IFC Job Vacancy : Agribusiness Specialist (Livestock)

The World Bank Group is renewing its commitment to systematically strengthen its engagement on trade and competitiveness issues in pursuit of the Twin Goals. A newly constituted Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice (T&C) brings together diverse World Bank and IFC Advisory units around a common vision: sustained economic growth, productivity gains, job creation, and rising incomes for developing countries to eradicate poverty and boost shared prosperity. T&C’s mission is to serve as a trusted partner for countries that seek to develop dynamic and resilient economies, expand market opportunities, and enable private initiative. To this end, T&C supports global and country efforts to boost the volume and value of trade, enhance the investment climate, improve competitiveness in sectors, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

T&C boasts a global footprint with about 500 staff working in over 80 locations around the world. T&C’s current portfolio comprises 161 World Bank active and pipeline lending operations, totaling $5.5 billion in commitments; over $300 million in active IFC Advisory Services projects; and nearly 350 knowledge and advisory activities in over 100 countries.

To ensure that the Bank Group is at the forefront of knowledge and development practice, T&C has enriched its offerings and organized them under four global themes. Trade, investment climate, competitive sectors, and innovation and entrepreneurship form the core competencies of T&C. Under trade, the Global Practice supports trade policy and cooperation, trade facilitation and logistics, trade performance, and competition policies. T&C’s offering under investment climate covers business environment reform as well as investment policies. Competitive sectors work focuses on sector or industry-specific policies and growth, as well as spatial growth and investment strategies. Under innovation and entrepreneurship, T&C helps strengthen innovation and technology policies, strategies, and financing, and it promotes entrepreneurship and SME development.

T&C is also creating space for Bank-wide collaboration on five cross-cutting topics. These are global value chains, connecting to markets and opportunities, catalyzing firm productivity, private sector development in FCS, and promoting green competitiveness. This work will push the operational and knowledge frontiers.

The location for this position will be determined later (either Ethiopia or Kenia).

Duties and Accountabilities:

Project Overview: The Livestock MIRA project (600828) is an umbrella project covering Ethiopia, Tanzania and a third country to be determined. It is designed to support improved competitiveness in the Livestock sector and specifically in the dairy and poultry value chains and is expected to operate through approximately 2019. The project was designed by the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice (T&C) under the theme of Competitive Industries, and working in partnership with the WBG’s Livestock Working Group and staff of the Agriculture Global Practice Group. The project is fully funded by a Gates Foundation grant and expected to begin implementation in 2015.

Project Description: The project focuses on targeted regulatory and institutional reform that supports improved regulatory good practice and improved institutional efficiencies, as diagnosed by the OIE’s PVS Pathway; better access to markets, cost savings to firms/livestock producers and the facilitation of investments to stakeholders in the value chain. The objective of this project is to increase the access of smallholder farmers and pastoralists (‘livestock producers’) to (i) improved services and technologies and to (ii) more stable, predictable income generating market opportunities. The technical focus on dairy and poultry value chains, with possible intervention in small ruminants.

The Agribusiness Specialist (Livestock) will:

• Contribute to the design of the country program and research necessary to provide baseline information on the potential impact of proposed reforms.

• Provide overall technical leadership for the L-MIRA project in all three countries of intervention.

• Provide operational leadership for the L-MIRA program in Ethiopia and occasional operational support to the program in Tanzania and the third country.

• Initiate and maintain a quality high level engagement and dialogue with key stakeholders, including government, civil society and private sector on regulatory and policy issues concerning livestock in the three countries.

• Work across sectors with staff of other Global Practices to ensure coherence and integration of the livestock portfolio in the three countries.

• Represent the L-MIRA project in fora regarding topics relevant to the L-MIRA project; (i.e. livestock sector development, agriculture development, economic growth, policy and regulatory reform, etc.).

• Lead the collaborative work planning process to be conducted in conjunction with the State Ministry for Livestock in Ethiopia.

• Assure the execution of the workplan in Ethiopia and the meeting of proposed benchmarks.

• Providing periodic reports on progress under the L-MIRA Project as required by IFC Advisory and L-Mira reporting arrangements.

• Masters or PhD in an agricultural related discipline, including a focus on livestock;

• At least seven years of experience on livestock sector development issues private sector or with industry-related activities are an advantage;

• At least 3 years of project management experience;

• Strong technical and analytical skills in the range of issue of relevance to veterinary service delivery, and market development for dairy, poultry and small ruminant production;

• Prior experience leading or working on policy and regulatory reforms and/or issues of relevance to veterinary service delivery is highly desired;

• Understanding of Ethiopian public administration in central and local level; experience with government institutions as well as private sector entities would be a substantial advantage;

• Knowledge on the functioning of WB’s international and regional technical partners (e.g. ILRI, FAO, OIE, etc.) desirable;

• Excellent report writing, communication, interpersonal, problem-solving and team skills with ability to find balanced, pragmatic and implementable solutions;

• Fluency in English essential; knowledge of local language(s) in Ethiopia would be an advantage.

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.

For Corporate Information and to apply to the position, please visit www.ifc.org/careers, vacancy number 150736. Deadline is May 4, 2015. Only selected candidates will be contacted.