Agribusiness Officer

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 Centres 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 of 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 located in the Asia and the Pacific Service (CFIB) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at the FAO headquarters in Rome Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Agribusiness Officer reports to the Chief Asia and the Pacific Service of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI).

Technical Focus

Provide analytical and technical support on agribusiness development stakeholders with focus on the functioning of agricultural support services rural market and finance institutions aspects 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 resource 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 at 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 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 sub-sectors and value chains with active engagement of relevant private sector stakeholders.

• Assesses investment constraints and opportunities across different agrifood value chains. She/he is able to analyse investments taking into consideration the characteristics of private sector entities and individuals active at different stages of value chains market structures and dynamics availability and quality of support services trade environment food quality and safety.

• Identifies and analyses policy issues related to agrifood value chain investments offering actionable recommendations to enable private investment.

• Engages with private sector actors (including agri-financing entities SMEs agribusinesses industry associations and farmers organizations) to validate and strengthen investment and policy options.

• Supports the development of knowledge products including analytical studies and practical tools on agribusiness marketing and trade and value chain development.

• Facilitates the establishment of public-private platforms to foster an enabling environment for investment along agrifood value chains.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in agriculture agro-industry business administration agribusiness economics agricultural economics finance or a closely related field.

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

• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO 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 technical areas related to private sector engagement agribusiness

• development value chain analysis business planning and agrifood marketing particularly in support of

• investment operations.

• Extent and relevance of experience working within multidisciplinary teams on the formulation implementation or

• evaluation of investment strategies and sector studies with a focus on private sector-oriented finance solutions

• value chain upgrading and agribusiness development.

• Extent and relevance of experience in investment design implementation support or evaluation procedures of

• FAOs main development partners particularly the World Bank (WB) Asian Development Bank (ADB) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other international financing institutions (IFIs) or development finance institutions (DFIs).

• Experience in facilitating public private dialogue and supporting enabling environments for private investment in

• the agrifood sector including through policy advisory blended finance instruments and technical assistance to

• SMEs.

• Familiarity with the Asia and the Pacific region including key institutions market dynamics and investment

• Stakeholders would be considered an asset.

• Hands-on experience in or close collaboration with the private sector particularly in agrifood investment finance

• or enterprise development is highly desirable.

• Extent and relevance of experience in addressing food safety and quality standards regulatory frameworks and

• market access barriers that affect private investment and value chain competitiveness.

• Relevance of experience in capacity development related to the planning and implementation of private sector

• driven investment projects in food security agriculture agribusiness and rural development.

• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement including with government agencies private sector actors

• DFIs and development partners in support of investment facilitation.

• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical reports in English.