Senior Agribusiness Specialist

World Bank Group•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is a multilateral partnership and financing platform dedicated to improving food and nutrition security worldwide. Launched by the G20 in the wake of the 2007–2008 food price crisis, GAFSP works to build resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems in the world’s poorest countries. Since 2010, GAFSP has pooled US$2.44 billion in donor funds and supported over 190 public and private sector projects worldwide. GAFSP recognizes Producer Organizations (POs) as key actors linking producers to input, capital, and product markets. By doing so, they help increase the income and productivity levels of agricultural producers, particularly smallholder farmers, while improving the availability of and access to food for consumers. GAFSP is implemented as a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) for which the World Bank serves as Trustee. The World Bank also hosts a Coordination Unit (CU) within the Agriculture Global Practice that provides support to the GAFSP Steering Committee. The CU oversees overall Program operations, manages the Program’s Grant Based Financing Track, and coordinates with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which manages GAFSP’s Private Sector Window. The decision-making body of GAFSP is the Steering Committee (SC), which is comprised of an equal number of donor countries and recipient representatives as voting members. In addition, other stakeholders such as multilateral development banks, the Rome-based UN agencies, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) – one drawn from an OECD country and two representing recipient regions – and the World Bank as host and Trustee fully participate in Committee deliberations as non-voting members. Through the GAFSP Grant Based Financing Track the GAFSP provides grants to low-income countries to support national agriculture and food security investment plans developed by governments with farmers, agribusinesses, technical experts, and civil society organizations. Furthermore, the GAFSP directly supports smallholder farmers through small-scale grants for projects designed and led by farmer and producer organizations, together with a multilateral partner agency of choice. Finally, through the Business Investment Financing Track use blended finance solutions and concessional funding to mobilize private sector investments designed to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers living in the world’s poorest countries. Further details on GAFSP can be found on the website: www.gafspfund.org. The Senior Agribusiness Specialist position combines both program coordination and technical functions. The Specialist will serve as the Deputy Coordinator for the GAFSP Coordination Unit, with responsibility for strategy and partnerships. In addition, the position will serve as the operational lead for GAFSP’s Business Investment Financing Track. As Deputy Coordinator, the position will support the Program Head in the overall management and coordination of GAFSP’s internal operations and work streams. The position is responsible for managing the overall relationship with, and work program related to GAFSP’s existing and new partners, including the GAFSP Steering Committee, with lead responsibility for the CU relationship with the country representatives (partner/recipients and donors) as well as representatives of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). This includes supporting the Program Head in the development and management of partnerships and alliances which advance GAFSP’s agenda, and leading Program resource mobilization efforts, consulting with and coordinating inputs from the various GAFSP team leads (operations, communications, budget/resource management, and technical). In serving as operational lead of the Business Investment Financing Track, the Senior Specialist will provide leadership on the design, implementation and monitoring of the new financing track, and will contribute to the effective coordination with the broader GAFSP portfolio, including theGrant-Based Financing Track and the IFC-managed Private Sector Window.

Requirements

Master’s degree in development economics, agriculture, international relations.
Minimum eight years of relevant professional experience in agriculture, food systems, agribusiness, or multilateral program management.
Experience working in a partnership environment with a range of stakeholders, government agencies, donor contributors, recipients, NGOs, private sector, development partners.
Ideal candidate will possess strong relationship-building skills, and excellent project management, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English required, plus knowledge of either French or Spanish.
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including the ability to represent GAFSP and to present complex issues to World Bank Group management, senior Government representatives, GAFSP partners, as well as to non-specialist audiences.
Strong analytical skills and solid experience in leading policy dialogue and project/program design on critical issues of relevance for the transformation of agri-food systems.
Experience with leading strategy development and operational planning processes for global/multilateral programs in a multi-stakeholder environment.
Familiarity and experience with FIF management and operations, and with the GAFSP Supervising entities and their agriculture and food programs and projects: the Rome-based agencies (World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development), and the MDBs (African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group). Knowledge of IFC investments and advisory services would be a plus.
Proven team skills with the ability to function in a demanding, fast-paced, multi-sectoral and multi-cultural environment
Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving and team skills with ability to find balanced, pragmatic, and implementable solutions.
Demonstrated operational experience in agribusiness, agri-finance and related topics
Superior ability to synthesize and present information accurately, compellingly, and in easy-to-read formats
Ability and willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

Manage the overall coordination of GAFSP’s internal operations and workstreams.
Manage strategic relations and partnership
Design, implement and report on the GAFSP Resource Mobilization Plan
Lead delivery of GAFSP’s Business Investment Financing Track.
Provide Strategic and Policy Guidance on the GAFSP program and Calls for Proposals.

Benefits

The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

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