Lead Agriculture Specialist

Lead Agriculture Specialist

Job #:	req38149
Organization:	World Bank
Sector:	Agriculture
Grade:	GH
Term Duration:	3 years 0 months
Recruitment Type:	International Recruitment
Location:	Dhaka,Bangladesh
Required Language(s):	English
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date:	9/3/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The Agriculture and Food (AGF) Global Practice of the World Bank plays a central role in supporting client countries to build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems. In South Asia, one of the world's most food-insecure, climate-vulnerable, and agriculturally complex regions, the Bank's engagement spans a diverse portfolio of lending, Development Policy Operations (DPOs), analytical and advisory services (ASA), and policy dialogue across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan. A key regional priority is the implementation of AgriConnect, the World Bank's corporate initiative to accelerate job creation, mobilize private capital, and strengthen agribusiness value chains through increased private sector participation and investment in agriculture and food systems.

Bangladesh, the proposed duty station, is a critical anchor of the South Asia AGF portfolio. The country faces intensifying pressures from climate change, delta-system fragility, rapid urbanization, rural labor transition, and food price volatility, all of which demand high-quality, policy-relevant, and timely analytical products. The South Asia region additionally operates in a complex political economy environment, where agricultural policy reform is often contested across government ministries, civil society, and private sector actors.

The Lead Agriculture Specialist will serve as the intellectual anchor for agricultural policy analysis and private sector engagement across the South Asia region, with a specific focus on Bangladesh and neighboring countries. The role requires deep technical expertise in agricultural economics, agri-food private sector development, and innovative financing, combined with a proven ability to mobilize private investment, influence policy reform, and catalyze market-based solutions to the region's most pressing food system challenges. The position will also play a key role in advancing the South Asia AgriConnect agenda by supporting policy reforms, fostering public-private partnerships, identifying investment opportunities, and helping scale approaches that generate jobs, enhance competitiveness, and attract private capital across regional food systems.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Lead Agriculture Specialist will report to the Practice Managers of South Asia AGF (SSAA1 and SSAA2) and will work in close collaboration with Country Management Units (CMUs), the Macro, Trade and Investment (MTI) practice, and the Chief Economist's Office for South Asia. Specific responsibilities include:

1. Policy Dialogue, Strategic Engagement, and Private Sector Advocacy

● Lead or contribute to analytical products and initiate and maintain a high-level engagement and dialogue with key government counterparts on the strategic program and policy issues in areas including sustainable and climate resilient agriculture, linking smallholders to markets and agriculture value chain development to accelerate green competitive agriculture development. 
● Lead high-level policy dialogue with government counterparts on enabling environments for private sector investment in agriculture, including regulatory reform, trade facilitation, land tenure, and agribusiness development.
● Convene and facilitate structured public-private dialogue platforms, engaging agribusinesses, cooperatives, financial institutions, impact investors, and development finance institutions (DFIs) to identify investment opportunities and remove systemic barriers.
● Champion the adoption of policies and institutional reforms that reduce risk for private investors in agri-food markets, including contract farming frameworks, warehouse receipt systems, commodity exchanges, and price risk management mechanisms.
● Provide strategic guidance on political economy dynamics affecting private sector participation in agricultural markets, particularly in Bangladesh and neighboring countries.

2. Analytical Products, Thought Leadership, and Private Sector Intelligence

● Design and lead production of flagship analytical products—including Systematic Country Diagnostics (SCDs), Country Economic Memorandums (CEMs), and Country Partnership Framework inputs—with dedicated attention to private sector constraints, investment climate, and financing gaps in agri-food systems.
● Commission and oversee rigorous analyses of agri-food value chains, with a focus on identifying private sector entry points, bottlenecks to scale, and opportunities for blended finance and risk-sharing instruments.
● Lead research on innovative financing models for agriculture, including agri-SME finance, agricultural insurance, digital financial services for farmers, green and sustainability-linked bonds for food systems, and DFI co-financing structures.
● Produce timely policy notes and strategic memos that translate private sector intelligence and market analyses into actionable recommendations for government and Bank management.

