African Development Bank (AfDB) -  the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. 

POSITION : Chief Agro-industrial Officer

DESCRIPTION

The Hiring Department 

• The Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department provides support for the delivery of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025.
• The strategy aims to end hunger and rural poverty in the next decade through self-sufficiency in 18 priority commodity value chains specific to the continent’s agro-ecological zones.
• Realizing the objectives set forth in the strategy requires increased productivity; value addition; investment in infrastructure; an enabling agribusiness environment; capital flows; and inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition.
• The Department leads the effort to transform African agricultural systems for greater competitiveness, inclusivity and sustainability, and for enhanced job creation and poverty reduction.

The Position

• The Chief Agro-industries Officer assists in the implementation of Feed Africa Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa 2016 - 2025. Feed Africa contributes to the fulfilment of the African Development Bank’s vision-as defined in its Ten Year Strategy and amplified in the High 5 Initiatives-of being the lead development financial institution in Africa, dedicated to providing quality assistance to Regional Member Countries in their economic growth efforts.
• The Strategy seeks to transform African agriculture through 18 priority value chains and five agro-ecological zones.

The transformation will require a set of seven enablers:

• Catalyze capital flows (especially commercial lending and private investment) to scale agribusinesses;
• Ensure inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition beyond what the market may deliver otherwise;
• Coordinate activities to kick start transformation, align activities and investments of different actors, and guide initial activities to the point where private sector actors can be crowded in.
• Increase productivity by catalyzing the development of effective input distribution systems and reduction in post-harvest waste and loss;
• Realize the value of increased production by facilitating increased investment into output markets and supporting market incentives for value addition;
• Increase investment into enabling infrastructure, both hard and soft infrastructure;
• Create an enabling agribusiness environment with appropriate policies and regulation;

 Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director, Agriculture and Agro Industry Department and working closely with internal and external stakeholders; including Directors' General, Country/Sector Managers and Task Managers, the Agro-industries Officer will: support the Bank regional hubs, sector/country managers in agro-industry development; analyze challenges associated with agro-industry, agribusiness and agricultural value chain including the supply and demand nexus in agricultural operations; support infrastructure development that promote agro-industry, agribusiness and linkage to markets; support commodity and product quality control, products standardization and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures; assist regional member countries in export promotion and import substitution; forecast production and consumption, to facilitate the promotion of agro-industries.

His/her duties include the following:

• Coordinate agricultural projects identification missions, especially on agro-industry and prepare for each country, a pipeline of agricultural and rural development programs and inter-linked to it, a pipeline of pre-investment studies to be financed by the Bank Group (African Development Bank, African Development Fund, Nigerian Trust Fund) and other sources, including bilateral grant resources (e.g. Technical Assistance Fund).
• Coordinate the support and involvement of bilateral institutions such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, International Fund for Agriculture Development, etc. in Bank missions, as they relate to agricultural value chain development.
• Undertake any other assignments as may be assigned by the Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry.
• Support the Bank's regional hubs in promoting an agro-industrial revolution across Africa.
• Lead the promotion of agro-industry development across the continent in the context of the Feed Africa Strategy.
• Coordinate the design of agro-industrial clusters in regional member countries including the establishment of agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises, agro industries, cottage industries.
• Coordinate business development initiatives across the continent in view of developing a pipeline of profitable and competitive agricultural value chains projects.
• Work with the private sector in the regional member countries to promote country and regional agriculture value chains that enhance and foster regional integration.
• Coordinate studies within the framework of the Feed Africa Strategy to identify bankable projects, industries, policies and priorities.
• Coordinate economic and sector work on agricultural value chain development across Africa.
• Coordinate and undertake sector and policy dialogues with both public and private sector officials on agro-industry and cluster development at continental, regional and country levels.

Selection Criteria

• Ability to manage multiple, simultaneous and shifting demands/ priorities under tight deadlines and coordinate the work of others.
• Ability to build partnerships with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the Bank.
• Proven ability to take initiative, innovate, adapt and make smart decisions; to create, apply, and share knowledge; to share expertise and learning; to develop self and others; to expand networks; to collaborate within teams and across boundaries; to be inclusive and exhibit good corporate citizenship.
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competences in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).
• Hold at least a Master's Degree (or equivalent) in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture Sciences, Agriculture or Food Technology, Agribusiness, or related field.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience, (five (5) of which should be in multilateral development institutions of professional experience in agro industry development.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Broad knowledge of both post-harvest loss reduction and agricultural commodity value chains, especially those targeted by the Feed Africa Strategy.
• Good knowledge of industrial good manufacturing practices, quality and standardization issues in an industrial set-up.
• Hands-on experience in transforming commodities from “farm to fork”.
• Experience working in Africa a must.
• Ability to lead colleagues to achieve defined objectives in international multicultural contexts.