Lead Regional Economist

Organization
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Job Type
Full-time
Where to Apply
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4301155211/?pathWildcard=4301155211&trk=mcm
Tags
Full-time

About the job
This job is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

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 Department for Country Operations (DCO) oversees the origination, design and management of IFAD investments, including sovereign and non-sovereign operations, as well as the design and implementation of non-lending activities within country programmes, including policy engagement and SSTC. DCO is the department that primarily interfaces with governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to deliver IFAD’s programme of work and to provide oversight to ensure quality of the portfolio.

DCO is led by an Associate Vice-President and is composed of five (5) regional divisions: Asia and the Pacific Division (APR), East and Southern Africa Division (ESA), Latin America and Caribbean Division (LAC), Near East, North Africa and Europe Division (NEN) and West and Central Africa Division (WCA), the Private Sector Operations Division (PSD), and two (2) units: the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Unit (SSTC) and the fragility unit (FRU).

The Regional Division ESA is led by a Divisional Director, based in the IFAD Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya. The Division leads on the design and delivery of IFAD country and regional programmes in ESA. The precise country coverage of the division varies across replenishment periods.

Job Role

The Lead Regional Economist is an economic policy and strategy leader and knowledge builder in their region. Through crosscutting work, both in diversity of economic sub-specializations and across countries in the region and/or organization, the incumbent acts as a catalyst for the generation and use of economic data, analysis and knowledge within IFAD as well as with outside institutions. The incumbent is accountable for the delivery of IFAD services to the rural populations of the region by:
Providing timely, authoritative and analytical advice to staff in appropriate forms to enhance the quality, relevance and effectiveness of the division’s work and instruments, i.e. Country Strategic Opportunities Programmes (COSOPs), country strategies, investment projects, grants, policy dialogue, knowledge management, etc.; and
Developing and implementing strategies, systems and approaches to better integrate the different types of operations, allowing IFAD to enhance its value addition, scale of operations, and impact on poverty reduction in the region.

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:

Education includes Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://whed.net/home.php in economics or related field is required (*):
(*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in IFAD’s Human Resources Implementing Procedures.

Experience:

At least ten (10) years progressively responsible experience in the field of economics with International Financial Institutions, international NGOs, rural development/financial institutions, foundations or government services.
Knowledge of ESA regions is an asset.

Languages:

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