3. Lending, Operational Support, and Private Capital Mobilization

● Lead the design, preparation, and implementation support of lending operations—including Development Policy Operations (DPOs), Program-for-Results (PforRs), and Investment Project Financing (IPFs)—with explicit private sector components and financing leverage targets.
● Integrate private sector engagement strategies and blended finance mechanisms into the design of Bank operations, including:
● IFC co-investment and upstream advisory work in agri-food value chains;
● MIGA guarantees to de-risk agribusiness investments;
● Trust fund and concessional finance windows (e.g., GAFSP, IDA Private Sector Window) to crowd in private capital;
● Output-based aid, results-based financing, and matching grant schemes targeting SMEs, cooperatives, and input suppliers.
● Develop and operationalize Private Sector Engagement (PSE) plans for major lending operations, in accordance with the World Bank's PSE Approach Paper and relevant operational policies.
● Mobilize trust funds and partnerships with bilateral donors, philanthropic organizations, and impact investors to complement and leverage Bank lending.
● Actively collaborate with IFC and MIGA colleagues to identify, structure, and scale joint WBG solutions for private investment in South Asia's agri-food sector.

4. Knowledge Management, Capacity Building, and Partnership Development

● Foster a culture of private sector-informed analytical work within the South Asia AGF team, integrating market intelligence, investor perspectives, and enterprise-level data into research and policy products.
● Mentor junior and mid-level staff on methodologies for private sector diagnostics, value chain finance, blended finance structuring, and public-private partnership design.
● Facilitate South-South and cross-regional knowledge exchange on successful models of private sector engagement in agriculture, drawing on experiences from East Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
● Build and maintain strategic relationships with regional agribusiness associations, chambers of commerce, commodity boards, investment promotion agencies, and international agri-food companies operating in South Asia.
● Represent the World Bank in regional and global forums on food systems transformation, agricultural finance, and private sector-led rural development.

5. Quality Assurance and Portfolio Oversight

● Provide quality assurance for analytical and advisory (ASA) products and lending operations across the South Asia AGF portfolio, with particular attention to rigor in private sector analysis and financial additionality assessments.
● Ensure that all major products reflect a coherent and evidence-based narrative on how private sector engagement and innovative financing will contribute to sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient food systems.

Selection Criteria

A PhD in agricultural economics, economics, finance, or a closely related discipline is required. Exceptionally qualified candidates with a Master's degree and an outstanding professional record, including a demonstrated track record in agricultural finance and private sector development, may be considered.

Experience and Track Record

● A minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience in agricultural economics, agri-food private sector development, or agricultural finance.
● Demonstrated leadership in policy dialogue and production of high-quality analytical products in at least two regions outside of South Asia.
● Demonstrated experience designing and implementing private sector engagement strategies in agriculture, including blended finance structures, value chain investment programs, or agri-SME development initiatives.
● Proven track record of mobilizing private investment in agri-food systems, through instruments such as guarantees, co-financing facilities, concessional lending, or results-based finance.
● Experience working with or alongside IFC, MIGA, DFIs, or impact investors on agricultural investment transactions or advisory mandates is a strong asset.
● Expertise in at least two thematic areas such as: agricultural markets and trade, value chain finance, climate-smart agriculture, food security, agri-insurance, digital agriculture, or food systems economics.
● Familiarity with World Bank operational instruments (IPF, PforR, DPO) and PSE-related policies; TTL-accreditation or readiness to obtain it is required.
● Experience in South Asia and Bangladesh is considered an asset.

Technical and Interpersonal Competencies

● Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with ability to translate complex technical and financial analyses into actionable policy messages for diverse audiences including governments, investors, and development partners.
● Demonstrated ability to convene and facilitate multi-stakeholder processes involving public and private actors.
● Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, including econometric analysis, financial modeling, and value chain assessment.
● Ability to work effectively in complex political economy environments and build trust with government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders.

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.

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