Duties and Accountabilities:
The primary responsibility of the Senior Agriculture Economist will be to provide technical, operational and strategic support to the development and implementation of the Agriculture Global Practice’s work program in Kenya and to contribute as needed the AFR2 activities in other countries..
The Senior Agriculture Economist will assist in the delivery of the work program, assurance of quality, interact with internal and external clients, including the government and private sector, and support partnerships across the countries in the AFCE2 Country Management Unit (Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda). In particular, the Senior Agriculture Economist:
Contribute as a team member and occasionally lead activities as Task Team Leader of projects in agriculture and other relevant sectors.
Remain current with relevant major pieces of analytical work in the profession. Contribute to or lead analytical activities in Kenya, the CMU or on a sub-regional level, and work with other teams engaged in analytical work relevant to the Agriculture Global Practice’s work program in Kenya; Work with the relevant Program Leader and other Agriculture GP staff based in the CMU to identify opportunities for addressing agricultural issues in Kenya as part of the WBG’s Systematic Country Diagnostic, Country Partnership Framework, country policy dialogue, sector investment operations, budget support operations, and other multi-sectoral projects; Promote a strategic approach to support agricultural growth and effectively communicate that to the country team; Identify innovative opportunities or ways to address existing needs in the agricultural sector, including by bringing in experience from other countries within Africa or elsewhere; Initiate and maintain a high level and quality of engagement and dialogue with key stakeholders, including national and county governments, civil society, private sector and research/academic community on strategic and policy issues concerning agriculture and food security in Kenya.
Represent the World Bank in fora involving the community of development partners. Provide support as needed to the work of the development partners in the sector; Develop strong client relations and partnership, including with the International Finance Corporation and other World Bank Global Practices, on operational matters and policy dialogue; Work with other GPs in representing Kenya’s specific issues in regional and corporate strategies.
The Senior Agriculture Economist will report to the AFR2 Practice Manager in charge of Central and Eastern Africa, who is based at World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. In addition, the Senior Agriculture Economist will work closely with the Lead Agriculture Economist, based in Nairobi, and work under the day-to -day oversight of the AFCE2 Country Director and Sustainable Development Program Leader, who are based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Selection Criteria:
Competencies
Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Understands policy making process; distills operationally relevant recommendations/lessons for clients.
Policy Dialogue Skills – Identifies and assesses policy issues and plays an active role in the dialogue with the government and/or other stakeholders.
Integrative Skills – Working to develop an integrated view across all facets of the agriculture sector.
Agricultural Economics – Deep understanding of most of the economic concepts used in agriculture, with significant experience.
Agriculture Policy, Strategy and Institutions – Solid understanding of agriculture policies, strategies, institutions, and regulations. • Lead and Innovate – Develops innovative solutions.
Deliver Results for Clients – Proactively addresses clients’ stated and unstated needs.
Collaborate within Teams and Across Boundaries – Collaborates across boundaries, gives own perspective and willingly receives diverse perspectives.
Create, Apply and Share Knowledge – Applies knowledge across WBG to strengthen solutions for internal and/or external clients.
Make Smart Decisions – Interprets a wide range of information and pushes to move forward. Other Selection CriteriaIn addition to the above core competencies the following criteria will have to be satisfied for the position of Senior Agriculture Economist:
MBA, Masters or PhD in Agricultural Economics or related discipline.
At least eight years of experience on agricultural development issues;
Solid experience in one or more of the strategic and/or technical areas noted above;
Familiarity with the institutional context of Kenya and African agricultural development;
Demonstrated considerable experience of undertaking field-based activities
Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving and team skills with ability to find balanced, pragmatic and implementable solutions also in a multi-disciplinary contexts; while being diplomatic and sensitive to cultural, political and gender issues
High level of energy, ability to work under pressure, and willingness to travel extensively and work under challenging conditions;
Ability to lead and work with multi-disciplinary teams;
Ability to listen and integrate ideas from varied sources, create partnerships, and communicate to diverse constituencies and an ability to work in teams and across organizational boundaries, respecting the views of others;
Proven written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present complex issues to specialists as well as to non-specialist audiences
Fluency in English required.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
