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The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at local, national and international levels for policies that contribute to rural transformation.
The Strategy and Knowledge Department (SKD) provides expert guidance on IFAD's strategic direction, thematic priorities and technical quality of IFAD operations. It plays a critical role in providing technical expertise to operational teams to enhance development effectiveness, by generating and disseminating IFADโs development knowledge and evidence on strategic themes, and encouraging innovative application of cutting-edge global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments to help countries tackle their most complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation. SKD is composed of the: (i) Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG); (ii) Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI); and (iii) Research and Impact Assessment Division (RIA).
PMI provides technical support to IFAD Country Programs to ensure the proper application of corporate quality standards required for achieving development results and impact in key thematic areas, including food production systems (i.e. fisheries, livestock, and agronomy), land, natural resources management, water and rural infrastructure, financial services, rural markets and enterprises and rural institutions. It contributes to the generation of evidence and knowledge on these themes, and facilitates their use in IFAD funded projects and activities.
The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) works under the overall strategic, policy and management guidance, and supervision of the Director, PMI.ย
Job Role ย
The incumbent, technically supports country/regional programmes as well as the corporate agenda by providing state-of-the-art technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational) on issues related to Youth and other Social Inclusion themes. Within her/his areas of responsibility, the Lead Technical Specialist, exercises a high degree of independence in providing reliable programme delivery and strategic advice to the ECG Director. The incumbent at this level performs the full complexity range of work independently, including analysis and approval of complex and/or precedent-setting cases, with the aim of ensuring cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support.
Position specific: The Lead Technical Specialist (Agronomy) acts as the global anchor in this discipline, leading the agronomy team, acting as the lead corporate expert in agronomy and managing key programs and initiatives related to agronomy. The position works collaboratively with the other thematic Technical Specialists in PMI, Country Directors (CD)/Heads of Multi-country Offices (MCO) and other staff to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support. The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) also represents IFAD at the global level within their area of expertise, and ensures knowledge flows among the regionally-mapped technical staff within their area of expertise. The incumbent travels up to 50% of the time.
Key Functions and Results ย
1. POLICY AND STRATEGY ADVICE AND DEVELOPMENT: The Lead Technical Specialist, provides technically authoritative advice informed by empirical evidence to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player in agricultural and rural development with particular emphasis on social inclusion themes. The incumbent ensures that IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner of national governments and farmersโ organizations in policy dialogues and fora. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to:
(a) Providing IFAD staff and partners with up-to-date, evidence-based advice on relevant investment and policy interventions related to ย Youth and Social Inclusion, development, strengthening and empowerment to promote inclusive and sustainable food system transformation, value chain development, collaboration with the private sector, and rural market creation and development, among others;
(b) Providing evidence-informed recommendations to IFAD management on IFAD's rural development agenda using a wide range of data sources and analytical tools;
(c) Providing substantive support to IFAD senior management participation in high-level fora with policy implications for Youth and Social Inclusion and rural transformation, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, and preparing documents and presentations;
(d) Leading the preparation of technical products (e.g. complex papers, analysis, substantive sections of reports and studies) to advance IFADโs voice in the global debate on rural transformation, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and strengthening of their role in promoting inclusive and sustainable food system transformation, greater and better collaboration with the private sector, and rural market creation and development, among others, in close collaboration within PMD and other SKD divisions.
2. KNOWLEDGE ADVISORY LEADERSHIP: The Lead Technical Specialist, leads and contributes to the development of viable and sustainable policies, and supports regional and global thematic input through authoritative technical knowledge sharing for her/his area of specialization (Youth and Social Inclusion). The incumbent ensures access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthens technical capacity, and establishes new knowledge and advisory partnerships on how rural institutions should be leveraged, empowered and strengthened to promote change in the rural economies and food systems in which they operate, as well as strengthens partnerships with the private sector. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to:
(a) Leading processes related to intelligence gathering and analysis of debates relevant to Youth and Social Inclusion, inclusive and sustainable rural transformation in the global debate, and facilitating knowledge sharing and experiences in this area within SKD, IFAD, and other stakeholders in the global arena;
(b) Coordinating relevant knowledge development and dissemination with institutions outside IFAD, within the region concerned, and national institutions, disseminating knowledge and lessons learned with external partners and stakeholders through publication of Occasional Papers, journal articles, seminars and workshops, through electronic media, and the development of new knowledge products and operational tools that are informed by learning from the field;
(c) Participating in IFAD-wide thematic discussions and developing appropriate technical and operational approaches of relevance to country/divisional strategies and programmes;
(d) Planning and leading learning events to strengthen IFADโs knowledge and capacity to engage in global debates with policy implications for rural transformation.
