Job Title : Programme Analyst (Junior Professional Officer - Netherlands)

ID : 34422

Location : ROME

Date of issue : 03/03/2026

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 04/01/2026

Organizational Unit : Near East & North Africa Div.

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 1 Years

Grade : P-2

Organizational Setting

This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to people with the nationality of one of the following eligible countries: eligible-countries-DC-JPOs-2025.pdf

  • For the minimum qualification requirements see the website of Nedworc Foundation: Junior Professional Officer Programme - Nedworc Foundation
  • Please read the criteria and FAQ section carefully before considering applying
  • The initial duty station is Rome, Italy for the first year, with the possibility of extension for the second and third years under the JPO scheme, with relocation to Cairo, Egypt.

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 the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Department for Country Operations (DCO) oversees the origination, design and management of IFAD investments, including sovereign and non-sovereign operations, as well as the design and implementation of non-lending activities within country programmes, including policy engagement and SSTC. DCO is the department that primarily interfaces with governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to deliver IFAD's programme of work and to provide oversight to ensure quality of the portfolio.

DCO is led by an Associate Vice-President and is composed of five (5) regional divisions: Asia and the Pacific Division (APR), East and Southern Africa Division (ESA), Latin America and Caribbean Division (LAC) , Near East, North Africa and Europe Division (NEN) and West and Central Africa Division (WCA), the Private Sector Operations Division (PSD), and two (2) units: the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Unit (SSTC) and the fragility unit (FRU).

The Regional Division NEN is led by a Divisional Director, based in IFAD Headquarters, Rome, Italy. The Division leads on the design and delivery of IFAD country and regional programmes in NEN. The precise country coverage of the division varies across replenishment periods.

The IFAD Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Multi Country Office (MCO) in Cairo-Egypt (the "Middle East and North Africa hub") is instrumental to achieving IFAD's Mission to "be an effective and recognized partner for rural poverty alleviation" in line with its Vision "to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger". The creation of the MCO follows IFAD's Corporate Decentralization Plan that puts IFAD on the cutting edge of global country-based development assistance models and international perspectives for development effectiveness (UN Reform Agenda 2030, Paris, Accra, Busan engagements and Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation).

The is characterized by fragility and conflict situations, water scarcity and climate change, high population growth, a significant youth bulge, and gender-related issues. The MCO covers the highest share of NEN countries facing conflict and fragility. Some 77 per cent of the countries under the hub are in fragile situations, including several countries hosting the largest numbers of refugees and IDPs in the world.

Job Role

The Programme Analyst will collaborate with other Specialists, both within IFAD and with external partners, to ensure the effective integration of sustainable feed and fodder value chain development into IFAD-supported projects and programmes. The Programme Analyst will provide sound technical analysis, advice, and operational support and will contribute to country programme analysis, providing technical inputs to strengthen project design, implementation, and supervision.

Key Functions and Results

1.ANALYTICAL SUPPORT AND DATA MANAGEMENT: The Programme Analyst collates and analyses data to support the entire project cycle including economic and financial status of project design reports. The Programme Analyst is responsible for data analysis of country assessment reports for divisional programme/project activities in the region but mainly in countries. The Programme Analyst provides analytical inputs to corporate regional reports and documents and develops alternative and creative solutions for effective data management in the Division. The Programme Analyst participates in project cycle activities and meetings, such as Project Delivery Teams and quality review meetings, as required.

2. MONITORING AND EVALUATION AND SYSTEMATIZATION SUPPORT: The Programme Analyst works in close collaboration with the Regional and Country T eam to support the monitoring and results reporting activities required for Knowledge Management and portfolio management in the region and countries , including responsibilities for ensuring compliance with procedures, knowledge management and results reporting of the regional grants programme.

3. REGIONAL OR COUNTRY PROGRAMME SUPPORT: The Programme Analyst drafts regular and periodic reports on project, country programme or thematic issues, including lessons learned from design and implementation support experiences. The Programme Analyst will support country teams in select operational matters and cross-cutting themes through participation in field missions as determined by the Regional Team based on demand and regional priorities. The Programme Analyst will also support the Regional but mainly Country Team working directly with the relevant Country Director and Country Team/Project Design Team through the identification of potential partners, development initiatives and best practices and maintains counterpart contacts needed to promote programme, partnership as well as implementation support.

