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  • Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
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  • All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
  • All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

Organizational Setting

In 2021, the UN Secretary-General convened the Food Systems Summit (FSS) to raise awareness on the criticality of global food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to steer global commitment to that end. The Summit represented a significant opportunity for IFAD itself as a leader in food systems alongside the two other Rome-Based agencies. The FSS resulted in three major outcomes: (i) the Secretary’s General Statement of Action, (ii) commitments from heads of states for the transformation of their national food systems and (iii) the establishment of a follow up mechanism led by the RBAs to deliver results on the ground, particularly through the provision of demand-driven support to countries to deliver on their national pathways for food systems transformation to meet the 2030 Goals.

The Hub has a coordinating and connector role drawing on the capacities of the UN system and leveraging on the advice and expertise from a wider ecosystem of support, serving countries, by incentivizing existing institutions to deliver on their mandates in a systemic way. In this context, the Hub covers six key functions:

  • Facilitate Implementation of National Pathways
  • Strengthen Strategic Thought Leadership
  • Engage Collective Ecosystem of Support
  • Leverage Means of Implementation
  • Communicate & Advocate Food Systems Approach
  • Prepare for the 2023 Stocktaking Moment

With regards to key function number 4, for the first two years, the Hub will focus on the Means of Implementation – Finance (MOI-F) as the one prioritized by most stakeholders among finance, sciences & innovation, data, trade, and governance. Food financing as practiced today is both a driver of food systems inefficiencies and essential for their transformation. The impact of the Ukraine war on the global and national food systems stresses the urgency to scale up investments and accelerate coherent food financing principles at the global and national levels to foster food systems that are sustainable, equitable and resilient to shocks and crises.

The Food Systems Coordination Hub is collaborating with the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations (IFAD) and the World Bank to co-lead the finance agenda for the transformation of food systems. In the context of the Ukraine, the Hub will deliver a mix of short and medium-term products fitted to the drastically challenged food financing landscape around two objectives in this area:

  • Influence domestic and private financing and funding windows to optimise public finance and leverage private capital to support country-level food system transformation on a demand-driven basis;
  • Provide a unique space to work with decision-makers, CEOs, IFIs, and development partners on priority and coherent food finance instruments and enabling principles to protect food security in the short-term as well as accelerate the global shift towards a new Food Finance architecture.

This position can be Home based or Rome based.

Main Purpose

The Development Finance Specialist will support the UN Food System Coordination Hub team operationalize the new food finance architecture launched during the Food Systems Summit at country and global levels to the respond to the challenges of financing food systems differently towards sustainable, equitable, healthy, profitable and resilient ones and conducted related consultations with governments, expert groups, partner agencies and stakeholders.

Reporting Lines

The Development Finance Specialist reports to the Chief Means of Implementation in the UN Food Systems Hub through the Director of the Hub.

Technical Focus

The Development Finance Specialist will support the work of the UN Food System Coordination Hub in collaboration with IFAD and the WB in the following areas:

- Thought leadership

  • Co-creation of food finance markers to transition towards a new food finance architecture;
  • Design clear and simplified accountability framework for food financing;
  • Development of guidance and brokering of partnership agreement to setup granular packages in selected countries to bring together critical elements to shift to a new food financing architecture: (i) National Pathways, (ii) institutions, (iii) public incentives, (iv) innovation, (v) mobilization of public & private investments around common goals; and support operationalization in target countries;
  • Organization of Food Finance days to mobilize IFIs, MDBs, policy makers & researchers to inform options on clear and simple food financing accountability frameworks.

- Evidence-based analyses

  • Analyse trends and dynamics in global food financing;
  • Provide technical support to any other activities related to Means of Implementation Finance;
  • Monitoring and reporting on the MOI-Finance;
  • Preparation and consolidation of Critical Contributions to facts and figures, evidence-based analyses and guiding principles for a new food financing architecture.

- Engagement

  • Outreach to expert communities – Engage with the broader scientific and policy community and influencing of key actors – Work to influence and change the behaviour and policies of key stakeholders and build strategic partnerships;
  • Support the food finance governance architecture and inter-stakeholder collaboration composed of the Hub, FAD, the WB, Imperatives Champions and food finance expert groups;
  • Organization of special dialogues and engagement events for a new food finance architecture.
  • Support the work of the Hub on establishing a food systems finance window in the Joint UN SDGs Trust Fund

- Management

  • Ongoing management of the work on means of implementation finance across the Hub key functions;
  • Support any other activities related to food financing in the Hub;
  • Monitoring and reporting of the Hub’s work on food financing.

Tasks and responsibilities

  • Contribute thought and content expertise to the work of the UN Food System Coordination Hub on food financing/means of implementation finance.
  • Provide a comprehensive view and expertise on the practice area by leveraging the best knowledge and ideas sourced both internally and externally;
  • Provide substantive support to the work of the Hub in collaboration with IFAD and the WB for the implementation of the Means of Implementation-Finance work plan to support countries and mobilize the global community for a new food finance architecture.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in Economics, Finance and/or Business Administration or related disciplines.
  • At least nine years of relevant international experience in development finance working in a similar setting e.g. international financial institution, ratings agency, international bank, development agencies or other similar institutions;
  • Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English at least limited knowledge of another FAO language is an advantage (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish). Working knowledge of English for PSA.SBS.

FAO Core Competencies

  • Results Focus
  • Teamwork
  • Communication
  • Building Effective Relationships
  • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

  • Advanced analytical capacity on development financing, including extensive experience with analytical tools; Experience and demonstrated ability in conducting research
  • Financial modelling skill is a must;
  • Strong writing skills, ability to work in multi-cultural environments; strong organizational and communication skills;
  • Ability to work independently, while adhering to the timelines and quality of deliverables;
  • Strong understanding and knowledge of the financing food transformation/food systems, policy and development finance landscape. Strong background producing national, regional and global reports on development finance and related areas;
  • Previous experience in the UN Systems/International Financial institutions/ Private Sector and/or with Member States is an asset. Working and liaising with public administration, development partners, United Nations system, NGOs, Member Stats, financial institutions and the private sector;
  • Knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and operations in relation to food systems transformation;
  • Professional experience in developing countries is an advantage.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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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.