Operations Officer - International Technical Specialist in Food Safety and Food Loss Prevention

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. For more information, please visit www.ifc.org.

About IFC Agribusiness Advisory
IFC has made agribusiness a priority because of its potential for broad development impact and especially strong role in poverty reduction. We combine investments and advisory services to help the sector address higher demand and escalating food prices in an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive way.
IFC invests across the agribusiness supply chain—from farm to retail—to help boost production, increase liquidity, improve logistics and distribution, and expand access to credit for small farmers. IFC Advisory Services (AS) supports companies that promote good agricultural practices that benefit small-scale farmers, and value chain solutions involving small and medium size enterprises. 

IFC Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Forestry Department Advisory supports companies that promote good agricultural practices that benefit small-scale farmers, and value chain solutions involving small and medium size enterprises. 
There are four platforms that have been created by Manufacturing Agribusiness and Forestry Advisory to support clients along strategic themes: Global Food Loss and Waste Prevention Platform, Sustainable Protein, Sustainable Crops production, and Smallholder Supply Chains. Within the scope of these Platforms, IFC supports agribusiness clients along strategic themes and works with clients in all agribusiness industry sectors on efforts to increase their competitiveness.

The goal of the Global Food Loss and Waste Prevention Platform is to support the uptake of best practices that aim to improve food safety and prevent food loss and waste in food supply chains for clients worldwide.

A) SCOPE OF WORK 
The Operations Officer will be responsible for a full range of duties supporting the IFC Global Food Safety and Food Loss Prevention Platform and IFC country projects. The role involves working with private sector agribusiness and retail companies and contributing to the development and implementation of Food Safety Management systems and food loss and waste prevention systems as well as development of products related to food safety, food loss and waste, and other related areas, as outlined in Section C below. This position requires strong technical expertise, excellent relationship management skills, and the ability to multitask effectively.

B) SPECIFIC OUTPUTS EXPECTED FROM THE STAFF
• Support the IFC Global Food Safety and Food Loss Prevention Platform in delivering the program, including firm-level support to improve food safety (FS) and prevent food loss and waste (FLW) among agribusiness firms, retail clients, and their suppliers, and building the capacity of the private sector in line with international best practices on FS and FLW by developing training and thought leadership materials.
• Implement food safety management systems and food loss and waste prevention advisory projects with the IFC investment portfolio and upstream/advisory clients worldwide.
• Ensure strong quality control over the client portfolio on food safety and food loss and waste projects at both the global and regional levels.
• Support business development for global and regional IFC food safety and food loss and waste projects by conducting client meetings and developing proposals.
• Conduct gap assessments and provide coaching to agribusiness companies on food safety and food loss and waste prevention requirements and practices worldwide.
• Develop, update, review, and promote food safety and food loss and waste reduction capacity-building tools (e.g., IFC GHG Food Loss Calculator, IFC FLW reduction tools) and publications (IFC Food Safety Handbook, IFC Food Safety Training courses).
• Deliver IFC Food Safety and Food Loss and Waste Reduction training courses and events globally, with a focus on Africa, Asia, MCT, Europe, and LAC.
• Support recruiting and engaging food safety and food loss and waste prevention consultants in the regions and provide mentorship and coaching to the program's consultants.
• Support sharing IFC knowledge management and capacity-building activities with internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent, when necessary, IFC’s food safety and food loss prevention activities at workshops, seminars, conferences, events, and business meetings in line with the overall communication strategy.
• Act as the relationship manager with GLOBALGAP, FSSC Food Safety Standards, the Global Food Safety Initiative, WRI, WRAP, and others.