4. POLICY ANALYSIS SUPPORT: As a member of the Regional/Country Team, the Programme Analyst participates in select ed policy meetings and events of priority interest to the region and countries, analyses policy implications and identifies opportunities for innovations and knowledge sharing. The Programme Analyst reviews programme evaluation reports, aggregates results and shares knowledge on best operational practices in collaboration with the Regional but mainly with Country Team to improve project designs and effective delivery of programmes in the country and region. The Programme Analyst contributes to the development of knowledge management products and organization of learning events on emerging issues, themes and innovations of particular relevance for the region and countries in close collaboration with the Regional and relevant C ountry T eams.

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Programme Analyst performs a coordinating role, working closely with Country Team(s), divisional and programme staff, including Programme Liaison Associates, to ensure maximum efficiency and systematization of programme processes in adherence to corporate requirements. The Programme Analyst is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources.

Position Specific:

  • Work closely with the country teams in the design, development, review, and publication of studies and research related to economic, social, environmental, and political fragility in the hub portfolio;
  • Provide support in collecting information and policy research on post conflict engagement, UN Joint initiatives, resilience and building livelihoods in fragile settings;
  • Conduct technical analysis and research on the key drivers of fragility, and early warning systems, and contribute to the improvement of related action plans, reports, and presentation materials of the sub regional hub;
  • Support engagement with other development actors, IFIs, bilateral donors, and UN agencies through organizing meetings and follow up events as required;
  • Participate in the country missions if requested and perform tasks based on the mission Terms of Reference;
  • Prepare related administrative documents, Terms of Reference of studies and missions and other deliverables under his/her responsibility;
  • Draft briefing notes, communication materials and presentations to the IFAD Management Team related to issues under his/her responsibility.

The JPO will be working on various technical areas of work: For country programme management the JPO will:

  • Collect and analyse documentation for programme review and design; develop, update and refine country programme result monitoring frameworks; and support innovation, knowledge management, scaling up and policy dialogue;
  • Work closely with technical teams at the Multi-Country Office (MCO) and IFAD headquarters to gather and analyze technical information regarding the IFAD mainstreaming themes on gender, youth, climate change, and nutrition with respect to state fragility and conflict;
  • Support the implementation readiness for start-up of new projects;
  • Organise and take active part in consultations with the Country Teams;
  • Prepare, participate, and follow-up on design, supervision Implementation support missions, supervision or completion of IFAD- financed programmes;
  • Draw key lessons learned and spur changes within and between country programmes to improve programme efficiency and effectiveness;
  • Oversee managerial and fiduciary aspects of the programmes including drafting non-objections.

For project level supervision and implementation support, the JPO will assume responsibility for the following aspects:

  • Support projects to strengthen their general management and organization, and results reporting (M&E systems) in view of increasing effectiveness and efficiency;
  • Support the development of the divisional operational priorities within the projects regarding agricultural development, focusing on developing viable and profitable activities for small-holder farmers and linking production to markets;
  • Maintain and develop knowledge management, capitalization of best practice as well as policy dialogue function with focus on developing new support systems and tools;
  • Review Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWPBs) and provide inputs to for IFAD non-objections, quality control of withdrawal applications, etc.

Key Performance Indicators

Compliance of operations with IFAD rules, regulations and policies, implementation of corporate operational policies and approaches, establishment of project management assessment tools and up-to-date information and learning tools. Assignment requires the provision of solid technical expertise and input for the area of their responsibility, as well as, in knowledge sharing with peers and counterparts. The work involves technical analysis and synthesis of data, technical inputs for systematization required for portfolio reviews, knowledge products, and effective tools for the assessment of regional portfolio performance evaluation. The work requires in-depth technical analysis and reporting.

Working Relationships

In the context of programme development and delivery, the Programme Analyst ensures the exchange of technical information as well as builds and maintains collaborative working relationships with Country Teams, staff of the Regional Division and Department Staff, with other IFAD Divisions.

Position specific: Under the supervision of the Country Director/Head of IFAD MCO, the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will receive structured guidance and supervision, on the job training, and assignments gradually providing more responsibilities.

