Senior Rural Development Specialist

Duties and Accountabilities:
The Sr. Rural Development Specialist as an active member of the core team of the rural livelihoods in the region will have the following responsibilities: • Provide implementation support of existing rural livelihoods operations in India , primarily the National Rural Livelihoods Project (NRLP), other State-level projects, and grants supported by SASDL. and and State projects; • Help with overall strategic program development within the India rural livelihoods programs and specific focus on issues related to community institutions, producer aggregation and value chain development related agriculture, dairy, NTFP etc; • Support task management of specific SASDL tasks and assist with overall program management by developing/organizing India specific events; • Liaise with relevant opinion and decision makers and stakeholders to sustain and grow the rural livelihoods and SASDL networks; • Render technical assistance and advice to clients on how to solve day to day implementation problems specifically related to agriculture and allied sectors; • Assist in mobilizing and implementing additional Trust Fund grants for building the livelihoods program in India and across the Region; and • Play a lead role in cross regional knowledge sharing including learning and exposure visits, workshops and seminars and in producing knowledge products.
Selection Criteria:
Competencies (i) Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena - Translates technical and cross-country knowledge into practical applications and contributions to country and sector strategies; interacts with clients at the policy level. (ii) Policy Dialogue Skills - Anticipates needs and requests in the field and conducts independent policy discussions with representatives of the government and non-government partners. (iii) Integrative Skills - Understands relevant cross-sectoral areas how they are interrelated; able to undertake cross-sectoral work in lending and non-lending operations. (iv) Rural Policy, Strategy and Institutions - Solid understanding of rural policies, strategies, and institutions. (v) Rural Development - Deep experience applying knowledge (community-driven development, local government and civil society organizations, trade and access to rural markets, rural finance, etc.) to policy-related decisions and advice. (vi) Corporate Policies and IDA/Trust Fund & Lending Operations - Working knowledge of IDA/trust fund operations; can advise on strategy development and management decisions and interact with private or public stakeholders and partners. (vii) Client Orientation - Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge. (viii) Drive for Results - Identifies the needed resources to accomplish results involving multiple stakeholders and finds solutions to obstacles affecting key deliverables. (ix) Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion - Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches. (x) Knowledge, Learning and Communication - Leads in the sharing of best practice, trends, knowledge and lessons learned across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels. (xi) Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making - Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact and articulates benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long term. Other Selection Criteria: The selected candidate would be expected to bring to the team strong analytical, operational, problem solving, and very good team-work skills. The candidate should have the following qualifications: (i) MBA or a Masters in Development Studies/ Agriculture/Economics degree from an internationally recognized institute and at least 8 years of relevant experience; (ii) Excellent technical knowledge in various sectors outlined above; among these, knowledge in Banking, MIS and ICT for rural development sector would be a plus; (iii) Proven ability to conceptualize, design and supervise the implementation of major projects; (iv) Ability to formulate and communicate wider strategic goals at sector and country level; (v) Ability to communicate knowledge in clear and accessible form as well as derive policy-relevant messages; (vi) Proven record of constructive and positive engagement in leading high level policy dialoguewith client Governments and other stakeholders; (vii) Proven ability to work in teams, both as a team leader and team member, including in multi-sectoral teams; and (viii) Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

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