3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES: The Lead Technical Specialist, develops and maintains a network of strategic partnerships to help advance IFAD's mandate and messages around inclusive and sustainable rural transformation in the global debate. The incumbent develops peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to develop new products and services, keep up-to-date on activities at country and regional levels, support joint advocacy, and share knowledge to enhance the Fundโs profile as a highly competent and reliable partner in development. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to:ย
(a) Building partnerships with farmersโ, producersโ, and youthโ organizations, centers of excellence, complementary technical organizations, and specialized departments of other development agencies as strategic partner;
(b) Promoting greater partnerships between farmersโ, producersโ, and youthโ organizations, and private sector and other value chain actors, including with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in rural systems, with particular focus on social inclusion themes;
(c) Strengthening IFADโs representation and communication in policy processes (including representing IFAD at international, regional, and inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences);
(d) Generating new resources for IFAD through partnerships and outreach activities;
(e) Identifying major opportunities, as well as serving as focal point, for strategic collaboration with centers of excellence, complementary technical organizations, private sector, MSMEs, and specialized departments of other development agencies as strategic partners;
(f) Leading wider IFAD and Rome-based discussions on the development of sustainable and inclusive approaches to rural transformation as requested.
4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING:ย The incumbent supports the Director in monitoring and corporate reporting activities to enhance knowledge creation, country level programme and funding decisions.
5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Lead Technical Specialist, is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. The incumbent acts as global anchor in charge of the overall oversight of the ย Social Inclusion cluster as well as youthexpertise in IFAD. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to:
(a) Contributing to the supervision of key divisional programme activities, including key missions and other initiatives, leading and directing a team of staff, overseeing research and impact assessment activities, planning and allocating work assignments, coaching, mentoring and evaluating staff, and participating in recruitment, selection and training of new staff and in the development of training programmes;
(b) Contributing to the personnel and financial management of the work unit, including the development and implementation of work plans and budgets.
Position specifics:
6. TECHNICAL ADVICE TO COUNTRY PROGRAMMES IN AGRONOMY: The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) serves as a broker in their area of technical expertise to facilitate the integration of global best-practices in country programmes across the globe on agronomic development and strengthening of their role in promoting inclusive and sustainable food system transformation, greater and better collaboration with the private sector, medium, small and micro enterprises and rural market creation and development, among others. The position has an over-sight function to ensure consistent application of corporate quality standards within their area of technical expertise and serves as technical peer reviewer in corporate quality enhancement processes to ensure adherence to relevant quality standards and policies. Based on a planning exercise undertaken jointly between PMD and SKD, and working in close collaboration with the CDs/Head MCOs, the Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) provides targeted technical advice to country programmes across the globe, including supporting the preparation of Results-based Country Strategic Opportunities Programmes (COSOPs), Country Strategy Notes (CSNs), project designs and project supervision/implementation support, through participation in project teams and missions as required. For strategic reasons and based on business needs, the incumbent may serve as Project Technical Lead for selective project designs, ensuring overall technical quality of the project design across all thematic areas, including drafting of terms of reference for technical team members (incl. consultants), selecting and providing over-sight of qualified technical consultants, facilitating technical inputs from other IFAD staff and/or others (i.e. centres of excellence, research institutions), ensuring the technical quality of the project design report, participating in or leading select missions and ensuring comments provided through corporate quality enhancement and assurance processes are adequately addressed. The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) also provides support in agronomy to ongoing projects across the globe (in particular projects for which the incumbent was Project Technical Lead during design or projects at risk), and has an over-sight function to ensure regionally-mapped technical staff consistently apply corporate quality standards within their technical area of expertise during project supervision and implementation support. The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) introduces to country counterparts innovative and integrated solutions for integrated soil fertility management, pest and disease control, increasing access to quality input and output markets, extension services, climate adaptation, post-harvest handling and storage and market access and value addition.ย
7. POLICY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS: The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) develops and maintains a global network of peer contacts and partners outside IFAD to keep abreast of recent developments and trends and facilitate brokering of partnerships to enhance the Fundโs profile as a highly competent and viable partner in development. Specifically, on the basis of their thematic expertise and skills and working closely with the CDs, other Lead Global Technical Specialists at headquarters, the Lead Regional Economist and other relevant Technical Specialists, the incumbent ย (a) leads the development of relevant technical policies and strategies in the thematic area of agronomy building on the knowledge generated from IFADโs country programs; (b) represents IFAD in global fora related to policy formulation on agronomy; (c) develops and maintains strategic partnerships with relevant organizations, centres of excellence, private sector partners, research institutions, thematic platforms at the global level.
8. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE RURAL SYSTEMS CONTEXT: The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) serves as the corporate focal point for knowledge management activities related to the thematic area of their technical expertise. Working closely with SKD and PMD colleagues, the incumbent coordinates the preparation and implementation of an action plan for knowledge management activities in the field of agronomy, including securing the required resources (i.e. budget, consultants). The Lead Technical Specialist (Agronomy) (a) leads the systematization and dissemination of knowledge, good practices and innovations generated through IFADโs country programs across the globe, through specific knowledge products, tool-kits, guidelines, blogs, training material, technical notes, publications and learning events; (b) maintains a global network of peer contacts and partners outside IFAD to facilitate brokering of information and knowledge exchanges; (c) builds and/or maintains communities of practice as well as roster of qualified/certified consultants in agronomy, working closely with the regionally-mapped technical staff; (d) represents IFAD in global events on technical matters related to the thematic area of their technical expertise and relevant to IFAD; (e) identifies and promotes opportunities for knowledge sharing and exchanges between regionally-mapped technical staff in the field of agronomy.ย
9. CORPORATE ACTIVITIES: The Lead Global Technical Specialist provides targeted authoritative overall advise in their area of technical expertise for the development of corporate initiatives/instruments, policies and procedures, including leading corporate task forces and preparing technical position papers as required. The position also provides substantive inputs to corporate events, training activities and technical management briefs as required.
Key Performance Indicators ย
Assignments require the provision of authoritative professional expertise and technical leadership at global, regional and national levels on Youth and Social Inclusion issues. Lead Global Technical Specialists define, propose, revise and/or develop programmes or policies for the Fund, as well as represent the position of IFAD in national, regional and global fora and conferences. Innovation is required in the adaptation and development of approaches and methods to evolving technical and programmatic contexts.
Work at this level is considered substantially complex and of critical concern to the Fund. In particular, analytical and advisory work requires in-depth identification and consideration of a full range of factors relevant to the examination and discussion of programme problems and policies in the solution of methodological problems or in the formulation of policy proposals and project recommendations.
Position specific: : The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) is responsible for the technical quality of IFADโs key outputs and deliverables for agronomy, and guides the organizationโs policy, partnerships, and knowledge management on these topics. The position leads IFADโs strategies/policies, tools, guidelines and databases/evidence on agronomy. Particular key performance indicators are linked to: Improved knowledge and technical capacities of IFADโs targets groups to increase access and benefits from productive resources; increase in development and uptake of pro-poor technologies and innovations in agronomy; Improved performance of IFADโs agronomy supported programmes; High IFADโs visibility in global policy processes and networks relating to agronomy; High quality management of agronomy programmes, grants and supplementary resources; Supporting the mainstreaming of climate, nutrition, gender and youth into IFADโs agronomy programmes; collaborating with other experts in PMI to identify and support the development of appropriate instruments and technologies related to rural transformation, including, ICT4D applications, non-sovereign private sector operations; etc.; and use IFADโs technical guidelines and related technical tools to support design and implementation of projects ย
Working Relationships ย
The work relationships of Lead Technical Specialists involves the provision of authoritative technical advice for policy, programme and strategy development, resource mobilization,and the negotiation and resolution of problems that arise in mission planning, technical project appraisal or the preparation of studies and reports. The incumbent typically serves as the Fundโs senior technical advisor in the field of specialization and exercises wide professional latitude in contacts in her/his field(s), providing technical leadership and methodological guidance to management, Regional Directors/CDs/Heads MCO, national governments, development partners and other country programme staff in the technical area of specialization.