  • Work arrangements will be ensured to interact with other Country Directors and Programme Officers to gain practical job experience in development assistance under fragile settings;
  • The JPO will receive clear tasks and timelines, and constant feedback will be provided throughout the assignment;
  • The JPO will engage and work on initiatives that focus on strengthening local food production, also with a view to climate shocks, access to markets, and consumer access to local food markets in fragile context including the horn of Africa , the Istanbul MCO portfolios (Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan), and FCAs contexts.
  • Country Mission opportunities may be provided depending on the interest and field of expertise

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 1:

  • Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
  • Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
  • Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
  • Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
  • Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
  • Managing performance and developing staff
  • Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
  • Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
  • Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
  • Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

Education:

  • Level - Advanced university
  • Areas - economics, business administration, management, social policy research and analysis, rural development, agriculture, agricultural economics, rural finance, development policy or related disciplines.
  • Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php.
  • In exceptional cases, candidates with a first-level university degree (bachelor's degree or equivalent) in combination with two additional years (i.e. minimum of 4 years) of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree
  • Substantive parts of the candidates' academic training (Bachelor and/or Master) must have taken place in a development country that appears on the list of eligible countries: eligible-countries-DC-JPOs-2025.pdf

Experience:

  • At least two (2) years of progressively relevant experience (4 years in case of a first-level university degree) is required.
  • Experience in a role providing analytical support within an international financial institution, development cooperation agencies and/or the United Nations system is highly desirable.
  • In addition, qualifying experience in drafting analytical documents, producing reports on tight deadlines would be an asset.
  • Experience in preparing workshops, presentations, and corporate documents
  • Interest in working on subjects related to fragility and development assistance in the Middle East and North Africa region is an asset.

Languages:

  • Required: English (4 - Excellent)
  • Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic

Skills:

  • Project/Programme management: Identification of key-priorities, ability to structure work to meet deadlines and adjustment of workplan/resource allocation when needed Programme management: overall management of portfolio of work (including PMO interaction) with expertise to identify dependencies or bottlenecks between projects, managing changes and risks
  • Economic evaluation: Know-how relevant to specific role in Evaluation roles (e.g. Monitoring and managing evaluation processes and methodologies, carrying out Programme/Project evaluation, Impact evaluation, Corporate-level evaluation)
  • IFAD partners: Knowledge of IFAD's partners' functioning and mandate, such as the public sector (e.g. governments and policy, institutions and system), non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, etc.) and private sector actors
  • Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes
  • Political acumen: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments such as fragility context , providing options and advice
  • Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g. to deliver governing body documents on time); ability to coordinate and manage complex workflows and in-house and external teams
  • Initiative and good judgment: High sense of proactive initiative-taking and good judgement (including on security matters)
  • 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)
  • 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.)
  • Topical expertise - Programme M anagement for Agricultural Development: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. For ethics office assistant, procedures outlined in the Code of Conduct, Discipline and Anti-harassment provisions of applicable rules and guidelines)

Other Information

Training components:

  • On the job training in internal regulations, rules, procedures, and standards
  • Participation in mandatory trainings organized by the People and Culture Division (PCD) and NEN and other divisions as required.
  • Participation in in-house training offered by other IFAD Divisions
  • Direct coaching by the Country Director/Head of IFAD MCO

Learning elements:

  • The JPO's focus is on building his/her knowledge base of the Fund's governing structure, mandate, long-term business strategy, organizational dynamics and culture.
  • The JPO may represent the MCO on related matters at internal and external meetings and conferences as requested by the supervisor, thus gaining exposure to all facets of IFAD activities that will provide the JPO with clear and practical insights into the planning, implementation, management and administration of development activities.
  • The organisational role of the JPO will ensure that he/she gains comprehensive understanding of the working of a UN agency and Development Financial Institution.

Other Information

Please note that we are unable to accept and process any application outside the system. Therefore, when applying, please allow sufficient time to prepare and submit your application before the closing date, including the time to request technical support during office hours, should you encounter any system issues (contact erecruit@ifad.org ).

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, staff members are subject to the authority of the President who 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. Applicants will receive acknowledgement of receipt of their submission.

Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org.

Other Information

This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to people with the nationality of one of the following eligible countries: eligible-countries-DC-JPOs-2025.pdf

  • Maximal age limit is 32 years as of 31 December of the year of application.
  • For the minimum qualification requirements see the website of Nedworc Foundation: Junior Professional Officer Programme - Nedworc Foundation
  • Please read the criteria and FAQ section carefully before considering applying
  • The initial duty station is Rome, Italy for the first year, with the possibility of extension for the second and third years under the JPO scheme, with relocation to Cairo, Egypt.
At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.