CD/Head IFAD sub-regional Hub

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 Programme Management Department (PMD), under the leadership of an Associate Vice-President, is responsible for the overall programme of loans and grants of the Fund and is composed of five (5) regional divisions and the Operational Policy and Results Division.

A Multi-country Office (MCO) is an ICO that serves several countries, including those Offices led by Country Programme Officers (CPO-led), and has at least two Country Directors. It is established for programmatic and/or efficiency reasons (e.g. travel connections).

The Country Director/Head of the IFAD Multi-country Office (CD/Head of MCO) works under the strategic management and policy guidance and direct supervision of the Divisional Director. S/he supervises some junior staff and non-staff, and as appropriate,  coordinates the work of all staff and non-staff based in the MCO, including functions related to thematic areas.

The position is located in Latin America and Carribean (LAC) division which is responsible for the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

1. COUNTRY STRATEGY MANAGEMENT: The Country Director/Head of the IFAD Multi-country Office leads/manages country strategy development for countries within the assigned portfolio of work, and provides strategic advice to other Country Directors in the MCO, as appropriate. S/he is accountable for leading and managing the development and implementation of medium to longer- term strategies (COSOP) across the assigned portfolio of IFAD collaboration with governments and other national stakeholders, including private sector, for agricultural development and rural poverty reduction following the principle of ownership, alignment and harmonization. This entails analysis of the dynamics of agricultural development and rural poverty reduction; development of relevant country-specific strategies; and the definition of IFAD’s value added in this context.

2. COUNTRY PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT: The Country Director/Head of the IFAD Multi-country Office manages IFAD programme and related IFAD-funded projects within the portfolio assigned by the Division Director. In particular, s/he leads the development and expansion of country programme, the design and  supervision  of  investment projects  as well  as  loan  and grant negotiations, all in accordance with IFAD’s applicable policies. In special circumstances in which high seniority representation and experience is required, the CD/Head of MCO supports other Country Directors in their engagements with governments. The CD/Head of MCO is accountable for analysing relevant information, leading the periodic monitoring and evaluation of results achieved and reporting on and dissemination of findings. S/he contributes effectively to the IFAD organizational change agenda, with reference to issues related to IFAD’s direct supervision and implementation support modalities.

3. INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATION AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT: The Country Director/Head of the IFAD Multi-country Office serves as a designated IFAD representative in all countries within the assigned portfolio. S/he also serves as the highest representative for sub-regional engagement in dedicated multilateral meetings and events, as appropriate. Under the supervision of the Division Director, s/he catalyses effective partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders in agricultural development and rural poverty reduction, including government and nongovernmental institutions, bilateral and multilateral financing institutions, civil society organisations, research centres and the private sector. Additionally, s/he enhances IFAD’s relationship and collaboration with in-country partners focusing on synergies and coordinated strategies with multilateral/bilateral donors and civil-society organizations involved in agricultural development and rural poverty reduction. S/he represents IFAD on the UN Country Teams in all countries within her/his assigned portfolio, playing a central role at the country-level in actualizing the coordination of operational activities for development, and contributes to all international and national meetings/thematic groups meetings. The CD/Head of MCO provides coordination and administrative support to Country Directors managing portfolios assigned to one of the areas covered by the respective Multi-country Office.

4. CONTRIBUTION TO POLICY LEADERSHIP: The Country Director/Head of an IFAD Multi-country Office contributes to corporate level strategy on core IFAD policy positions within the assigned portfolio, led by Division Directors. S/he leads sub-regional policy engagement across all portfolios associated with the countries under the MCO, and maintains and promotes constructive dialogue on the development of pro-poor agricultural development and rural poverty reduction policies and in enabling the rural poor to advocate for institutional transformation. S/he regularly participates in relevant policy meetings and events of interest to IFAD’s target groups and which involve the government, donors, and civil society, including NGOs, to render the policy dialogue agenda both credible and sustainable. He/she contributes to IFAD's policy intelligence with regular updates and information exchange on relevant policy discussions and ensure proper knowledge management in place. Policy dialogue focuses on seeking to link the realities on the ground and the voices of the poor with national policies and programmes.

5. OFFICE MANAGEMENT: The Country Director/Head of MCO has delegated authority to manage the MCO office, including the direct utilization of resources allocated to the MCO. As such, s/he is accountable for the administrative management of human resources, contracting goods and services, certifying payments within established threshold and financial management.

