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Home > Jobs > Employment Opportuni... > Professional/Technical

Job #	091917
Job Title	Operations Officer - Rural Dev, Natural Resources & Environment
Job Family	Agriculture & Rural Development
Location	Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Appointment	Local Hire
Job Posted	26-Oct-2009
Closing Date	28-Nov-2009
Language Requirements	English [Essential]
Appointment Type	See Job Description Below

Background / General description

Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 2 year renewable term appointment.

The World Bank office in Port Moresby is seeking an Operations Officer to work as a member of the Bank’s Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment sector unit (EASNS) in Papua New Guinea. EASNS focuses on agriculture, rural development, environment and natural resources management. 

The World Bank provides assistance to Papua New Guinea under the approved Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for the period 2008-2011.  Under the CAS, EASNS is responsible for the implementation of development projects (such as Smallholder Agriculture Development Project focusing on oil palm production), preparation of new operations (such as Private Partnerships in Agriculture focusing on coffee and cocoa), and analytical work and TA in various areas including rural development, agriculture, natural resources management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. The Operations Officer would be expected to contribute to that broad range of tasks.  In addition, EASNS works closely with the other units of the Bank’s Sustainable Development Department which focus on infrastructure, energy, and the urban and social development agendas.  The Operation Officer would be expected to facilitate and contribute to joint work between EASNS and those units.  Finally, as a member of the World Bank Port Moresby Office, the Operations Officer would assist the Bank’s Country Manager in monitoring the portfolio of operations and analytical work of the Sustainable Development Department (SDD).

Duties and Accountabilities

Based in the Bank’s Port Moresby office, the successful candidate will perform the following duties:

a) Participate as a team member in the supervision of ongoing projects and in the preparation of new projects under the CAS, and participate in analytical and policy work in rural development and environment/NRM;

b) Facilitate and contribute to the work of other units in SDD and help develop stronger synergies within the SDD country program;

c) In close consultation with Bank task team leaders, provide guidance on Bank-financed project preparation and implementation issues to Government departments;

d) Assist in maintaining liaison with Government, donors, civil society and other partners in the field of agriculture, rural development and environment/natural resources management, including but not limited to:
     i. Working closely with members of the PNG team to maintain good relationships between the World Bank and government agencies, donor agencies, and other stakeholder groups in order to improve the effectiveness of Bank support;
     ii. Represent the World Bank at seminars, thematic meetings and working groups and other government/NGO/international partner consultations;

e) Ensure through regular email reports to the PNG EASNS team that the concerned task teams and the broader PNG team are fully informed of:
     i. Current events and issues related to agriculture, rural development and environment in Papua New Guinea;
     ii. All relevant discussions/consultations with Government, donors and NGOs;
     iii. Summary of discussions, results of seminars, working group meetings and other Government/NGO/international partner consultations;

f) Maintain up to date statistics, legislative and policy references and document library on agriculture, rural development and environment/NRM issues in Papua New Guinea;

g) Develop knowledge of climate change mitigation and adaptation in Papua New Guinea, working closely with relevant institutions in country and at regional level; 

h) Respond to regular internal and external requests for sectoral information;

i) Assist the Country Manager in monitoring the broader portfolio of projects and analytical work of the SDD in Papua New Guinea.

Selection Criteria

i)  At least of master’s degree in a field relevant to EASNS, such as rural development, agricultural economics, natural resources management, or other field relevant to EASNS. 

ii) At least five years of relevant experience in country development work, including the development, implementation and monitoring of rural development, environment and NRM projects. Previous experience with community-driven development programs in Papua New Guinea.

iii) Demonstrated experience and ability to work with clients and partners, to advise on politically difficult reforms and develop dialogue with multiple stakeholders on issues in agriculture, rural development and NRM.

iv) Extensive knowledge of rural development and environment, including financing mechanisms, institutional reform and public private partnerships, sector coordination and policy dialogue, and program development. 

v) Outstanding listening as well as verbal and written communications skills and demonstrated ability to develop constructive working relationships with a variety of partners in government, civil society, the private sector, academia, etc. 

vi) Proven ability in delivering on own-managed work, strong organizational skills and ability to carry out multiple tasks under minimal supervision. Solid track record of managing complex tasks, requiring technical knowledge and experience, personal maturity and political judgment.  

vii)  Willingness to travel regularly to the field. This position will require regular travel to various Provinces of PNG.

viii) Proficiency in relevant computer applications. 

ix)  Understanding of World Bank operations would be a plus.
 
This position is both demanding and professionally rewarding. It requires a strong commitment to agriculture, rural development and natural resources management and a willingness to work occasionally long hours. This is a locally hired position with a competitive local market salary.  Initially, the selected candidate will be hired on a two-year fixed term which could be extended or converted to open-ended subject to performance and business rationale. 

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted

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