Special Advisor to the Vice-President, Rome

Job Title : Special Advisor to the Vice-President - Rome, Italy

ID : 26753

Location : ROME

Date of issue : 02/14/2025

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 03/10/2025

Organizational Unit : Office of President & VP

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 2 Years

Grade : P-5

Organizational Setting

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution, and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Office of the President and Vice-President of IFAD (OPV) provides strategic oversight and direction to the entire organization, including all decentralised offices, and is responsible for IFAD's strategic leadership, and all departments and offices report to it. OPV is the highest-level of political and strategic engagement with IFAD Member States, Rome-based agencies, and other UN agencies and International Financial Institutions (IFIs), leveraging the Fund's resources, knowledge, relationships and reputation to ensure IFAD achieves its mandate through IFAD-funded programmes and non-lending activities providing sustainable impact to its target groups. OPV also serves as the primary liaison with the Senior Executive Management Team and supports general governance of the organization. It leads the implementation of the strategic plan for the organization, as well as develops or champions new initiatives to improve organizational efficiency, visibility, and organization-wide leadership development. OPV also specifically oversees the Corporate Services Support Group (CSSG) and supervises the Protocol Unit. The CSSG comprises: (a) the Office of Audit and Oversight (AUO); (b) the Ethics Office (ETH); and (c) the Planning, Organizational Development and Budget Division (POB).

The Special Advisor to the Vice-President works under the direct supervision of the Vice-President of IFAD.

Job Role

The Special Advisor to the Vice-President provides qualitative strategic support and guidance to the Office of the President and Vice-President, and to the Vice-President specifically. The Special Advisor's main focus is to provide technical and operational advice to the President and Vice-President in overseeing the effective planning and delivery of IFAD's loan and grant programs, as well as its broader program of work. This includes collaborating with peers to identify and deploy in IFAD's portfolio opportunities for innovation and best practices from within IFAD and peer organizations. The role also involves coordinating, monitoring, and reviewing initiatives, policies, project / programme documents, and country strategies for approval or consideration, and participating in operational committees and meetings as needed.

The incumbent will provide substantive contribution to the overall functions of the Office of the President and Vice-President and provide coordination to its workflow and administration. The incumbent will also work closely with IFAD Associate Vice-Presidents, Heads of Offices and Directors, as required, to ensure proper communication flows. In particular, the Special Advisor to the Vice-President shall support the Vice-President in the day-to-day oversight of the Department for Country Operations, the Office of Technical Delivery and the Office of Development Effectiveness.

The Special Advisor to the Vice-President monitors global trends and priorities to ensure IFAD's strategies, operations, non-lending activities and policy engagement align with the broader rural development context, enhancing IFAD's overall development effectiveness.

Key Functions and Results

1. SENIOR-LEVEL ADVICE: The Special Advisor to the Vice-President, will be responsible for the following major functional activities having direct and frequent interaction with the Vice-President:

• Provides strategic advice and direct support on technical and operational matters related to IFAD's program of loans, grants, and broader program of work. This includes providing guidance on emerging and strategic discussions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of IFAD's operations. The Special Advisor regularly consults with IFAD counterparts and senior leaders across operational and technical divisions to support the smooth planning and delivery of IFAD-financed operations.
• Provide expert input, synthesis and advice based on review and analysis of initiatives and proposals submitted to the Office of the President and Vice-President for decision and/or consideration including project / programme design documents and country strategies stemming from IFAD's sovereign, non-sovereign and regular grants operations. This involves pre-reading documents received and following up with relevant originators, preparing briefings on content as appropriate, and progressing draft versions of documents for the Vice-President.
• Lead and evaluate assigned programmes/projects to support special corporate projects or initiatives ensuring due consultation with relevant stakeholders as required. This may include direct programme/project development, implementation, monitoring and assessment on corporate initiatives to ensure effective and timely action, facilitating collaboration and providing guidance in problem-solving.
• Contribute to processes of institutional change and reform, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing to build shared understanding of, and to ensure regular communications pertaining to, ongoing and planned changes related to operational and/or corporate strategies, standards and rules.
• Support the preparation of the Vice-President's public information, policy advocacy, and communication strategy, advancing and maintaining global attention on food security and rural and agricultural development, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of the substantive inputs. This includes direct review of relevant documents and reports; identify priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and propose corrective actions; liaise with relevant parties; identify and initiate follow-up actions.

2. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONAL AND/OR CORPORATE STRATEGIES. The Special Advisor to the Vice-President provides critical analysis to help navigate multidimensional challenges such as political, institutional, environmental, and social complexities to ensure the organization's strategies and operations remain effective and relevant. This may include:

• Providing authoritative direction in the preparation of strategic papers. The incumbent provides substantive and analytical input in the preparation of papers and reports for presentation for high-level meetings and events; prepare various written outputs for the Vice-President, e.g. policy statements, briefing notes, background papers, analysis, inputs to publications, etc.
• Support preparations and implementation of IFAD's Executive Management Committee (EMC) and other relevant committees on operational and technical policy, strategy, and corporate management issues.
• Coordinate any strategic corporate project(s) assigned by the President, Vice-President or Chief of Staff.

3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND REPRESENTATION: The Special Advisor to the Vice-President develops and maintains a network of peer contacts and partners within and outside IFAD. The incumbent will keep abreast of recent developments and trends and facilitate brokering of information, knowledge exchanges, IFAD positioning in the global arena, and joint advocacy to enhance the Fund's profile as a highly competent and viable partner in development and results. The accountabilities may include:

• Facilitate collaboration and coordination on technical and operational matters within IFAD and on behalf of the Vice-President to ensure appropriate consultation, cross-functional synergy, cross fertilization of ideas and enhanced coordination of programme planning and activities on technical and operational matters. ' Provide substantive inputs and develop results-oriented outreach strategies for IFAD to expand its global reach and effectiveness.
• Promote the establishment of partnerships and collaborative relationships with counterparts in other like-minded institutions including with bilateral and multilateral development agencies, UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes, IFIs, Non-Governmental Organizations and academic institutions for the purpose of enriching IFAD's programme co-operation, knowledge sharing, policy dialogue and/or IFAD visibility.
• Lead, supervise and coordinate preparation, support and implementation of the Vice-President's missions and high-level events with a particular focus on substantive engagement ensuring safeguarding of IFAD's corporate visibility and status; and participate in the missions, as required, ensuring appropriate protocol, profile, representational opportunities, and visibility for the visits.
• Lead, contribute and coordinate substantive inputs to the preparation of high-level speeches and publications in association with IFAD's Governing Bodies and other events as necessary.
• Represent IFAD at external meetings, as required. Leverage thematic expertise in agricultural and rural development, food and nutrition policy-oriented, programme based pro-poor approaches, results-based agriculture rural development projects, country-specific knowledge, migration, environment, private sector etc to engage in strategic dialogues with partners.
• Steer and provide substantive inputs to periodical publication of knowledge products to effectively message to IFAD's stakeholders on its global advocacy for rural and agricultural development as well as corporate trends and performance.

4. AGENT OF CHANGE: The incumbent should understand and apply the principles of change management and proactively provide advice on necessary changes to leapfrog institutional development, efficiency and relevancy. At this level, the incumbent manages change through consultations with all internal divisions and departments to build understanding of and to ensure open and regular communications pertaining to current and planned changes.

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Special Advisor to the Vice-President is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes People Management through technical leadership/capacity development/mentorship.

Key Performance Indicators

The Special Advisor to the Vice-President is responsible for providing high-level strategic support and guidance to both the President and Vice-President. This role involves offering well-informed recommendations to senior management on matters related to the Office of the President and Vice-President, ensuring the effective execution of their mandate at the forefront of the Fund. The incumbent possesses exceptional diplomatic acumen and strong interpersonal skills to cultivate and manage key stakeholder relationships while sharing knowledge to address complex rural development challenges.

Working Relationships

Within the Office of the President and Vice-President, the Special Advisor to the Vice-President provides advice on matters as they arise, particularly on matters relating to the technical and operational planning and delivery of IFAD's programme of loans and grants and broader programme of work, as well as to policy advocacy, communication and outreach strategy, mission and event planning.

