Description
Senior Agriculture Economist at World Bank: (30 Jul 2026)
Job Description
Senior Agriculture Economist
Job #: req37432 Organization: World Bank Sector: Agriculture
Grade: GG Term Duration: 5 years 0 months Recruitment Type: International
Recruitment Location: Kigali,Rwanda Required Language(s): English Preferred
Language(s): French Closing Date: 7/30/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile?
Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help
our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The WBG consists of
five specialized institutions: The International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee
Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment
Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank is organized into six client-facing Regional
Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions and fifteen Global Practices and
five Global Themes to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional
and country clients.
The World Bank consists of two entities – the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International
Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by
189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World
Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory
services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and
coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. For more information,
visit www.worldbank.org.
Africa (AFE) Region
Home to almost 60% of Africa’s population, the Eastern and
Southern Africa (AFE) region is geographically, culturally, and economically
diverse and comprises 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to
the Cape of Good Hope in the South.
AFE boasts some of the world’s richest natural resources,
including minerals that will be critical to low carbon development. Signs
of economic transformation are also emerging in ICT, infrastructure and a
vibrant private sector that is supported by a young and dynamic
population. Despite the region’s potential, economic growth remains low
in many of the AFE countries. Key challenges include persistent inequality and
limited access to productive employment, heavy debt burdens exacerbated by slow
growth, low agricultural productivity, weak infrastructure, low human capital
and limited resilience to climate change and conflict. This creates
a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of
people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an
opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development
partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the
future.
The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region,
comprised of approximately 1,200 staff, has been helping countries realize
their considerable development potential by focusing on the five dimensions of
People, Prosperity, Planet, Infrastructure, and Digital to realize rapid
economic transformation that unlocks the region’s growth potential, addresses
unemployment and underemployment, reduces poverty and inequality, manages debt
and fiscal pressures, and builds resilience.
Eastern and Southern Africa Planet Department
The Africa East and South Planet Department (AFEPD) provides
a wide range of financial, knowledge and convening services to help address
Eastern and Southern Africa countries’ most complex development issues.
The AFE Planet Department is led by the Regional Practice Director and consists
of four global practices (GPs); Agriculture and Food, Environment, Social
Development, and Water, and leads on the Climate Change agenda. The Department
has a robust engagement in the region, including, in the last fiscal year,
$1.6B in new lending, a portfolio of $17 billion in financing in 96 projects,
and annual disbursement of over 21% of that financing. Our knowledge
program is extensive and provided through a mix of Advisory Services and
Analytics (ASA), including Reimbursable Advisory Services. The AFE Planet
Department also innovates in the use of financial instruments and partnerships,
leveraging One World Bank Group working in close partnership with IFC and MIGA.
The Agriculture and Food Global Practice
Our AFE agriculture and food work contributes to and
benefits from our efforts across the globe and is brought together under the
leadership of a Global Director, supported by ten regional Practice Managers
and two Managers for Global Engagement. In addition, the Agriculture and Food
GP Leadership team includes seven Global Leads: Data and Digital Agriculture;
Agribusiness, Finance and Jobs; Public Policy and Expenditure; One Health; Climate
and Nature; Food & Nutrition Security, and Science, Knowledge and
Innovation.
Agriculture and Food in Rwanda
Agriculture has been a key driver of consumption growth and
poverty reduction. Between 2001 and 2011, increased agricultural productivity
and commercialization accounted for one-third of household consumption growth,
reducing poverty by 2.4 percentage points annually. However, poverty reduction
slowed to 1.3 percentage points annually between 2011 and 2017, despite steady
agricultural GDP growth averaging 4.8 percent per year. Irrigation coverage
remains limited as only 6 percent of cropped land was irrigated in 2024. The
sector accounts for 33 percent of new jobs created. With food demand expected
to double and the population projected to increase by 47 percent by 2040, the
opportunities are massive for agriculture value chains to create jobs,
especially in high-value crops and animal products with strong market potential
and comparative advantage.
