Senior Agribusiness Finance Officer

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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 persons 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
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting

The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, the Centre provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Member Nations. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre’s four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at the country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.
Under the AgrIntel phase II project, CFI provides advisory services to the European Union’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) to ensure the financial, social and environmental sustainability of its agricultural investment operations. CFI also supports INTPA in assessing the investment proposals submitted to the Investment Committees of the various agricultural investment funds co-financed by the European Union and in delivering on-demand analytics on specific value chains, food systems or investment thematic analytical work (blended finance, etc.).
The post is located in the Office of the Director (CFID) of the FAO Investment Centre at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Senior Agribusiness Finance Officer reports to the Deputy Director (Business Development), CFI and works in close collaboration with other members of the Centre.

Technical Focus
Provide analytical, strategic and technical leadership on agribusiness development including functioning of agricultural support services, rural market, finance institutions aspects, risk management, blended finance and private sector development for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing.

Key Results
Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provision of technical advice and capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
• Leads, or participates in, multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment and finance support initiatives in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing; participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Leads or participates in multidisciplinary teams for the implementation, support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment and finance support solutions.
• Advises governments in the preparation of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment policies, plans and programmes.
• Advises on developing inclusive and sustainable food systems, involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors and civil society organizations, as well as governments.
• Leads the formulation and delivery of capacity development initiatives in the areas of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares documents in accordance with FAO, governments and financing partners’ requirements.
• Advises on task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
• Represents the Organization at international and inter-governmental meetings and conferences, advocates for strategic partnerships, best practices and effective policy dialogue; develops and negotiates effective working relationships and agreements with international and national partners.
• Establishes, promotes and maintains relationships with relevant Programme Priority Areas, FAO technical units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Member Nations.
• Leads or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.
• Provides guidance, mentoring and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions
• Coordinates and advises on investment operations submitted to the Investment Committees of the various agricultural investment funds co-financed by the European Union.
• Leads multidisciplinary teams mobilized to implement work plans agreed with INTPA, aiming to help the European Union make informed decisions related to the financial, social and environmental sustainability of the investment operations that the European Union co-finances.
• Produces and disseminates knowledge in investment (public and private) in food and agriculture and more specifically on the functioning of the various blended funds being supported and other lessons learned from international experiences with such blended finance operations, as well as on access to finance for farmers and agri-small and -medium enterprises (SMEs).
• Coordinates the project, implements the project’s work plans and maintains good collaboration with INTPA.
• Prepares and approves terms of reference for various assignments and identifies qualified specialists (in-house or external) to support implementation.
• Provides methodological and technical advice in the area of value chain analysis and finance in all deliverables planned under the project.
• Engages with the European Union and with impact funds to lead the design and development of new investment instruments for the agricultural sector, including definition of impact indicators, monitoring systems and types of investment/financial products.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in agriculture, agro-industry, business administration, economics, agricultural economics, agribusiness, finance, political sciences or a closely related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience in the practical application of value chain analysis and rural development, agribusiness and market development, processing, including elaboration of feasibility studies and the formulation and/or implementation of agricultural investment and finance solutions in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies
• Results focus
• Leading, engaging and empowering
• Communication and advocacy
• Partnering and resource mobilization
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
• Strategic thinking

Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
• Extent and relevance of experience in technical fields related to agribusiness development, agribusiness finance, rural finance, value-chain development and analysis, business planning, agriculture marketing, blended finance and private sector development.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading, or participating in, multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies, as well as formulation and implementation of agricultural investment and finance support solutions with a focus on rural finance, value chain development and agribusiness, as well as experience in working directly with the private sector.
• Relevance of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management, agro-processing and blended finance investments.
• Knowledge of the stakeholder context including partners and institutions in the blended finance and rural finance space (including impact fund managers, investors, development finance institutions), as well as in the European Union.
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with senior government officials, development partners (experience working with international financial institutions is an asset) and other country stakeholders.
• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.