National Policy Economist, Seconded to ECOWAS


The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public international organization (PIO) governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing nations. The non-profit center focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: National Policy Economist, Seconded to ECOWAS
Tracking Code: 20120364
Job Location: Abuja
Type of Contract: Regular Staff
Duration: One Year Renewable
Anticpated Start Date: 30th March, 2018
Program: USAID EnGRAIS

Job Description

  • IFDC North and West Africa is seeking to recruit a National Policy Economist for its program "Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Input Systems (EnGRAIS)" to be implemented in the West Africa sub-region.
  • The National Policy Economist will be seconded to ECOWAS and will be responsible for liaising with ECOWAS and other regional institutions to support the implementation of the EnGRAIS program.
  • The National Policy Economist seconded to ECOWAS will be supervised by and report to the program's CoP.
  • He/she may also be called to perform other duties assigned by the CoP as deemed necessary to support the achievement of the program’s overall objective.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Liaise with ECOWAS officials, particularly in the Agriculture Department, regarding regional initiatives and issues related to the agricultural inputs and particularly fertilizer sector.
  • Facilitate ECOWAS/IFDC coordination on planned fora, meetings, initiatives and implementation.
  • Advocate, as appropriate and needed, on behalf of USAID/IFDC initiatives;
  • Provide at least monthly updates on all ECOWAS activities related to USAID/IFDC ongoing work and current and potential initiatives; and
  • Perform other tasks as assigned by the COP of EnGRAIS or his designee.

Requirements/Skills

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and French
  • Competence in the use of computers and MS Office software
  • Ability to work independently with little or no supervision
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
  • Demonstrated ethics, integrity and sound judgment;
  • Strong organizational skills and ability to work with staff and counterparts from different countries and cultural backgrounds
  • A Master's degree in Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Economics, Economics or a related field.
  • Ability and availability to travel to other countries as required.

Required Experience:

  • At least five years of professional work experience, preferably in agricultural policy with government or international donor-funded projects/programs in the areas of fertilizer, food security.
  • Work experience in ECOWAS Member States (required) and with regional institutions (preferred).

Deliverables

  • Monthly reports/briefs on discussions and facilitations with ECOWAS relevant departments including recommendations to be considered by the program’s management team.

Candidates can however also apply by e-mail to be sent to: ifdcnigeria@ifdc.org during the same timeframe. The subject of the mail must be "National Policy Economist seconded to ECO WAS".

Note

  • Only successful candidates will be invited for an interview in Abuja. There will be no response to telephone inquiries.
  • The interview will consist of an interview with a jury and probably a written and/or oral test.
  • Please read carefully the following instructions, the non-respect of which may affect your request.
  • Candidates are kindly asked to put together their file in French; it must include a cover letter, and an updated CV that describes their experiences, qualifications and provides three reference contacts.
  • The initial term of the Contract will be twelve (12) months and will be subject to a positive performance evaluation during the first year. The contract may be renewed subject to satisfactory performance and availability of Program financial