Chief Agricultural Economist - Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/17/075/2
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL-3
Position N°: 50091786

The Complex
The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on two of the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy High 5s priority of “Feed Africa” and “Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”. The complex objectives are:

• To develop, policy and strategy;
• Provide deep sector expertise to the Regions by gathering pools of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions;
• Develop new financing instruments;
• The Vice President will act as the spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on aspects of “Feed Africa” and Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.

The Hiring Department/ Division

• The Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department provides support for the delivery of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025.
• The strategy aims to end hunger and rural poverty in the next decade through self-sufficiency in eighteen (18) priority commodity value chains specific to the continent’s agro-ecological zones.
• Realizing the objectives set forth in the strategy requires increased productivity; value addition; investment in infrastructure; an enabling agribusiness environment; capital flows; and inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition.
• The Department leads the effort to transform African agricultural systems for greater competitiveness, inclusivity and sustainability, and for enhanced job creation and poverty reduction in Regional Member Countries.

The Position

• The Chief Agricultural Economist reports to the Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry.
• The main purpose of the Position of Chief Agricultural Economist will be to coordinate Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation and assist in the implementation of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa 2016-2025.
• Feed Africa contributes to the fulfillment of the African Development Bank’s vision as defined in its Ten Year Strategy and amplified in the High Five Initiatives of being the leading development financial institution in Africa, dedicated to providing quality assistance to Regional Member Countries in their poverty alleviation efforts.
• The Strategy seeks to transform African agriculture through eighteen (18) priority value chains and five agro- ecological zones.

The transformation will require a set of seven enablers:

• Increase productivity by catalyzing the development of effective input distribution systems and reduction in post-harvest waste and loss;
• Realize the value of increased production by facilitating increased investment into output markets and supporting market incentives for value addition;
• Increase investment into enabling infrastructure, both hard and soft infrastructure;
• Create an enabling agribusiness environment with appropriate policies and regulation;
• Catalyze capital flows (especially commercial lending and private investment) to scale agribusinesses;
• Ensure inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition beyond what the market may deliver otherwise;
• Coordinate activities to kick start transformation, align activities and investments of different actors, and guide initial activities to the point where private sector actors can be crowded in.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the general supervision of the Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, and working in close collaboration with the Division Managers and Task Managers, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Coordinator will coordinate the development and implementation of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation across the Bank’s Regional Member Countries.

His/her duties include the following:

• Lead the implementation of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda with regards to the flagship Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program;
• Lead the development of a coherent and pro-active Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program framework that promotes investment into agriculture research and technology dissemination;
• Liaise and work with Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research,  non- Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research key Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation partners, and National Agricultural Research Systems on Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation issues;
• Liaise with the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation clearinghouse, and Project Steering Committee to ensure a smooth implementation of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation ;
• Enhance quality, timeliness and integrity of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation implementation  through developing and applying controls that minimize slippages;
• Develop and implement performance monitoring and evaluation systems and reporting activities (including Key Performance Indicators) to enable transparent assessment of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation outcomes and impacts, both for internal and external circulation;
• Advise Regional Member Countries on increasing investment into agriculture research and technology dissemination;
• Facilitate the expansion of the official partners of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Program and promote information exchanges on Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation ;
• Drive new business development and resource mobilization for Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation with sovereign, multilateral, bilateral and private sector partners;
• Establish synergies between Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation and the Bank’s other flagship programmes for Agricultural Transformation in Africa: ENABLE Youth, Agropoles and Agro-processing Zones, and Agricultural Risk Sharing Facilities;
• Maintain regular communication channels with program stakeholders on progress and achievement of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation as well as emerging constraints and opportunities;
• Establish and maintain strategic collaboration with relevant partners in the area of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation ;
• Organize Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation development seminars, make presentations, and represent the Bank in industry events; and
• Undertake any other assignments as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's Degree (or equivalent) in Agronomy, Agriculture Sciences, Agriculture Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Rural Development or related field.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience (five (5) years of which should be in a multilateral development institution) in agriculture research and development.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Experience working with Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research is a plus.
• Publications in agriculture a plus.
• Experience working in Africa is a must.
• Proven ability to take initiative, innovate, adapt and make smart decisions; to create, apply, and share knowledge; to share expertise and learning; to develop self and others; to expand networks; to collaborate within teams and across boundaries; to be inclusive and exhibit good corporate citizenship.
• Ability to build partnerships with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the Bank.
• Highly developed conceptual, analytical, and innovative problem-solving ability.
• Demonstrated leadership effectiveness and supervisory ability to achieve defined objectives in international multicultural contexts.
• Ability to manage multiple, simultaneous and shifting demands/ priorities under tight deadlines and coordinate the work of others.
• Ability to use analytical software (GENSTAT, SAS, R, SPSS).
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).