In collaboration with the Chief of Staff, Special Advisor to the President and Senior Advisors to the President and Vice-President and other staff within OPV, the Special Advisor to the Vice-President ensures for efficient and consistent strategic alignment within OPV.

The Special Advisor to the Vice-President will act as a key interlocuter to enhance collaboration and coordination on technical and operational matters within IFAD and on behalf of the Vice-President to ensure appropriate consultation, cross-functional synergy, cross fertilization of ideas and enhanced coordination of programme planning and activities on technical and operational matters. This will require close engagement with close working relationships with the Associate Vice-Presidents, Heads of Offices and Directors on a regular basis.

Externally, work relationships require collaboration and coordination with senior officials to ensure engagement on high-level events ensuring safeguarding of IFAD's corporate visibility and status.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 2:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
• Communicating and negotiating - Acquires & uses a wide range of communication styles & skills
• Demonstrating leadership - Leads by example; initiates and supports change
• Focusing on clients - Contributes to a client-focused culture
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Challenges, innovates & contributes to learning culture
• Managing performance and developing staff - Manages wider teams with greater impact on others and on the organization
• Managing time, resources and information - Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Staff in management and/or strategic leadership roles
• Team working - Fosters a cohesive team environment

Education:

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• Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php in a technically relevant area*. A first level university degree from an accredited institution in the above-mentioned areas in combination with at least four (4) additional years of relevant professional experience over and above the below-mentioned years of progressively responsible professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Areas - Agricultural Sciences, Development Economics, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment and Sustainability, Business and Agricultural Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, etc.

(*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in the IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures.

Experience:

• At least ten (10) years of progressively relevant professional experience including experience within an international financial institution, development cooperation agencies and/or the United Nations system.
• A strong track record and demonstrable field-experience in rural development.
• Experience working in a multicultural environment will be considered an asset.

Languages:

• Required: English (4 - Excellent)
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 - Good)

Skills:

• Advocacy: Know-how in advocacy, to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD's vision to external actors
• Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies
• Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.)
• Strategy implementation: Ability to lead and manage the development and implementation of medium to longer-term strategies for IFAD / for respective divisions
• Policy dialogue: Know-how in the representation of IFAD as a trusted and strategic partner, advocating and promoting IFAD's mandate and vision; effective consultations with IFAD counterparts - like ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society
• Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes
• Change management: Role modelling, anticipation of key risks & conflicts and formulation of contingency plans/solutions, action-oriented
• Interpersonal skills: Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with others (e.g. visitors, clients, callers, etc.), including senior individuals (e.g. high-level meeting participants)
• Leadership: Group thought leader, sought out by others and providing mentorship and effective guidance to others; Ability to build trust, inside and outside the organization by acting as a role model for IFAD's core values and competencies, and to provide a clear sense of direction, mentorship and effective guidance to the team, strategizing the IFAD's goals, giving the vision, empowering the team and ensuring a positive environment for all.
• Political acumen: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
• Specialized communication skills: Ability to negotiate on behalf of IFAD and drive for creative and pragmatic solutions in complex negotiations with key partners, both public and private sector
• Synthesis: Outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences
• Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)
• Evidence-based policy: Know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation)
• Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• Initiative and good judgment: High sense of proactive initiative-taking and good judgement
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a "Culture Carrier" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through their work
• Rural Development: Expertise in agrifood systems, social and economic development of rural communities in developing countries

Other Information

Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

Representatives or alternate representatives of Member States on the IFAD Executive Board, Governors or alternate governors to the IFAD Governing Council and other Member States Permanent Representatives and their Alternates to IFAD (collectively IFAD Member States Representatives) who apply for or take up any type of employment with IFAD may do so only after a twelve-month period has elapsed after the effective date of cessation of their IFAD Member States Representatives responsibilities as established in the notification of termination of functions communicated through the official channels.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and the Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

In accordance with IFAD's provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD's remuneration package, please visit IFAD's compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements. See here.

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In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.