Food Systems Coordination Officer, Rome

Job Title : Food Systems Coordination Officer (co-terminus, 2 years)

ID : 30628

Location : ROME

Date of issue : 08/21/2025

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 09/17/2025

Organizational Unit : Front Office ERD

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 2 Years

Grade : P-3

Organizational Setting

* This is a two-year fixed-term co-terminus position fully financed with supplementary funds. Contract renewal depends on funding availability and/or duration of the project. There is no guarantee of renewal or conversion into another kind of contract.

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 External Relations Department (ERD) leads IFAD's external engagement through public and political advocacy, global policy engagement, partnership building, resource mobilization and strategic communications. ERD also leads IFAD's Replenishment, which is the process through which IFAD mobilizes core funding from Member States and agrees on priorities and targets for the Fund's work during each three-year replenishment period. ERD is led by an Associate Vice President and is comprised of two divisions: Global Engagement Partnership and Resource Mobilization Division (GPR) and the Communications Division (COM), and one initiative: The Food Systems Coordination (FSC).

IFAD and the World Bank have been designated as co-leads on the financing agenda for food systems transformation. FSC leads this workstream, including IFAD's engagement in the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and the 3FS tool to measure financial flows to food systems.

Job Role

The aim of the position is to deepen corporate level collaboration with key stakeholders and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange and policy influence within the scope of assignment. The position may also serve as focal point on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance for partnership development. The incumbent works across functional teams at IFAD and with external partners to coordinate the FSC workstream (including preparing briefings, talking points and guidance for management) as well as to provide technical expertise on food systems and develop new approaches which expand the range of services or programmes delivered. The key result is to ensure greater visibility and influence for IFAD in support of its mission.

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the IFAD's Director for Food Systems Coordination and work collaboratively with other colleagues across IFAD to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the coordination of their assigned portfolio and the provision of technical support within their assigned portfolios. The key result is to ensure greater visibility and influence for IFAD in support of its mission. They will be working with key partners such the World Bank, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, the Executive Office of the UN Secretary General office, RBAs, other UN agencies, stakeholder's representatives, IFAD senior management and other IFAD Divisions and internal stakeholders.

Key Functions and Results

• PARTNERSHIP BUILDING : The incumbent establishes and maintains a network of peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to keep up-to-date on activities at the regional and global levels on food sytems and the food finance architecture, to support joint advocacy and for knowledge sharing to enhance the Fund's profile as a highly competent and viable partner in development. Accountabilities may include:
  • Building partnerships with complementary technical organizations, NGOs, and specialized departments of other development agencies and IFIs as potential operational and strategic partners at regional and country levels;
  • Strengthening IFAD's representation and communication in technical issues (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences fora).
• FOCAL POINT FOR ENGAGEMENT, POLICY INFLUENCE AND COLLABORATION: The incumbent acts as focal point on food systems for engagement, policy influence and collaboration with the World Bank, the UN Systems Coordination Hub and the RBAs, including on how to anticipate and respond to partners' concerns and priorities, ensuring that IFAD's interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes, and ensuring that they are fully aware of IFAD's perspectives, policies, priorities and capabilities. The position contributes to the development and management of initiatives for high-level outreach, including for IFAD Senior Management.
• TECHNICAL ADVICE: On the basis of seasoned technical knowledge and analysis of current thematic conditions, emerging development challenges and the state of Food Systems and the Food Finance Architecture (FFA) at the country, regional and global levels, the incumbent provides sound technical advice to improve IFAD's s capacity to support national pathways for food systems transformation and to enhance IFAD's reputation as a thought leader on food systems financing.
• MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING The incumbent contributes to managing the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of technical activities and components of IFAD's engagement in food systems and the financing agenda for food systems transformation in order to build IFAD's institutional capacity in food systems financing, including mobilization of transformative private sector investments for food systems.
• MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The incumbent is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes:
  • People Management and evaluation of performance of consultants under their purview.
  • Resource Management by providing technical expertise for programme development, and Knowledge and Content Management on Food Systems by ensuring that:
    • Knowledge content within specialty/thematic area is continuously updated and available through the intranet;
    • Briefings, talking points and other background and technical documents within the assigned portfolio are developed for Management and Senior Management participation in relevant meetings;
    • Best practices are continuously identified, documented and made available to clients and peers through the inter-/intra-net;
    • Appropriate and up-to-date information and learning tools are available.

