Chief Climate Smart Agriculture Officer, AHAI2 at African Development Bank - AfDB

Position Number: 50093615
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Position Grade: PL3

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on 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 VP 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 18 (eighteen) 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.

The Position

• The main purpose of the position of Chief Climate Smart Agriculture Officer, Coordinator of the Climate Smart Agriculture flagship, will be to assist in the implementation of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa. Feed Africa contributes to the fulfilment of the AfDB’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 (RMC) in their poverty alleviation efforts.

The Strategy seeks to transform African agriculture through 18 (eighteen) priority value chains and 5 (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; and
• 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.
• The Chief Climate Smart Agriculture Officer will provide support in designing, implementing, evaluating, and monitoring policies, strategies, and programs involving agriculture and climate change issues.

Key Functions

• Under the oversight of the Manager, Agricultural Production, Research and Sustainability Division (AHAI.2) of the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department (AHAI), the Chief Climate Smart Agriculture Officer, working in close collaboration with the Division Managers and Task Managers, will lead the design and implementation of climate change and agriculture activities.

The main duties include the following:

• Lead the Bank’s investments on climate adaptation of African Agriculture through deployment of climate adapted crop varieties, sustainable water management, recovery of degraded lands, digital technologies, and other climate smart agricultural practices
• Design and/or manage the development of strategic objectives (SOs) involving agriculture, climate change and food security, identifying actions related to program/project implementation, monitoring, and evaluating activities under established and/or proposed SOs;
• Provide expertise to Regional Member Countries (RMC) for research and analysis of issues related to agriculture and climate change;
• Propose priorities to be addressed through capacity development, related to the impact of climate change and natural hazards on agriculture, and provide recommendations for extension and knowledge tools required for the public, extension agents and farmers
• Analyze, formulate, and develop ideas, concepts, and methodology for policies, procedures, and systems for designing, implementing and evaluating agriculture and climate change programs;
• Assist Regional Member Countries (RMCs) with innovative solutions to streamlining Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in programs and projects;
• Coordinate and incorporate research and analysis findings into implementable interventions involving promoting new and innovative strategies for agriculture and climate change programs;
• Provide programmatic backstopping and management of agriculture and climate change projects;
• Develop partnerships to promote climate smart agriculture adoption in Africa;
• Support regional members countries for mobilization resource to support CSA adoption in Africa particular the climate finance;
• Collaborate with Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to identify agricultural and climate change issues and constraints that can be overcome by policy, legislative, or other initiatives;
• Provide recommendations on measures that provide co-benefits in terms of reducing emissions and increasing resilience of farming;
• Prepare briefing materials and provide materials on successful programs, good practice recommendations, and analytical reports on agriculture and climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, policies and programs;
• Serve as technical liaison with other stakeholders (multilateral banks, donor organizations, private voluntary organizations (PVO), universities, and professional organizations) to coordinate their efforts with Bank programs, policies, and approaches relating to agriculture and climate change;
• Participate in review of agriculture and climate change activities, policy and technical input;
• Support the provision of formalized training and  capacity building on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) for Task managers; and
• Undertake any other assignments as may be assigned by the Manager, Agriculture Production, Research and Sustainability Division.

Requirements
Competencies (Skills, experience and knowledge):

• Hold at least a Master's Degree in Climate Change, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resources Management, Agriculture, or closely related disciplines.
• Have a minimum of 7 (seven) years professional experience in multilateral development institutions in development and implementing climate change programs
• Proven experience in climate finance mobilization
• Sound knowledge of climate change effects on agriculture and adaptation/mitigation measures
• Experience in consultation and planning for environmental initiatives which contribute to greater environmental sustainability
• Proven written and analytical skills in designing climate change and/or climate finance operations;
• Good command of research, analysis and policy on agriculture and environmental management tools and techniques
• Ability to initiate innovative approaches and originality at work; sound analytic, conceptual and strategic thinking;
• Good knowledge and understanding of food security, sustainable livestock production and sustainable water management issues
• 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); knowledge of SAP is desirable.