Senior Technical Specialist

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.

The Office of Technical Delivery is responsible for providing expert technical guidance to IFAD teams engaged in the design and implementation of projects and programmes to deliver the high technical quality investments that facilitate rural transformation, and which comply with IFAD's mandate and operational policies.

The Office ensures IFAD applies and disseminates state-of-the-art knowledge in its investments and evidence on strategic themes and encourages the innovative application of global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments. This helps countries tackle complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation including mainstreaming areas.

The Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) leads the mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes of environment and climate, gender, nutrition, youth, disability and indigenous peoples into IFAD's portfolio, and the implementation of social, environment and climate safeguards (SECAP), to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes.

Job Role

The Senior Technical Specialist serves as IFAD's technical expert in their area of expertise. The position supports country/regional programs by providing state-of-the-art global technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational), as well as contributes to the corporate agenda, in their technical area of expertise.

In particular, the Senior Technical Specialist - Social, Environment and Climate Safeguards - (SECAP) works collaboratively with respective ECG technical specialists (both Environment/Climate and Social Inclusion), PMI thematic Technical Specialists, Country Directors and other staff in the Western and Central Africa (WCA) region to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support facilitating knowledge flows and building of communities of practices.

Key Functions and Results

• Senior Technical Advice: The Senior Technical Specialist provides technically authoritative advice on their area of specialization to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player in these domains, and to improve related national government policies and programmes and ensure IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner.
• Knowledge and Advisory Services: The Senior Technical Specialist enhances the development of viable and sustainable policies and supports regional and global thematic input through authoritative technical knowledge sharing for their area of specialization.
• Partnership Building and Outreach Activities: The Senior Technical Specialist develops and maintains a network of strategic partnerships that can help advance IFAD's mandate and messages around rural transformation in the global debate.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: The Senior Technical Specialist supports the Director/Lead Technical Specialists in knowledge management and other monitoring and reporting activities to enhance country level programme and funding decisions.
• Managerial Functions: The Senior Technical Specialist is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources.

Work at this level normally is not reviewed for technical accuracy. Senior Regional Technical Specialists thus exercise independence and initiative in assessing needs and advising governments when on field mission.

Organizational Competencies:

• 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:

• Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area.
• Areas - Agriculture, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment, Economics, Social Sciences, etc.

Experience:

• At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in, and demonstrated understanding of development initiatives in the field of social, environment and climate safeguards.

Languages:

• Required: English and French (4 Excellent)

Skills:

• Advocacy: Ability to leverage IFAD knowledge and/or communication materials to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD`s vision and strategic priorities to external actors
• Knowledge strategy & management: Extensive expertise in knowledge management & dissemination strategies
• IFAD governance & mandate: In depth knowledge of IFAD`s governance structure, mandate, strategic priorities and technical work
• Analytical skills: Outstanding ability to analyse and synthesize qualitative and/or quantitative information from a variety of sources and filter out key insights and recommendations
• Basic ICT & digital fluency: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. in-depth, computer information systems, including micro-computer operating systems software, hardware and applications software and other office technology equipment), end-user computing configuration management
• Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes
• Collaboration: Successfully work toward a common goal with others by communicating clearly, actively listening to others, taking responsibility for mistakes, and respecting different perspectives of stakeholders.
• 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)
• POLITICAL ACUMEN: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
• 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.)
• Evidence-based policy: Know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation)
• Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management
• Social & Environmental Safeguards: Know-how in Social & Environmental complianc as specified in the IFAD's Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP)
• Cross-cutting themes - Environment & climate change: Expertise specific to the environment and climate change cross-cutting theme (e.g. climate and environmental policy, biodiversity, agroecology)
• POLICY DIALOGUE: Know-how in holding regular and effective consultations with IFAD counterparts - like ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society

Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org.