Rural Finance Expert

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

The assignment involves an Rural Finance Expert conducting a comprehensive Rural Finance Sector Assessment (RFSA) in Kazakhstan. This assessment will analyze the current state of financing in the agricultural sector, covering public, quasi-public, and private sources. It will examine rural credit, subsidies, and investment support programs. The goal is to provide targeted recommendations that align with Kazakhstan’s national development priorities in agriculture and food, aiming to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will report to the Investment Support Officer/OiC FAO Kazakhstan.

Technical Focus

Rural Finance Expert will conduct a Rural Finance Sector Assessment (RFSA), which will provide a thorough analysis of Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector state of financing including from public, quasi-public, and private sources, examining rural credit, subsidies, and investment support programs. The RFSA will provide targeted recommendations for the agricultural financing landscape that align with Kazakhstan’s national development priorities in the agriculture and food sector, aiming to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Conduct a Rural Finance Sector Assessment (RFSA), which will contribute to the comprehensive analysis of the agricultural financing state in Kazakhstan and inclusive transformation of agri-food systems;
• Provide a demand assessment of the credit, investment, and other available financial resources and related projections along with their impact on agricultural development;
• With the support of a national economist, analyze the multiplier effect of state subsidy programs, considering their cost-effectiveness and real effect on the development of agriculture;
• Provide a comparative analysis of international state programs aimed at providing financial resources to agriculture;
• Conduct a legislation assessment in the field of green (climate) financing, credit, insurance, guarantees, and state regulation, and identify recommended actions that align with Kazakhstan’s agri-food sector needs and priorities for agricultural finance.
• Review the development of national credit and insurance markets, green financing and guarantees, and financial institutions and propose tailored recommendations to provide agriculture with financial resources in line with the state’s public policies and priorities;
• Participate in field missions to Kazakhstan to examine the rural finance structures and liaise through technical meetings with relevant sector stakeholders;
• Prepare PowerPoint Presentation and keynotes outlining key findings and recommendations of the RFSA to be discussed with the relevant sector stakeholders.
• Participate in technical discussions and roundtables with the sector stakeholders to present the RFSA.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Finance, Rural Finance, and/or related fields, including Agribusiness, Agriculture/ Agricultural Economics, and Economics;
• Proven 10 years of relevant work experience in rural finance and investment, investment and finance mechanisms, agricultural insurance, green finance, policy and enabling environment for rural and agribusiness finance, and related fields;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the official UN languages (Russian, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese)

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Excellent communication skills
• Financial and economic analysis
• Research and assessment
• Stakeholder engagement
• Agricultural Finance Expertise
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with international and national experts and stakeholders;
• Strong analytical, communication, and report-writing skills;

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

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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