Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist

As a Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, you will contribute and lead in the formulation and articulation of policy and strategies on rural development sector in developing member countries (DMCs). The position will lead in identifying, developing, processing, implementing and administering loans, grants, technical assistance (TA) projects, and provide relevant stakeholders with necessary technical support and knowledge for projects.

This role may be designated to lead the portfolio management and be responsible for project reviews to ensure effective implementation, attainment of project and sector/subsector results, and development impact. You will provide oversight and guidance to project teams, specifically in areas of project implementation and development effectiveness, in designing, and processing of loans, grants, technical assistance (TA) projects.

You will:

• Assess AFNR sector development policies, strategies, and programs with a view of ensuring comparability to international best practices, smart solutions and technological advances, climate needs, and responsiveness to emerging development needs of DMCs. Based on country dialogues, prepare and implement studies to identify the emerging areas in the AFNR sector investment opportunities. Introduce innovative and effective solutions and identify appropriate modalities for ADB’s assistance to DMC(s).
• Prepare, process, and administer regional and DMC specific loans, grants, and TAs in agrifood system transformation, particularly in areas of circular economy, agriculture and rural waste management, management of plastic use and waste in agrifood value chains, regenerative agriculture and net-zero agriculture.
• Identify and introduce innovative solutions in specific loans, grants, and TAs to address water-food-energy nexus and scale up cross-sector approach to invest in food and nutrition security for replication in SG-AFNR and beyond.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with external partners (e.g., universities, international organizations, and private sector entities) related to agrifood system transformation for knowledge and project opportunities, and fully utilize the strategic partnerships to generate new project ideas.
• Work on generating and disseminating knowledge solutions from ADB operations, international best practices, and country or region-specific cross-learning in the AFNR sector in the areas of circular economy, agriculture and rural waste management, management of plastic use in agrifood value chains, regenerative agriculture and net-zero agriculture. Lead relevant in-house studies and knowledge generating and sharing activities and prepare knowledge products, reports, or policy briefs on these emerging areas.
• Take the role of mentor to develop capabilities/potential of reporting staff.
• Supervise and support reporting staff, including their performance and development. Ensure the ongoing learning and development of reporting staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned and reflected in staff’s workplan.

Qualifications:

You will need:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in agriculture, food marketing, environmental science/management, agriculture economics, agriculture engineering or other relevant areas; or University degree and at least 5 years specialized experience relevant to the position can be considered.
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in circular economy, agriculture and rural waste management, management of plastic use and waste in agrifood value chains, regenerative agriculture, and net-zero agriculture.
• Experience in preparing, processing and administrating projects (i.e., loans, grants, TAs) in the above-mentioned technical areas,
• Experience in coordinating with external partners, such as universities, climate and agriculture-related international organizations, and private companies for knowledge and project opportunities.
• International experience working in several countries and regions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Please refer to the link for ADB for ADB Competency Framework for IS5.

Source: https://www.adb.org/careers/240407