Agribusiness Officer (Market Linkages and Value Chain)

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, CFI provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. 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 country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.

The post is part of the Latin America and the Caribbean Service, CFIF, of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Agribusiness Officer (Market Linkages and Value Chain) reports to the Chief, Latin America and the Caribbean Service of the FAO Investment Centre.

Technical Focus

Provide analytical and technical support on agribusiness and value chains development, including functioning of agrifood markets, linking smallholders to market, productive alliances, agrifood logistics and agribusiness financing, in close collaboration with the relevant private sector stakeholders, for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resources management and agro-processing.

Key Results

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

Key Functions

• Participates in, and eventually leads, 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, and participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.

• Participates in, and eventually leads, multidisciplinary teams for the implementation support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment and finance support solutions.

• Provides technical expertise for 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 plans and programmes.

• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, and civil society organizations and government.

• Formulates and delivers capacity development strategies and activities 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.

• Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.

• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.

• Establishes, promotes and maintains relationships with relevant Strategic Programmes, FAO technical units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure the best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members.

• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

• Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions

• Contributes to the analysis of selected agrifood value chains, with high interaction with relevant public, private and civil society stakeholders, including producer organizations.

• Assesses constraints and opportunities for investments along selected value chains, in relation to private sector engagement, markets and market institutions, existence and performance of support services, trade policies, risk management systems, agrifood logistics, food safety standards adoption and control systems, among others.

• Identifies and analyses agricultural investment-related policy issues and provides agribusiness related solutions.

• Engages with private sector stakeholders, including upstream and downstream value chain actors, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), farmers and their organizations, agribusiness companies, agro-industries and their associations, to strengthen and validate recommended investment and policy options.

• Contributes to the development of knowledge products, including analytical work and practical tools, related to agribusiness, marketing and value chain development.

• Develops public-private platforms and designs strategies to strengthen the enabling environment for scaling up investments along the value chain.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in agriculture, agribusiness, business administration, economics, agricultural economics or a closely related field.

• Seven years of relevant experience in the practical application of value chain analysis and development, agribusiness and market development, agro-processing, including experience in the formulation and implementation of agrifood investment operations in developing countries.

• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
  

Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.

• Extent and relevance of experience in producing analytical studies, feasibility studies and programme evaluation, including participation in public-private policy dialogue to promote investments within agribusiness development, value chains, agrifood markets, agrifood logistics and agribusiness financing.

• Extent and relevance of experience in participating in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies, as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resources management and agro-processing investment and finance support solutions, with focus on financial and economic aspects.

• Extent and relevance of experience in the design, implementation support and evaluation of investment operations with FAO's main development partners, in particular the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other partner international financial institutions.

• Demonstrated experience in dealing with government officials, development partners and other country stakeholders.

• Knowledge of the context, as well as partners and institutions of the Latin America and the Caribbean region would be an important asset.

• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.

• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of Spanish would be an asset.