Senior Agriculture Economist

Job #: req39442
Organization: World Bank Group
Sector: Agriculture
Grade: GG
Term Duration:  Open-Ended Staff(OPEN-OP)
Recruitment Type: International Recruitment
Location: Brazzaville,Congo Republic
Required Language(s): English and French
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 11/28/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd 
The vision of the World Bank Group is to eradicate extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. Delivery of this vision relies on a three-pronged strategy that includes maximizing development impact by engaging country clients in identifying and tackling the most difficult development challenges; promoting scaled-up partnerships that are strategically aligned with the goals; and crowding in public and private resources, expertise and ideas. The architecture underpinning the strategy is the establishment of 14 Global Practices or GPs (organized into four Practice Groups) and five cross-cutting Solution Areas that, in concert with WBG Regions, design and deliver solutions that address clients’ most pressing developmental challenges, and ultimately, enable the World Bank Group to accomplish its mission to end extreme poverty and boost prosperity on a livable planet. 
The Agriculture and Food Global Practice (AGF GP) of the World Bank Group, supports a Global Vision for Agriculture and Food with agriculture able to feed every person, every day, in every country with a safe, nutritious and affordable diet, and where jobs and income gains in the food system are sufficient to meet poverty reduction targets.
The Agriculture and Food team in the Africa West and Central (AFW) Region (SAWA1) is organized under the umbrella of AFW Planet that also incorporates water and environment teams. SAWA1’s work program covers Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon and is led by a Practice Manager.  The focus of the team’s work going forward is on transforming farming for smallholders, creating jobs, and strengthening food security.
The selected candidate will report to our SAWA1 Practice Manager, based in Abuja, Nigeria.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The primary responsibility of the Senior Agriculture Economist will be to provide technical and strategic leadership in the development and implementation of the AGF GP’s work program in Republic of Congo and Gabon. This would include leading and contribute to the delivery of the agriculture and food program, quality assurance and interaction with internal and external clients, as well as other development partners, while working closely with the AGF team, and Country Management Unit (CMU) in Cameroon.  
The Senior Agriculture Economist will: 
•Lead the preparation and supervision of operations as Task Team Leader of projects led by SAWA1 in Republic of Congo/Gabon and those projects supporting agriculture and food system related activities led by other GPs in the country. Assure timely delivery of these operations with high levels of quality.
•Lead or contribute to analytical products and initiate and maintain a high-level engagement and dialogue with key government counterparts on the strategic program and policy issues in areas including sustainable and climate resilient agriculture, linking smallholders to markets and agriculture value chain development to accelerate competitive agriculture development.
•Lead or contribute to policy dialogue on agricultural and rural development issues and interactions with the client, development and other partners, and alert management (both country and sector) to issues requiring attention.
•Work with the relevant staff of the Agriculture GP and other GPs to find opportunities for addressing agricultural and rural development issues as part of Country Partnership Frameworks, country policy dialogue, sector investment operations, development policy operations, and other multi-sectoral projects.
•Identify innovative opportunities or ways to address existing needs in the agricultural sector, including bringing in experience from other parts of the world, and to better align the GP’s portfolio with the AFW region and CMU’s core priorities.
•Represent the World Bank in fora involving the community of development partners and private sector. Provide support, either explicit or implicit, to the work of the development partners in the sector. As necessary, represent the World Bank and the Agriculture GP’s management at events with sectoral focus.

Selection Criteria

•A minimum of a Masters in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Agriculture or related fields. A minimum of 8 years of relevant working experience in areas related to agriculture, agriculture economics, agribusiness, and other fields related to food systems.
•At least eight years of experience on agricultural development issues;
•Solid experience in leading complex operations, with demonstrated high quality results;
•Demonstrated experience in leading analytical work and dialogue with clients; 
•Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving and team skills with ability to find balanced, pragmatic and implementable solution; 
•Ability to work across various subject areas and multi-disciplinary teams; while being diplomatic and sensitive to cultural, political and gender issues;
•Proven written and oral communication skills in English, including the ability to present complex issues to specialists as well as to non-specialist audiences. French communication skills are a plus.


As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

  • Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
  • Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
  • Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

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.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.

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