Gry Synnevåg is educated at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and is employed at the Department of International Environment and Development Studies there, with particular responsibility for work on food security and agricultural development in conflict-affected and fragile states, with a special focus on Mali, Niger and Afghanistan.

She has long and broad experience from research and higher education, and has also worked for many years for both international and national NGOs, including as Country Director for KN in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2008. She chaired the programme committee of the Afghanistan Committee from 2014 to 2019, and is a former board member and chair of the board.