The Country Directors/Heads of the IFAD Multi-country Office deliver technical and managerial leadership to the substantive development and execution of the assigned portfolio, including (i) providing guidance in programme delivery and being accountable for the performance of portfolio in the MCO;  (ii) providing day-to-day managerial direction to Country Directors assigned to one of the areas covered by the respective Multi-country Office and other senior staff (up to P-4 level), Programme Officers (up to P-3 level), Multi-country Office Country Programme Officers and Assistants; (iii) effective representation with government counterparts and other programme collaborators; (iv) effective engagement with and providing high quality inputs to partners at various levels, including governments, national stakeholders, CSO, donors, UN/IFIs, and private sector; and (v) ability to anticipate and manage potential risks to the success of programmes. Externally the impact of the Country Director/Head of a Multi-country Office extends beyond country engagements to affect the image of IFAD across the countries covered by the Multi-country Office as an effective partner for realizing the Sustainable Development Goals in rural areas.

Assigned areas may include sub-regional clusters of countries or politically sensitive, high profile or highly complex countries as identified in the country classification matrix.

The Country Director/Head of the IFAD Multi-country Office serves as the IFAD spokesperson in the country concerned and, in carrying out this role and when required, draws on the advice and expertise of IFAD’s Communications Division (COM). S/he holds regular consultations with IFAD counterparts — line ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society — to enhance the effectiveness and impact of IFAD operations. The Country Director/Head of an IFAD Multi-country Office also seeks to improve coordination among IFAD, the government and key development partners with a view primarily to ensuring synergy and a common approach to emerging agricultural development and rural poverty reduction strategies, policies and investment programmes. S/he serves as IFAD’s liaison with project authorities and helps in addressing administrative and programme-related substantive issues, such as targeting and identifying needs for technical backstopping. The Country Director/Head of an IFAD Multi-country Office proactively works with project management to ensure compliance with IFAD policies and overall orientation towards the achievement of results and impact. As the senior expert on country programme formulation and delivery, the Country Director/Head of an IFAD Multi-country Office’s effectiveness as an advocate and trusted counterpart substantially affects IFAD’s image as a reliable and creative partner.

Extending beyond the parameters of the portfolio assigned to the Country Director/Head of the IFAD Multi-country Office, and as representative of the Division, the Country Director/Head of an IFAD Multi-country Office leverages the impact of IFAD supported agricultural development and rural poverty reduction programmes. S/he has the authority to establish programme agreements for assigned activities within the established strategic direction of the countries assigned. S/he contributes to resolving politically sensitive and/or highly complex issues with governments and partner institutions.

Education:

Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area.

Areas - rural development, agriculture, economics, rural finance, development policy or development finance, social inclusion related themes, climate and environment, natural resources management, private sector development and other job-related fields.

Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php .

Work experience:

At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in rural development, agriculture, economics, rural finance, development policy or other job-related fields.

• Four (4) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope.

Position-specific experience: Working in international organizations, rural development/financial institutions or government services, preferably in area of implementation and supervision of rural development programmes. Experience may include project design, development, implementation and evaluation. At least 2 years (of the total 10) experience in resource (human, financial and material) management in an international organization is an asset. Evidence of substantive experience of having led and managed staff

Languages:

• Required English and Spanish  (4 – Excellent)
• Desirable: French and or Arabic
• Position-specific requirement: Working knowledge of xx  is essential.

Skills:

Job role specific

• Leadership, Group thought leader, sought out by others and providing mentorship and effective guidance to others; Ability to build trust, inside and outside the organization by acting as a role model for IFAD’s core values and competencies, and to provide a clear sense of direction, mentorship and effective guidance to the team, strategizing the IFAD’s goals, giving the vision, empowering the team and ensuring a positive environment for all; 4
• Programme Management for Agricultural Development: Expertise specific to position, e.g., in agricultural and rural development, policy-oriented, programme based pro-poor approaches, results-based agriculture rural development projects, country-specific knowledge, migration,  etc.
• Strategic mindset, Proactive, ongoing identification of strategic opportunities, potential synergies and partnerships
• Stakeholder management, Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.)
• Strategy implementation, Ability to lead and manage the development and implementation of medium to longer-term strategies for IFAD / for respective divisions
• Policy Dialogue -  Know-how in the representation of IFAD as a trusted and strategic partner, advocating and promoting IFAD's mandate and vision;  effective consultations with IFAD counterparts — line ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society;
• Political acumen -  Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
• Performance management: Know-how in managing performance, staff performance evaluation and learning management, establishing clear performance objectives (technical and behavioural) and learning plans, and ensuring staff supervised deliver on the agreed objectives and meet their development needs while meeting the needs of IFAD; 4
• Planning: Know-how in the planning of human, financial and material management of IFAD resources
• Risk management (e.g. reputational) - Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies; 4

Position specific:

• IFAD partners, Knowledge of IFAD's partners' functioning and mandate , such as the public sector (e.g. governments and policy, institutions and system), non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, etc.) and private sector actors; 4
• Budgeting, resource management, Know-how in budget administration and accounting, resource allocation and planning at divisional level. 4