Senior Investment Officer, Farming and Agribusiness Sector Lead

Senior Investment Officer, Farming and Agribusiness Sector Lead

Description

At the World Bank Group (WBG), you will join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. We work with governments, the private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org.

The WBG Planet Vice Presidency is leading WBG’s efforts to make the planet livable, as a necessary condition for job creation and poverty elimination. It is responsible for getting the right public and private sector solutions to our operational teams and to our clients, and to produce scalable impact.  Its mandate is to deliver knowledge for impact and business to enable and support the WBG to achieve its goals in support of our mission and specifically: providing guidance on creating more and better jobs, focusing on agribusiness, tourism (nature-based tourism), infrastructure (water) and health (sanitation, nutrition); supporting foundational infrastructure and human capital, policy environment, and private sector mobilization; and supporting and accelerating specific targets and commitments such as Mission AgriConnect, Mission Water, Climate Change Action Plan. The VPU’s objectives in driving outcomes include replicating and scaling effective solutions, enhancing thought leadership and innovation, and delivering timely knowledge to client teams.

The Planet’s Farming and Agribusiness Department (FAB) works with regions to accelerate the transformation of food systems through thought leadership and scalable solutions geared toward national and sub-national governments, private sector operators, investors, and financial institutions. This includes strengthening food and nutrition security to reverse rising hunger and malnutrition (healthy people), scaling up development solutions and policies for climate-smart and sustainable food systems (healthy planet), and shaping the food system to deliver better jobs, leveraging innovation and agribusiness investments (healthy economy).

FAB’s Solutions and Impact unit is recruiting a Sector Lead who will be responsible for supporting investment teams, managing external relationships, internal and external thought leadership and knowledge management, strategic and tactical development, implementation and coordination. The successful candidate will be able to draw on an excellent track record in investment operations and strategy development/implementation experience gained through investment operations. The position is based in Washington DC and significant travel will be involved.

Duties and Accountabilities:

•  Build and maintain strategic relationships with leading private sector companies, investors, public institutions, and industry associations to identify investment opportunities, foster partnerships, and advance sector development priorities.
•  Identify and pursue opportunities for collaboration across WBG sector teams to address systemic agrifood challenges, unlock private investment, and develop scalable, integrated solutions.
•  Provide sector expertise and strategic guidance to investment teams throughout the investment cycle, including business development, screening, structuring, appraisal, and portfolio supervision, to strengthen investment quality and development impact.
•  Support the development and implementation of WBG farming and agribusiness strategies, including the operationalization and scaling of AgriConnect, translating sector priorities and knowledge into actionable investment opportunities and replicable solutions.
•  Contribute to the development and innovative deployment of financial products and structures, including debt, equity, guarantees, risk-sharing instruments, and blended finance solutions, to address sector-specific financing constraints, mobilize private capital, and expand investment in emerging markets.
•  Monitor sector portfolio performance, emerging industry trends, and market developments to identify risks, opportunities, and strategic implications for financial performance, development impact, and future business growth.
•  Lead sector knowledge generation and dissemination, contribute to thought leadership and external engagement, represent IFC in relevant industry forums, and mentor junior colleagues to strengthen sector expertise and institutional capabilities.
•  Use approved AI-enabled tools in recurring research, analysis and drafting; validate material outputs against primary sources; and remain accountable for recommendations and decisions.

Selection Criteria

•  Master’s degree in finance, economics, business administration, agribusiness, or another relevant discipline.
•  A minimum of 8 years of debt and equity investment experience, with a preference for candidates with 15 or more years of relevant experience; emerging-market agrifood experience is preferred.
•  Proven judgment in investment assessment, screening, structuring, negotiation, and execution, including the ability to lead or provide technical guidance on complex transactions.
•  Knowledge of agricultural inputs and machinery, sector benchmarks, operating parameters, and client targeting, with the ability to translate sector knowledge and market intelligence into actionable investment opportunities.
•  Demonstrated ability to contribute to the development and implementation of sector strategies and business growth plans, identify strategic clients, and build relationships that support business development and market creation.
•  Ability to identify sector-wide risks and portfolio issues and apply lessons from portfolio performance to strengthen investment structuring and decision-making.
•  Experience applying sustainability solutions and supporting innovative financing structures to address sector-specific financing constraints and mobilize private capital.
•  Ability to integrate multidisciplinary perspectives and collaborate across WBG institutions and sectors, drawing on internal and external networks to develop integrated solutions.
•  Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach colleagues, share sector expertise, and ensure the quality of assigned work and deliverables.
•  Excellent written and spoken English, strong stakeholder skills, and the ability to communicate complex sector and investment issues clearly to diverse audiences.
•  Ability to use commercially available LLM tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot for research, analysis, and drafting in Investment & Upstream, validate outputs against primary sources, and remain accountable for recommendations.
•  Willingness to travel extensively in emerging markets.
•  Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
•  Bring experience working on fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV)-related contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

Note: This internal requisition is open to WBG and IMF staff only (including short-term and extended term consultants/ temporaries). External candidates are requested not to apply. In case an external candidate applies, their application will not be considered.
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As the World Bank Group continues to evolve, we value candidates who:

• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively across teams, disciplines, cultures, and institutional boundaries.
• Responsibly leverage digital and AI-enabled tools to enhance productivity, learning, and decision-making.
• Bring experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent (FCV) contexts and are encouraged to highlight relevant experience in their application materials, where applicable.

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.