Closing Date: Thursday, 30 June 2011
Job # 111080
Job Title Senior Agriculture Economist or Senior Rural Development Economist
Job Family Agriculture & Rural Development
Location Kigali, Rwanda
Appointment International Hire
Closing Date 30-Jun-2011
Language Requirements English [Essential]; French [Desired]
Appointment Type
Background / General description
The World Bank’s efforts to facilitate faster growth in African agricultural productivity and inclusive rural development in the Region require strong presence in our country offices; to interact with clients and partners on a regular basis, to support design and implementation of comprehensive programs, and to facilitate improved monitoring and evaluation of developments in the sector. Areas of engagement broadly include management of land and water, agricultural technology, marketing and value chains, vulnerability and risk management, rural infrastructure (including irrigation), decentralization and provision of services in rural areas, and policy and regulatory reforms. The Africa Region’s unit responsible for agriculture and rural development (AFTAR) is seeking a seasoned professional to be resident in Kigali, Rwanda to lead our work in Rwanda, and contribute regionally. Rwanda has demonstrated high commitment to increased growth in agriculture and has an active and successful program strongly led by the Government. The country nonetheless faces challenges inherent in its resource endowment, topography, historical legacy, and regional interlinkages. The World Bank is recognized as a strong partner and expected to lead the coordinated effort of partners. To support this highly active and visible program in Rwanda, an experienced professional is sought for a term position of three years with potential for extension. The staff member will be based in the World Bank Office in Kigali, and will work closely with colleagues in AFTAR already in place.
Duties and Accountabilities
The selected candidate will assure the effectiveness and coherence of our agricultural work in Rwanda, together with colleagues from other units in SD and the country team as a whole.
Accountabilities include the following:
• In partnership with colleagues, coordinate policy dialogue on agricultural and rural issues and interactions with the client and partners, and alert management (both country and sector) to issues requiring attention;
• Lead/initiate/participate in analytical and strategic work pertaining to agricultural growth and productivity in Rwanda, including work managed by AFTAR and that managed by other units, but requiring input from our staff, such as public expenditure analysis. Participate as a team member in comparable work regionally;
• Lead/ contribute to key operations important to the agricultural sector, both within the portfolios within Sustainable Development, and more generally; e.g., budget support operations. Assure timely delivery of these operations with high levels of quality;
• Support colleagues in the country office in assuring quality of their own work and successful delivery of their programs;
• Identify and act on synergies within the Sustainable Development portfolio in Rwanda and regionally and in the country programs more generally, through intellectual leadership and teamwork;
• Serve as an active member of the AFTAR technical and operational unit, contributing to the Region’s strategic scale up of support for agricultural productivity, in Rwanda and more generally.
Selection Criteria
• Masters or PhD in Agricultural Economics or related discipline.
• At least eight years of experience on agricultural development issues.
• Recognized substantive leadership in one or more of the strategic/ technical areas noted above.
• Proven operational experience, preferably in a country office in Africa, with high quality.
• Experience in Rwanda or East Africa desirable.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Ability to lead and work with multi-disciplinary team.
• Evidence of effective team work and client relations.
• Fluency in English required; fluency in French desirable.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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