Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.
Agriculture is an essential pathway to meeting the World Bank Group’s (WBG) twin goals-eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity. Food production must increase by at least 35 percent to meet the needs of the rising global population. Thus, ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity cannot be achieved without more and better investment in agriculture, food security, and nutrition. Meeting today’s challenges on the food and agriculture agenda will require major strides in agricultural innovation and climate smart agriculture, efficiency in food production and distribution systems, promoting environmentally and socially sustainable production practices, strengthening agricultural policy and institutions, supporting agribusiness value chains, and joint private- and public- sector action. The Agriculture and Food Global Practice (GP) of the WBG, working closely with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), supports a Global Vision for Food and Agriculture with agriculture able to feed every person, every day, in every country with a safe, nutritious and affordable diet, and where jobs and income gains in the food system are sufficient to meet poverty reduction targets.
To help the achievement of the twin goals, the strategic focus of the Agriculture and Food GP, as reflected in the Agriculture Action Plan, is to help client countries on the issues mentioned above. Our current work program (150+ operations) consists of engagement in policy dialogue, investment, and forging partnerships across the globe seeking to (i) raise agricultural productivity, (ii) link farmers to markets and strengthen value chains, (iii) support rural non-farm income, (iv) reduce risk, vulnerability, and gender inequality, and (v) enhance environmental services and sustainability.
The Agriculture and Food GP works with and across multiple sectors, in recognition of the fact that agriculture outcomes often depend on actions that lie outside the Practice, and the GP actively contributes to work managed by other Global Practices. Accordingly, a capacity to work across GP boundaries, forge coalitions and influence multi-practice solutions is essential for achieving the major objectives of improving agriculture outcomes.
In MENA, the agriculture and food sector remains a large provider of jobs, an important contributor to the economy and to food security, and a substantial contributor to exports. The sector faces important immediate challenges though, ranging from the combination of climate change, population growth and scarce natural resources, to competitiveness and job creation including for youth and women. In the context of a green and inclusive recovery from the recent crises, the Bank’s program supports the transformation of the agriculture and food sector in Tunisia through key policy reforms, private sector-led agricultural commercialization and modernization, improving the quality of jobs in the agri-food sector, and fostering the adoption of climate smart and digital agriculture development.
Duties and Accountabilities
The primary responsibility of the Senior Agribusiness Specialist/ Senior Economist will be to provide technical and strategic leadership for the development and implementation of the Agriculture and Food GP’s work program in the MENA region, with a specific focus on value chain development and leveraging private sector investments.
The Senior Agribusiness Specialist/ Senior Economist will report to the Practice Manager in charge of the Middle East and North Africa, who is based at the World Bank headquarters in Washington D.C., and assist him/her in the delivery of the work program, assurance of quality, interaction with internal and external clients, including the government, private sector, civil society and development partners.
In particular, the Senior Agribusiness Specialist/ Senior Economist will:
• Lead activities as Task Team Leader or as core team member, both in the agri-food sector and multi-sectoral operations, assuring quality in all stages of the project cycle;
• Serve as an advisor to colleagues who are themselves Task Team Leaders, providing them with advice and support;
• Act as a focal point on mobilization of private sector investment in the agri-food sector and lead business development in that area, working closely with other relevant GPs, IFC and MIGA;
• Work with the Sector Leaders and staff of the Agriculture and Food GP and other GPs to identify opportunities to promote the development and resilience of the agri-food sector through policy dialogue, sector investment operations, budget support operations, and other multi-sectoral projects;
• Identify innovative opportunities or ways to address existing needs in the agricultural and food sector, including bringing in experience from other regions;
• Remain current with relevant major pieces of analytical work in the profession. Lead or participate in strategic analytical work in the region, and work with teams engaged in analytical work relevant to the Agriculture and Food GP’s work program;
• As necessary, represent the World Bank and the Agriculture and Food GP’s management at events with sectoral focus that take place in country and in the region;
• Develop strong client relations and partnerships, including with the International Finance Corporation, on operational matters and policy dialogue;
• Maintain a high level and quality of engagement and dialogue with key stakeholders, including government, civil society, private sector and research/academic community on strategic and policy issues concerning agriculture and food security in MENA.
Selection Criteria
• Master’s, MBA or PhD in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agribusiness, or in a relevant discipline;
• At least eight years of experience on value-chain and agribusiness development issues;
• Strong technical and analytical skills in the range of issues of relevance to the agriculture and food sector;
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving and team skills with ability to find balanced, pragmatic and implementable solutions also in a multi-disciplinary context;
• High level of energy, ability to work under pressure, and willingness to travel;
• Excellent communication skills in English, including the ability to present complex issues to World Bank management and senior Government representatives, as well as to non-specialist audiences;
• French and/or Arabic preferred;
• Experience with World Bank operations.
WBG Competencies
• Agriculture Policy, Strategy, and Institutions. Deep understanding of agriculture policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations and linkages of agriculture with other areas of development.
• Policy Dialogue Skills. Translates broad policy objectives into concrete development proposals. Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners; Provides highly practical advice to management and teams on complex strategic and operational deliverables and outputs and outcomes; Has a track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts in complex and challenging situations; Demonstrates strong ability to defend policies’ rationale and impacts to senior WBG management and government officials; Actively promotes dialogue with relevant counterparts, the donor community, the private sector, government officials, as well as with civil society.
• Integrative Skills. Demonstrates ability to lead work on integrating divergent views in a coherent project/program/strategy, including across sectors and WBG; Advises project/country teams how to integrate corporate/regional priorities into specific project/strategy; Brings together multidisciplinary perspectives for effective solutions; Ensures that the project team integrates corporate commitments (e.g., climate change, gender) in its approach.
• Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena. Demonstrates complete understanding of policy making process and the role of own sector of expertise in that process and its interrelations with other sectors; Is able to explain and defend development initiatives and policies’ rationale and impacts to senior WBG management and government officials; Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; Conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, project design, offerings, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
• Communications and Influencing Skills. Demonstrates a strong command of all forms of communication and delivers messages in a consistently effective, timely and engaging manner; Facilitates and organizes intra- and inter-sectoral teams, international experts to debate and exchange ideas on key issues; Has ability to communicate and defend ideas orally and in writing in a clear and compelling way.
• Technical knowledge and analytical skills. Recognized expert internally and externally in the economics of agriculture and food systems, capable of serving as a lead in representing the WBG internationally.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large and complex analytical tasks, has extensive cross-country knowledge in economic specialty linked to agriculture and food systems, strong ability to link the macro, institutional, and microlevel behaviors; Strong ability to support findings/policy recommendations with credible economic analysis and tools; Recognized expert in food and agriculture policies, strategies, markets, institutions and regulations.
• Team Leadership. Strong leadership skills to form, guide, and lead teams WBG-wide, yielding high-quality knowledge or lending products, with solid experience on one or more complex multi-sectoral or innovative operations.
• Flexibility to be both a leader for the task as well as for the members in the team; Strong commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, and participatory decision making, motivating teams to deliver on time and within budget; Strong leadership skills that provide a model for others, thus enhancing the team-leadership skills of team members.
• Recognized mentorship ability, giving more junior team members opportunities for leadership and mentoring them to ensure success; Inspires and influences others to drive innovation; Has demonstrated ability to mentor and enhance capacity of colleagues in the agriculture and other Global Practices within SD.
