Leah Hawes

Furloughed due to USAID funding cuts

• Program management of a $17M USAID-funded agribusiness initiative, overseeing intake, prioritization, and execution of multiple workstreams, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives
• Tracked and analyzed program performance metrics to drive data-informed decision-making, ensuring programming met established KPIs and work plan milestones
• Collaborated with business and technical leads to assess project feasibility, resource needs, and financial planning
• Managed cross-functional and international teams, streamlining processes between technical, finance, and operational teams to drive program success
• Led risk management efforts, identifying dependencies and constraints and mitigating potential roadblocks to program execution
• Provided internal policy support to discuss strategic sectors and clients for expansion
• Supported business development through early positioning, strategic partnerships, and proposal writing/development, including serving as technical writer on a Conservation International proposal that focused on sustainable coffee farming in countries in East Africa and Latin America
• Utilized Salesforce to maintain program and client databases and ensure effective program management

• Oversaw program portfolio management across multiple regions, including Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and East Africa
• Ensured effective planning, execution, and reporting of multiple initiatives across different sectors, including regenerative agriculture in cocoa and coffee
• Developed and maintained project workplans, tracked progress and milestones and identified challenges in collaboration with in-country teams and technical specialists
• Strengthened capacity of implementing partners by developing training materials, knowledge-sharing platforms, and technical assistance frameworks
• Strengthened partnerships through engagement with private sector stakeholders, government agencies, and donors, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities
• Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between technical, finance, and monitoring & evaluation teams to ensure program efficiency and accountability

• Conducted thesis research on the interplay of Food Sovereignty and Food Systems, with a focus on crop biodiversity and indigenous famer networks
• Supported community-led conservation initiatives through engagement in Parque de la Papa and Lares Vertical Farming markets
• Assisted with event coordination for Dia Nacional de la Papa, fostering collaboration between indigenous communities and conservation organizations

• Facilitated collaboration between SEED HQ and field teams to ensure project development was aligned with local needs
• Developed monitoring tools for food security programs, ensuring alignment with sustainable agricultural and environmental conservation practices
• Coordinated reporting and knowledge-sharing initiatives between field teams and headquarters to enhance program effectiveness

• Managed a $28M portfolio across multiple regions, coordinating program execution across technical and business teams to ensure high-quality implementation
• Developed project tracking systems, using data analytics to monitor progress, identify trends, and adjust strategies as needed
• Led financial management efforts, including budget tracking, donor compliance, and risk assessment
• Spearheaded cross-functional meetings with donors, technical teams, and in-country staff to align programming with evolving needs
• Influenced strategic decision-making by synthesizing program learnings and developing technical toolkits for broader organizational use internally and externally
• Led on New Business Development, including donor negotiations, proposal writing, and budgeting

• Led the oversight of Emergency Food Security and Livelihood (EFSL) programs totaling $6.4M, ensuring strategic and financial alignment with donor expectations
• Provided project management support, tracking KPIs and implementing improved performance monitoring tools across multiple portfolios
• Liaised with field teams and HQ to ensure alignment on key deliverables, mitigating program risks and ensuring seamless execution
• Received departmental Extraordinary Performance Award in Q3 of USG Fiscal Year 2021 for management of Emergency Food Assistance for Conflict-Affected Households in Burma program
• Led and assisted on New Business Development opportunities, coordinating between country and field offices, finance, and technical staff

• Provided program management and reporting support to EFSL portfolio, ensuring that field teams were equipped to meet donor requirements; provided monthly budgeting and reporting for all team programs, including building out project budget trackers and editing and finalizing monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting
• Deployed to Syria Response Office (Oct–Dec 2018) as a Proposal Coordinator, working with field teams to develop high-impact proposals for USAID BHA, ECHO, and BMZ