Key Performance Indicators

The incumbent is a seasoned professional which combines a background in the field of food systems and external relations. The quality of work and external communications performed by the incumbent directly impacts on the professionalism of the incumbent and the overall reputation of the Fund in terms of both substantive depth and adaptive relevance to emerging issues and changing client needs. The incumbent is accountable for quality, substantive input and ability to project a competent and trusted image of the Fund to partners within IFAD and outside.

Assignments require the provision of input for the development of tools and methodologies, reports, analysis and identification of food systems financing trends, innovative mechanisms and projects and programmes The work goes beyond technical analysis to include substantive inputs to project methodology, knowledge sharing among peers and counterparts to enhance cooperation, complementarity and synergy and monitoring and evaluation to measure and report on lessons learned and best practices. The work is considered moderately complex requiring technical analysis and coordination skills.

The incumbent coordinates the follow up to institutional commitments to food systems transformation, including the financing agenda, contribute to the preparation of technical analysis and documents on food systems and the financing agenda, and coordinates the internal taskforce for the delivery of IFAD's contribution to the FSS Stocktaking Moments, including engagement of key partners (DSG's office, RBAs, other UN agencies, stakeholder's representatives), IFAD senior management and internal stakeholders.

The work includes coordination across IFAD functional areas for delivery on the food systems agenda and the management of joint initiatives with the ecosystems of support for the food systems and financing agenda, such as the preparation of technical materials, technical background briefs, inputs to talking points for IFAD Leadership on food systems.

Working Relationships

The work relationships of the incumbent is focused on establishing and maintaining relationships, building stronger relationships, identifying and pursuing opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, and projecting the image of a credible/reliable partner. The incumbent presents policy positions, seeking to inform and build partnerships, within the guidelines set by the supervisor. Work relationships are established and maintained with counterparts both inside as well as outside the Fund. Exchange of information typically requires proactivity to clearly establish the policy, positions or practices of the Fund. The incumbent functions as a collaborative partner within the Fund to enhance partnership development.

Key contacts are with colleagues within IFAD, including the External Relations Department, Country Operations Department, and Office of Techincal Delivery; other external counterparts are within the World Bank, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, RBAs, government authorities, development partners and other stakeholders. External work relationships for Technical Specialists at this level normally require maintaining and managing professional relationships with the relevant external stakeholders and representing IFAD at the Food Systems Summit Stocktake Moments and other summits as required.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 1:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
• Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
• Managing performance and developing staff -
• Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
• Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

Education:

• Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area. Areas - International development, international relations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment, Economics etc.
• Degree must be an accredited institution listed on whed.net/home.php .

Experience:

• At least five (5) years progressively responsible experience in, and demonstrated understanding of, development initiatives in the field of specialization.
• Three (3) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope.
• Experience in international policy frameworks related to global environment, natural resource management and rural development is an asset

Languages:

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

Skills:

• IFAD partners: Knowledge of IFAD's partners' functioning and mandate , such as the public sector (e.g. governments and policy, institutions and system), non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, etc.) and private sector actors
• Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes
• Corporate approach: Ability to bring in corporate vision and priorities into one's area of work (e.g. budgeting going beyond simple budgetary considerations, taking into account strategic priorities)
• 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.
• Problem solving: Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies
• Synthesis: Outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• 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.)
• Knowledge of the content of UN Food Systems Agenda, the Coordination Hub and SDG Agenda
• Partnership Building : Ability to formulate new approaches or identify new opportunities to build relationships with both traditional and non-traditional partners, focusing on impact and results;
• Knowledge of the content of UN Food Systems Agenda, the Coordination Hub and SDG Agenda
• Coordination, partnership building, knowledge management and project management skills, with the ability to formulate new approaches or identify new opportunities to build relationships with both traditional and non-traditional partners, focusing on impact and results;
• Clear, succinct and convincing written communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.).

Other Information

* This is a two-year fixed-term co-terminus position fully financed with supplementary funds. Contract renewal depends on funding availability and/or duration of the project. There is no guarantee of renewal or conversion into another kind of contract.

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.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on ethnic, social, or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size, or sexual orientation. This is in line with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and our Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse . Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please refer to the UN disability-inclusive language guidelines.

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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.

Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

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.