Agriculture Specialist

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges.  

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region

Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters.

• The subregion harbors some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continues to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future.
• The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities:
• Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment.
• Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030 – a vision that, if realized, can boost growth by up to 2 percentage points per year, and reduce poverty by 1 percentage point per year in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.
• Institutions more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services.
• Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities. With the influx COVID-19, we are mobilizing financial support and timely analysis and advice to countries across the subregion deal with the pandemic.
• Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption:  In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure. A number of East African countries are currently facing a debilitating Desert Locust infestation, threatening the already precarious food security situation. The Bank has put together a program to help affected countries deal with the scourge.
• Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity.
• Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa

The Planet Practice Group

• The Planet Practice Group (PG) helps countries tackle their most complex challenges in the areas of Agriculture and Food, Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources & Blue Economy, and Water.

Agriculture and Food (AGF) Global Practice

Agriculture is an essential pathway to meeting the World Bank Group’s (WBG) twin goals—eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity. Food production must increase by at least 35 percent to meet the needs of the rising global population. Thus, ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity cannot be achieved without more and better investment in agriculture, food security, and nutrition. Meeting today’s challenges on the food and agriculture agenda will require major strides in agricultural innovation and climate smart agriculture, efficiency in food production and distribution systems, promoting environmentally and socially sustainable production practices, strengthening agricultural policy and institutions, supporting agribusiness value chains, and joint private- and public- sector action. The Agriculture and Food Global Practice (GP) of the WBG, working closely with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), supports a Global Vision for Food and Agriculture 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.

To help the achievement of the twin goals, the strategic focus of the Agriculture and Food GP, as reflected in the Agriculture Action Plan, is to help client countries on the issues mentioned above. Our current work program (150+ operations) consists of engagement in policy dialogue, investment, and forging partnerships across the globe seeking to

• raise agricultural productivity,
• link farmers to markets and strengthen value chains,
• support rural non-farm income, (iv) reduce risk, vulnerability, and gender inequality, and
• enhance environmental services and sustainability.

AGF and Country Context

In Angola, the agriculture and food sector remains a large provider of jobs and income, an important contributor to food security, and a relevant player in the diversification of the economy. However, Angola’s agriculture sector has been facing a series of challenges that are crucial to address for the sustainable development of the country’s economy. The impacts of climate change pose a significant threat, with increasingly variable water availability and extreme weather events expected to challenge agricultural production and food security. These conditions could lead to direct economic losses in agriculture from droughts, which may significantly increase in the future. Economic and climate shocks, combined with high levels of vulnerability to poverty, are likely to lead to an increase in the incidence and severity of poverty, food insecurity, and child malnutrition. In the context of a sustainable food system, the WB Agriculture and Food GP strategy in the country aims to:

• support the government’s efforts to increase agricultural productivity to ensure food security and nutrition and diversification of the economy;
• enhance market linkages to increase farmers’ income and create jobs; and
• contribute to climate resilience and promote social inclusion.

This is a locally recruited position, not an internationally recruited position. As a result the conditions of employment will be in line with the employment market in the country where the position is located. 

Duties and accountabilities:

The primary responsibility of the Agriculture Specialist will be to provide technical and strategic support for the development and implementation of the Agriculture GP’s work program in Angola. The Agriculture Specialist will work closely with the unit’s coordinator of the AGF portfolio in Angola with the delivery of the work program, assurance of quality, interaction with internal and external clients, including the government, private sector, civil society and development partners.

In particular, the Agriculture Specialist will:

• Lead activities as core team member, both in agriculture and multi-sectoral operations, assuring quality in all stages of the project cycle;
• Serve as an advisor to colleagues who are themselves Task Team Leaders, providing them with advice and support;
• Work with the Sector Leader and staff of the Agriculture and Food GP and other GPs to identify opportunities for addressing agricultural issues in Angola as part of the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework, country policy dialogue, sector investment operations, budget support operations, and other multi-sectoral projects;
• Identify innovative opportunities or ways to address existing needs in the agricultural and food sector, including bringing in experience from other countries;
• Remain current with relevant major pieces of analytical work in the profession. Lead or participate in strategic analytical work in Angola and/or on a sub-regional level, and work with teams engaged in analytical work relevant to the Agriculture and Food GP’s work program in Angola;
• Represent the World Bank in fora involving the community of development partners. 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 and Food GP’s management at events with sectoral focus that take place in country and in the region;
• Develop strong client relations and partnerships, including with the International Finance Corporation, on operational matters and policy dialogue;
• Work with other Global Practices in representing Angola specific issues in regional and corporate strategies;
• Maintain a high level and quality of engagement and dialogue with key stakeholders, including government, civil society, private sector and
• Research/academic community on strategic and policy issues concerning agriculture and food security in Angola.

Selection Criteria

• Masters, MBA or PhD in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Finance, Agricultural Sciences, or in a relevant discipline;
• At least five years of experience on agricultural development issues;
• Strong technical and analytical skills in the range of issues of relevance to the agriculture and food sector;
• Solid understanding of Angola’s governmental institutions and policies;
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving and team skills with ability to find balanced, pragmatic and implementable solutions also in a multi-disciplinary context;
• High level of energy, ability to work under pressure, and willingness to travel;
• Excellent communication skills in English and Portuguese, including the ability to present complex issues to World Bank management and senior Government representatives, as well as to non-specialist audiences;
• Previous exposure to World Bank operations would be a plus;
• Willingness to travel extensively in country, and in the Africa region, is vital, including to remote rural areas.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=29714&site=1