Job Details

Senior Agriculture Economist

 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.

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region

Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.

The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:

• Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.

• Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.

• Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.

• Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities. With the influx COVID-19, we are mobilizing financial support and timely analysis and advice to countries across the subregion deal with the pandemic.

• Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption:  In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. A number of East African countries are currently facing a debilitating Desert Locust infestation, threatening the already precarious food security situation. The Bank has put together a program to help affected countries deal with the scourge.

• Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.

• Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

The Planet Department

The Planet Department helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food, Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, and Water.

Agriculture and Food (AGF) Global Practice

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.

AGF and AFE Regional Context

The Agriculture and Food team in the Southern and Eastern Africa (AFE) Region is organized in two teams (SAEA2 and SAEA3) under the umbrella of the AFE Planet Department. The SAEA2 team  supports client countries tackle their most complex development challenges, including in the areas of climate smart agriculture, food security and nutrition, public policy and expenditures, digital agriculture data and innovations, and mobilizing private finance for agricultural development. SAEA2’s work program covers three Country Management Units (CMUs), which includes 13 countries in the region, and is led by a Practice Manager (PM), and a team of agricultural economists and specialists based at HQ in Washington, DC and across six country offices.

The Unit manages a large operational portfolio and several analytical tasks. Looking ahead, in addition to Investment Project Financing (IPFs), there is a growing need for engagement on agriculture policy reforms through Program-for-Results (PforRs) and Development Policy Financing (DPFs), as well as Reimbursable Advisory Services (RASs) and cutting-edge analytics to tackle our clients’ complex development problems. The focus of the team’s work going forward is on the future of agri-food systems, including inclusiveness, diversification of economies, jobs, food security and increased productivity, agriculture policies, agricultural competitiveness and linking farmers to markets, leveraging the private sector, climate-smart agriculture, digital agriculture, financial innovation, resilience, and fragility and conflict, as well as the broader sustainable development agenda.
This is an internationally recruited position.

Duties and accountabilities:

The Senior Agriculture Economist will report to the SAEA2 PM and assist in the delivery of the Unit’s work program, assurance of quality, interaction with internal and external clients, including the governments and private sector.  The position will also support the activities of other Planet units or other Practice Groups, as well as supporting the broader strategic dialogue and engagements, in areas including agricultural policy reforms, competitiveness, climate change, food and nutrition security, integrated risk resilience, jobs, inclusion of vulnerable populations, gender mainstreaming and rural transformation opportunities.

In doing so, the Senior Agriculture Economist will work closely with the SAEA2 PM, unit teams, relevant Program Leaders and CMUs. S/he will play a leading or supporting role in the development of cutting-edge analytics by carrying out specific pieces of high priority Advisory Services and Analytics (ASAs), as well as in the implementation support of complex operations and preparation of new operations. S/he is expected to lead the policy and reform dialogue in select countries in the unit, contribute to broader Planet and CMU engagements and dialogue, contribute to core analytic pieces for the country engagement as needed, and proactively engage and seek opportunities for business engagement and support the Unit’s achievements of operational milestones and results targets.

The Senior Agriculture Economist's responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Lead or co-lead sophisticated analytical and advisory service activities (ASAs) to support overall business development, inform reforms and fill knowledge gaps;

• Lead, co-lead, or serve as team member of complex operations, both in agriculture and multi-sectoral operations, assuring quality in all stages of the projects and other financial instruments such as IPFs, DPFs, PforRs, and Trust Funds (TFs), and contribute to expanding current portfolio;

• Analyze, review and process operational documents related to lending preparation and coordinating across WBG teams to assure timely completion of quality project packages;

• Participate in the countries’ strategic dialogue and represent the agriculture sector and provide contributions as needed;

• Support the effective and practical dissemination of knowledge products as well as potential knowledge exchanges;

• Engagement in the broader Planet and country dialogue is expected;

• Actively engage with Country counterparts on the agriculture engagements and identify opportunities for future priority engagement;

• Provide inputs on country and sectoral briefs, policy notes, strategy documents and cross-cutting think pieces;

• Support the Unit’s work program as portfolio quality lead;

• Contribute to the regional and global knowledge agenda;

• As necessary, represent the World Bank and SAEA2 at events with sectoral focus;

• Mentor, guide, and support junior staff in the Unit.
  

Selection Criteria

The Senior Agriculture Economist will have broad knowledge in the agriculture sector and policies and across Planet and will be well-versed in the WBG’s operational and reform dialogue on agriculture and the broader Planet sector. In addition to meeting the WBG-wide requirements for a grade GG-level position, it is expected that the successful candidate will meet the following selection criteria:

• Master’s or PhD degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agribusiness or in a relevant development discipline;

• At least 8 years of proven and relevant professional experience related to agriculture economics or macroeconomics, agribusiness, finance, climate studies, and other disciplines related to food systems;

• Relevant, proven operational experience in the area of agricultural and rural development that demonstrate cross-country/global expertise and client-facing skills;

• Robust, proven operational experience as TTL or core team member of agriculture and multi-sectoral lending operations;

• Strong analytical skills in the range of issues of relevance to agriculture and food systems;

• Recognized substantive leadership in one or more of the strategic/ technical areas noted above;

• Familiarity with the institutional context of AFE regional agricultural development and World Bank operations in Africa will be an advantage;

• 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 and work under challenging conditions;

• Excellent written and oral 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;

• Willingness and ability to travel.
  

World Bank Group Core Competencies

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.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

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