Senior Agribusiness Specialist- Istanbul, Turkey

Job #:	121758
Title:	Senior Agribusiness Specialist
Job Stream:	Technical Assistance & Advisory Services
Location:	Istanbul, Turkey
Closing Date:	09/05/2012
Background / General description:
The Investment Climate Advisory Services of the World Bank Group help governments implement reforms to improve their business environment, and encourage and retain investment, thus fostering competitive markets, growth and job creation. Funding is provided by the World Bank Group (IFC, MIGA, and the World Bank) and over fifteen partners, working through the multi-donor FIAS platform. The Investment Climate department (CIC) serves as an integrator across a wide range of activities between the IFC investment climate business line programs within regions, the Bank FPD and Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) networks and regions, and with MIGA’s investment facilitation technical assistance agenda. Investment Climate Advisory Services and Regional Advisory Services are strengthening and scaling up their approach to support agribusiness in our client countries. This effort builds on a portfolio of ongoing projects across most regions and is focused on achieving measureable impacts in terms of investment and increased sector outputs. Work in this area supports the World Bank Group Agriculture Action Plan (FY2010–2012) which projects an increase in support (from IDA, IBRD, and IFC) to agriculture and related sectors from a baseline average support in FY2006–2008 of $4.1 billion annually to between $6.2 and $8.3 billion annually over the next three years. IFC has growing activities related to agribusiness across a number of key commodities, involving working along the supply chain with brands, processors, traders and farmers to improve and strengthen farm management, productivity, post-harvest processing and certification, access to finance and market links. CIC is looking for an individual to serve as a global technical specialist in agribusiness for providing knowledge leadership for our clients that builds upon a private sector driven focus to agribusiness development and investment climate transformation for the sector. The position is based in IFC’s Operations Center in Istanbul, Turkey, alongside some 200 investment, advisory, and corporate staff, and is expected to utilize strong linkages to the Middle East, North Africa, (MENA) and globally as part of the work program.
Duties and Accountabilities:
• Contribute to the development of a global practice through support and guidance to management and staff within the Investment Climate Department and IFC Regional Advisory Services on strategy, policies, project design and implementation, impact models and potential interventions that would contribute to agribusiness development in emerging economies. • Participate in developing the “proof of concept” for various sub-products that will define what, how and where the Department will undertake projects and assistance to clients within the agribusiness sector. • Contribute to the development and maintenance of a knowledge management framework (covering the intersection of investment climate issues and agribusiness development in emerging economies) with a view to: - ncreasing staff capacity to identify, design and implement agribusiness projects, - developing and then housing a suite of tools (from diagnostics & implementation to monitoring and evaluation) to aide project development and execution, - disseminate best practice and implementation experience, - increase knowledge transfer to clients, and - improve the overall quality of projects executed. • Monitor the World Bank’s lending and technical assistance operations and IFC investment operations and advisory services related to commercial agriculture and agribusiness to determine trends, opportunities for project development and coordination in project delivery. • Support the regional (IFC and WB) efforts to develop a pipeline of new projects and supervise existing projects to further the growth of agribusiness in emerging economies in MENA. Work in close coordination with investment departments, country managers and other advisory services business lines to identify advisory opportunities and provide relevant expertise to develop a pipeline of projects. • Conduct detailed appraisals/ diagnostics of IC agribusiness projects, develop reports which include recommendations for internal and client use, support the implementation of projects to ensure overall quality control in line with corporate monitoring and evaluation requirements. • Support on scoping and designing a growing portfolio and pipeline of agribusiness projects in MENA that either work directly with a specific investment client or take a broader programmatic approach. Project design would include providing technical expertise and overall quality control. This will require developing close relationships with investment services colleagues and across Advisory business lines. • Establish and maintain close collaboration and communication with peers from other regions, the Global Product Specialists and Industry Specialists in IC BL as well as with the relevant regional agribusiness AS team across business lines. • Serve as a member of the core agribusiness practice group, actively supporting knowledge management and dissemination. This could include peer reviewing project concepts/documents from other regions, supporting new staff recruitment and on boarding, sharing best practice, participating in broader learning and knowledge sharing events, and developing deep knowledge in at least one area of global importance for IFC agribusiness AS and serving as global resource for the topic.
Selection Criteria:
• Masters or PhD in Agricultural Economics or related discipline or other post-graduate degree (MBA, Finance, International Affairs/Development) with strong technical work experience. • At least eight years of experience on agribusiness development issues, with a mix of policy research and implementation of capacity-building programs, preferably with direct experience in the private sector. • Demonstrated technical knowledge of best practices related to agriculture development with a private sector focus • A track record of managing successful agriculture development projects, preferably in a developing country context • Strong technical knowledge and implementation experience in two or more of the following areas as they relate to emerging economies: - Regulatory and enabling environment constraints and policy remedies related to agribusiness; - Policies and institutional regimes to encourage FDI in agribusiness into and among developing countries; - Public-private cooperation mechanisms to encourage agribusiness growth and development; - Role of the public sector in the development, promulgation and adoption of agro-food safety and quality standards and certification schemes; - Regulatory schemes related to secured transactions and access to finance in agribusiness, including warehouse receipts; - Competition policy constraints and policy remedies related agribusiness development; - Assessment and remedies to trade and logistics constraints to agribusiness production and exports (pre- and post-harvest). • Strong analytical, writing and communication skills – with the ability to communicate ideas clearly and confidently, articulate issues and recommend solutions. • Solid client relationship skills and sensitivity in dealing with development partners and government authorities • Proven leadership abilities with project management experience. • Experience in designing country- and region-wide advisory/technical assistance programs in emerging markets. • Ability to lead and work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams across several regions; • Willingness and ability to travel extensively. • Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French and/or Arabic is very desirable.
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