Director of Agriculture and Rural Development

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a 15-member regional group mandated to promote economic integration, social cohesion, and political stability across West Africa. As a premier Intergovernmental Organization (IGO), ECOWAS operates through a robust institutional framework, led by the Commission and the Community Parliament, to harmonize policies, foster a "borderless" region, and uphold democratic governance for over 400 million citizens. 

Under the Supervision of the Commissioner Economic Affairs and Agriculture, the incumbent will be responsible for providing technical expertise in particular technical areas for the design and implementation of technical projects within the region in line with ECOWAS objectives, provide leadership and management to major sector(s) of technical activities which are substantively important to the accomplishment of the Institution’s mandate. Also, the incumbent will mobilize technical and financial resources for the regional agricultural policy. She/He will be responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of all the regional program within the ECOWAS region.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the elaboration and implementation of ECOWAP within the region with an accent on the support to the members states
• Mobilize technical and financial resources for the regional programs
• Supervise the implementation of the regional agricultural program contracting with the others regional integration bodies.
• Demonstrate the high-level analysis on the agricultural sector and the capacity to elaborate the innovative program to overcome the challenges
• Stay on top of fast-moving technical, political, social or economic changes in various agricultural sectors.
• Coordinate the relation between the agricultural with the relevant sectors (trade, customs, free movements, industry, agricultural research
• Develop the innovative dialogue framework between the stakeholders including farmers, policy makers, financial and technical partners, researchers, traders, …
• Cordinate a network of peer technical specialists and decision-makers in Member States, needed to ensure the implementation of ECOWAP programmes.
• Implement the monotoring and evaluation mechanism for the argicultural sector.
• Organize the Directorate in an efficient way with clear reporting lines, minimal bureaucracy and optimal delegation of responsibilities and authority.
• Work with the relevant specialized Parliamentary Committee on regional legislation, as needed.
• Take the lead in promoting value change, agricultural common market

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Business Administration, Regional Planning and Development or a related field.
• 12 years of relevant experience in combining economic and quantitative analysis with policy engagement in agribusiness and value chain development and agricultural and rural development.
• Demonstrate competency in planning and delivering strategies and programmes related to the sustainable intensification and diversification of crop production systems and the development of agribusiness development within inclusive and sustainable value chains in the context of agricultural and rural transformations for sustainable food security and poverty reduction.
• Demonstrate the capacity to coordinate an agricultural ecosystem
• Mobilize technical and financial resources
• Have a goog knowledge of agricultural sector (crop, livestock, fishing, …)  
• Demonstrate knowledge in programme and policy analysis in developing countries related to agribusiness and value chain development, and agricultural and rural development issues.
• Technical capacity to develop a vision, mission and strategies and to focus on the needs of member-states and to adjust strategies to take account of changing circumstances