.
Trusted partner to many national and international organizations, NGOs and businesses.
Convener of national, regional and global dialogues and collaborations, bringing together experts and policy makers to drive forward sustainable vegetable production and innovation.
Custodian of the world’s largest publicly available collection of vegetable seeds.
Breeder of enduring, climate resilient vegetable varieties.
Promoter and provider of improved and appropriate preharvest and postharvest practices and policy support.
Trainer of thousands of individuals, supported by experienced and knowledgeable scientists and practitioners.

For more information, visit www.avrdc.org/

Role purpose

The Director General of the World Vegetable Center is a visionary and strategic leader responsible for steering the organization toward an expanded global role, ensuring it continues to thrive as the leading institution for vegetable research and development. This position requires bold ambition, scientific credibility, and a deep commitment to enhancing nutrition, livelihoods, and sustainability through vegetable-based solutions.

The Director General will lead a diverse, global team of scientists and professionals, fostering innovation, strengthening partnerships, and expanding the Center’s global influence. They will champion research that delivers real-world impact—from resilient crop varieties to improved diets and thriving rural economies.

The ideal candidate brings a proven track record of executive leadership, expertise in an agriculturally relevant biophysical or social science, and the ability to inspire across cultures and disciplines. A Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree is preferred but not required.

This is a unique opportunity for a transformative leader to shape the future of food systems and make a lasting contribution to global development.

The Director General reports to and is an ex officio member of the multinational Board of Directors that governs WorldVeg.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

The Director General position at WorldVeg is a highly strategic role that involves the following key responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership: The Director General will provide strategic leadership to further strengthen and elevate WorldVeg as a world-class research institution. This includes establishing WorldVeg as a key partner for both global and national research and development organizations.

Resource Mobilization: The Director General will have a record of success in securing funds from various international funding sources and contributors, including private sector partners. They will drive resource mobilization efforts to secure financial, technical, intellectual, and political support for WorldVeg’s innovative, integrated, multi-disciplinary research and development program. This includes strengthening relationships with current partners and cultivating innovative new support from foundations, philanthropies, donors and private entities.
Nurturing Partnerships: The Director General will be adept in nurturing productive partnerships with a wide range of institutions, especially in founding member countries and countries hosting headquarters regional centers and country offices.
Advocacy Engagement: The Director General will be an experienced and compelling advocate for vegetables in international forums. A significant expansion of Center efforts and activities is expected.
Change Management: The Director General will provide strategic leadership to ensure effective organizational change management. This involves fostering interdisciplinary teamwork, promoting partnerships with public, non-governmental, and private sector organizations, and ensuring adequate administrative support to research in a geographically distributed, multi-cultural organization.

Characteristics/Qualifications/Experiences

Familiarity with WorldVeg’s Priority Regions: The Director General should have strong understanding of WorldVeg’s priority regions, including its high-profile centers in Mali, Benin, Tanzania, Thailand and India. In addition, knowledge of Taiwan and its vital role in supporting WorldVeg’s global scientific and programmatic efforts is essential.
Familiarity with agri-food systems issues: The Director General should be familiar with agricultural and food security issues in low-income countries, preferably including the vegetable sector. They should have a solid knowledge of current science relevant to the Center's mission.
Results-Based Management: The Director General should be committed to results-based management principles and have the capacity to generate and use evaluative data to validate and guide program direction. They should also exercise sound fiscal resource management to achieve strategic plans and inspire the confidence of funders.
Communication Skills: The Director General should have effective communication and presentation skills in English, both written and spoken; additional language skills are desirable. They should be compelling advocates for promoting vegetables as critical elements of safe, nutritious, and healthy diets worldwide and as an income-generating opportunity for farmers and business owners, including youth and women, throughout the agri-food systems of low and middle-income countries.
Team Building and Delegation: The Director General should have a proven record of team building, effective delegation, and staff empowerment. They should have experience in the leadership, management, and administration of interdisciplinary and geographically dispersed scientific research.
Diplomatic Skills: The Director General should have diplomatic talents, excellent people skills, and a keen awareness of global affairs. They should be willing to travel extensively, often under demanding conditions, from the WorldVeg home base in Taiwan.

Terms of Appointment

The salary scale and benefits package for the Director General is attractive and comparable with those of similar international institutions. The Director General’s term is five years, renewable once. Further information about the Center can be found at WorldVeg’s website.

Role Location

Taiwan

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 29 August 2025 (23:59 hrs, GMT + 8). It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) to undertake this assignment.

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