Senior Agribusiness Specialist

Description

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is a multilateral partnership and financing platform dedicated to improving food and nutrition security worldwide. Launched by the G20 in the wake of the 2007–2008 food price crisis, GAFSP works to build resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems in the world’s poorest countries.

Since 2010, GAFSP has pooled US$2.44 billion in donor funds and supported over 190 public and private sector projects worldwide. GAFSP recognizes Producer Organizations (POs) as key actors linking producers to input, capital, and product markets. By doing so, they help increase the income and productivity levels of agricultural producers, particularly smallholder farmers, while improving the availability of and access to food for consumers.

GAFSP is implemented as a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) for which the World Bank serves as Trustee. The World Bank also hosts a Coordination Unit (CU) within the Agriculture Global Practice that provides support to the GAFSP Steering Committee. The CU oversees overall Program operations, manages the Program’s Grant Based Financing Track, and coordinates with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which manages GAFSP’s Private Sector Window.

The decision-making body of GAFSP is the Steering Committee (SC), which is comprised of an equal number of donor countries and recipient representatives as voting members. In addition, other stakeholders such as multilateral development banks, the Rome-based UN agencies, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) – one drawn from an OECD country and two representing recipient regions – and the World Bank as host and Trustee fully participate in Committee deliberations as non-voting members.

Through the GAFSP Grant Based Financing Track the GAFSP provides grants to low-income countries to support national agriculture and food security investment plans developed by governments with farmers, agribusinesses, technical experts, and civil society organizations. Furthermore, the GAFSP directly supports smallholder farmers through small-scale grants for projects designed and led by farmer and producer organizations, together with a multilateral partner agency of choice. Finally, through the Business Investment Financing Track use blended finance solutions and concessional funding to mobilize private sector investments designed to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers living in the world’s poorest countries.

Further details on GAFSP can be found on the website: www.gafspfund.org.

Objective

The Senior Agribusiness Specialist position combines both program coordination and technical functions.The Specialist will serve as the Deputy Coordinator for the GAFSP Coordination Unit, with responsibility for strategy and partnerships.In addition, the position will serve as the operational lead for GAFSP’s Business Investment Financing Track.

As Deputy Coordinator, the position will support the Program Head in the overall management and coordination of GAFSP’s internal operations and work streams.The position is responsible for managing the overall relationship with, and work program related to GAFSP’s existing and new partners, including the GAFSP Steering Committee, with lead responsibility for the CU relationship with the country representatives (partner/recipients and donors) as well as representatives of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). This includes supporting the Program Head in the development and management of partnerships and alliances which advance GAFSP’s agenda, and leading Program resource mobilization efforts, consulting with and coordinating inputs from the various GAFSP team leads (operations, communications, budget/resource management, and technical).In serving as operational lead of the Business Investment Financing Track, the Senior Specialist will provide leadership on the design, implementation and monitoring of the new financing track, and will contribute to the effective coordination with the broader GAFSP portfolio, including theGrant-Based Financing Track and the IFC-managed Private Sector Window.

Scope of Work:

1.Manage the overall coordination of GAFSP’s internal operations and workstreams. As Deputy Coordinator, Strategy and Partnerships, the position will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the GAFSP Coordination Unit (CU), including preparation and organization of bi-annual Steering Committee meetings, GAFSP high-level events, budget planning and monitoring exercises, and annual work planning processes.This includes supporting the Program Head in the management of the GAFSP workforce, coordinating CU budget preparation and execution; monitoring the implementation progress of all GAFSP workstreams included in the CU work plans; providing strategic and operational guidance to CU team leads, as needed, to ensure a successful implementation of the CU work plan; implementing quality assurance and control of CU work plan deliverables disseminated to SC members and external stakeholders; managing and reporting onstrategic initiatives approved by GAFSP SC and implemented by the CU.

2.Manage strategic relations and partnership: This position will both manage existing partner relations and cultivate relationships with key and new partners, facilitating strategic dialogues that drive shared vision, operational and policy coordination, and measurable impact.The decision-making and governing body of GAFSP is its multi-stakeholder Steering Committee. In managing the relationship with the SC, the Senior Specialist will: (i) Organize, deliver and report on the regular SC meetings (usually 2 plus times per year), under the guidance of the Program Head and liaising with the Deputy Coordinator for Operations and Portfolio, drawing together inputs from the CU team leads; (ii) Lead the relationship and dialogue with country SC members (both partner/recipient country  and donor country) as well as CSO Members, responding to all queries and requests, reaching out to engage with these SC constituencies for inputs on all strategic and policy-related issues, key operational, and logistical issues, or other issues of importance to these SC constituencies – all in coordination with and with the inputs from the Program Head, Operational lead and broader CU team; and (iii) Serve as Secretary to the monthly GAFSP Leadership team meeting.In cultivating new strategic relations, the position will support the Program Head in advocacy and outreach efforts, and will lead dialogue with key operational partners, to support improved partner coordination in the food and agriculture financing architecture.

3.Design, implement and report on the GAFSP Resource Mobilization Plan, in close collaboration with the Program Head, GAFSP Communications team and other key CU team members, the position will support articulation of GAFSP’s forward-looking RM Plan, including strategic positioning and global visibility, outreach, advocacy and communications.This will include liaison with the Program Head, SC Co-Chairs and Senior Strategic Advisor to the SC to finalize the Plan and, inter alia,  substantive preparation for and participation in internal and external GAFSP-related meetings and events; design of key external meetings, overseeing RM-focused communications activities and social media campaigns, and regular outreach to existing GAFSP and potential new GAFSP donors and partners. The role will include close coordination with the Communications team in the development of compelling narratives, and across all workstreams to ensure consistency and alignment of key messages.

4.Lead delivery of GAFSP’s Business Investment Financing Track. Serve as the staff lead responsible for the end-to-end management and strategic evolution of the Business Investment Financing Track (BIFT). The position will lead the design and implementation of new/future Calls for Proposals approved by the SC under the BIFT, including drafting of Call documents, recruitment of Technical Advisory Committee members, facilitating SC consultations and decision-making, processing of SE Fee requests, and developing data management systems that support GAFSP’s regular implementation progress monitoring and reporting processes. The position will also serve as the CU’s Focal Point for the BIFT with implementing partners among the SEs and external stakeholders providing guidance and thought leadership on BIFT operations and results as needed.

5.Provide Strategic and Policy Guidance on the GAFSP program and Calls for Proposals. This includes drawing upon data and trends in the global agriculture and food systems context, program experiences to date, and recent SC deliberations, to support the overarching program strategy and annual work program, including identify key strategy and policy issues for SC discussion/decision.  Once agreed by SC leadership, this position is responsible to prepare initial drafts of strategy and policy documents, and guide the development by the Operations Team of approach/concept notes and decision documents for new/future Call for Proposals under the Grant-based Financing Track.

To undertake these responsibilities, the Senior Specialist will lead regular partnership and resource mobilization meetings and GAFSP CU team and workstream meetings, deputizing for the Program Head in internal and external meetings as needed.

Selection Criteria

• Master’s degree in development economics, agriculture, international relations.
• Minimum eight years of relevant professional experience in agriculture, food systems, agribusiness, or multilateral program management.
• Experience working in a partnership environment with a range of stakeholders, government agencies, donor contributors, recipients, NGOs, private sector, development partners.
• Ideal candidate will possess strong relationship-building skills, and excellent project management, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English required, plus knowledge of either French or Spanish.

Technical competencies:

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

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.

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