The active World Bank portfolio in agriculture totals US$244
million, including the Commercialization and De-risking for Agriculture
Transformation Project and Second Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and
Food Security Project. The support aims to strengthen farmers’ organizations,
increase agricultural productivity, develop competitive value chains, enhance
commercialization, and improve the enabling environment for private sector
investments. Key interventions include community irrigation systems and
Farmer-Led Irrigation Development, expanding access to finance through credit
line to value chain actors – including farmers and cooperatives, scaling up the
national agriculture insurance scheme, and sustainable land management to
enhance resilience to landslides and boost agricultural productivity.
Rwanda is one of the first-mover AgriConnect countries in
AFE. The government has prepared an AgriConnect Compact that is at advanced
stages of approval by authorities. A pipeline project is currently under
discussion to begin the operationalization of AgriConnect in Rwanda with
expected delivery in FY27.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Senior Agriculture Specialist/Economist will be a key
member of the Agriculture and Food Leadership Team in AFE, reporting to the
Practice Manager (SAEA2). Specifically, s/he will lead a team to deliver
impactful projects and strategic advisory and analytical tasks in Rwanda while
working closely with the Practice Manager and WBG Country Manager for Rwanda.
The specific responsibilities will include:
(a) Provide technical and thought leadership with clear
vision, coherent strategy, and current knowledge to position the agriculture food
systems in country programs, including designing innovative solutions to create
jobs in agriculture value chains in close collaboration with IFC and MIGA.
(b) Lead the design, preparation and supervision of complex
operation projects as Task Team Leader (TTL), ensuring high-quality outputs,
and leveraging instruments such as DPLs, IPFs, P4Rs, and trust funds.
(c) Lead strategic and high-priority policy reforms dialogue
with clients, manage strategic knowledge products, and position key sector
reforms in development policy lending programs.
(d) Assume an active role in the CMU to ensure adequate and
appropriate integration of relevant aspects of the agriculture and rural
development agenda in core Bank products, including country partnership
frameworks, strategic country diagnostics, country economic memoranda, and
CCDRs.
(e) Serve as an active member of the AFE Planet team and
contribute to the integration of Planet solutions into coherent programs,
including on water, sustainable land management, and emission reductions, while
working closely with the Planet leadership team, CMUs, and the clients.
(f) Actively engage with stakeholders and development
partners and represent the Agriculture and Food team at relevant events and
speaking engagements to identify opportunities for partnerships to improve
program delivery.
(g) Serve as focal point for Agriculture and Food in Rwanda
through close client engagement, liaison with the CMU, and provide quality
assurance of the portfolio,
(h) Provide mentoring, advice and support to Agriculture and
Food staff in the Rwanda CMU, including TTLs of demanding operations.
Selection Criteria
Candidates must demonstrate proven professional excellence,
outstanding oral and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills,
and the ability to convert strategic thinking into practical solutions.
The following specific criteria will also apply:
• A master’s degree in agricultural and resource economics,
agribusiness, agriculture or closely related discipline.
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in
agriculture, agribusiness, and other disciplines related to food systems,
including experience of being the World Bank focal point in agriculture and
food or related practice for a country.
• Recognized by peers and/or managers for cutting edge
knowledge, the ability to identify problems and translate knowledge into
innovative and concrete solutions, while maintaining strong client focus.
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership in the sector, based
on strong technical capabilities and analytical credentials, and the capacity
to lead discussions on policy reforms at high levels.
• In-depth knowledge of the issues faced by smallholders in
agricultural value chains and the potential of agriculture value chains to
address core development objectives in the AFE region, including jobs.
• Ability to take principled and balanced positions on
complex issues and to communicate and defend them orally and in writing to
senior Bank management and senior government officials.
• Effective verbal, analytical and written communication
skills in English, and a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality documents
and analytical reports.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and team skills
with ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced,
pragmatic and implementable solutions.
• High degree of ethics, tact, diplomacy, political
judgement, negotiating skills and sensitivity in handling confidential and
sensitive information.
• Self-motivated with ability to work under pressure and
challenging conditions while retaining perspective and poise.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the
needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to
achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold
each other accountable for results.
World
Bank Group Core Competencies
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits,
including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid
leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for
individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive
employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate
based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and
inspiring stories.
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