Position specific: The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) works directly with IFADโs country teams (Coutry Directors, Country Programme Officerss, regional economists, portfolio advisors, etc. ), other technical experts from PMI, ECG, and RIA, as well as other specialists, to lead and deliver IFADโs programme of loans and grants, non sovereign private sector operations, reimbursable technical assistance, as well as policies/strategies, studies, guiding notes, toolkits, stocktakes, etc., related to agronomy. The Lead Global Technical Specialist (Agronomy) also develops working relationships and networks with other IFIs, bilateral agencies, UN organizations, private sector, NGOs, research/academia, and other development partners working in the field of agronomy. The position leads and maintains these working relationships as IFADโs main representative and leading authority in the area of agronomy, and is expected to work at the highest level of representation with government and non-government officials. The position would also guide their team in building these working relationships with internal and external partners. ย ย
Specifically, the incumbent supervises the two Regional Technical Specialists based in East and Southern Africa and Asia and Pacific Regions.
Job Profile Requirements ย
Organizational Competencies:
Level 2:
Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally Communicating and negotiating - Acquires & uses a wide range of communication styles & skills Demonstrating leadership - Leads by example; initiates and supports change Focusing on clients - Contributes to a client-focused culture Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Challenges, innovates & contributes to learning culture Managing performance and developing staff - Manages wider teams with greater impact on others and on the organization Managing time, resources and information - Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources Problem-solving and decision-making - Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact Strategic thinking and organizational development - Staff in management and/or strategic leadership roles Team working - Fosters a cohesive team environmentEducation:
Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution. A PhD degree would be an asset.ย The establishment awarding the degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php Area - soil science, agronomy, crop production, horticulture or related fields.(*) Note: ย For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in the IFADโs Human Resources Implementing Procedures.ย
Experience:
At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of agronomy, strengthening and empowerment, particularly in the formulation of technical guidance and input to development programmes and investment projects promoting a strengthened role for agronomy in promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development, value chains development, market creation and development, greater partnerships with the private sector, as well as management of regional and/or global capacity building grants and programs for civil society organizations, in particular for producers organizations.ย At least five (5) years of relevant experience in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scale.ย Position-specific experience: Experience in international policy frameworks related to global agricultural, food security and rural development issues is an asset as well as experience in the field of agronomy, particularly in the formulation of technical guidance and input to agriculture and rural development programmes. Familiarity with application of IFIs safeguards to manage the social and environmental effects of rural development projects is a strong asset. Ability to apply research and impact evaluation for programs under review and at completion.Languages:
Required English (4 โ Excellent) ย A second IFAD language ย French, Spanish and/or Arabic is also required (3 โ Good)ย Position-specific requirement: Good skills both in speaking and drafting technical documents.ยSkills:
Evidence-based policy: Know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation) Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-ร -vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.) Strategy implementation: Ability to lead and manage the development and implementation of medium to longer-term strategies for IFAD / for respective divisions Resources management: Know-how in the management of human, financial and material management of IFAD resources Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes Interpersonal skills: Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with others (e.g. visitors, clients, callers, etc.), including senior individuals (e.g. high-level meeting participants) Leadership: Group thought leader, sought out by others and providing mentorship and effective guidance to others; Ability to build trust, inside and outside the organization by acting as a role model for IFAD's core values and competencies, and to provide a clear sense of direction, mentorship and effective guidance to the team, strategizing the IFAD's goals, giving the vision, empowering the team and ensuring a positive environment for all. Synthesis: Outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.) Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, managementOther Information ย
Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.
In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful. Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.