Application Deadline: Thursday, November 2, 2023 11:59 p.m. (2359 Manila Time, 0800 GMT)
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is inviting applications for a Senior Natural Resources Economist who will provide substantive technical input and analyses during the formation and articulation of policies and strategies in developing member countries (DMCs), within general policies, principles and goals in the agriculture and natural resources sectors. The position is assigned in the Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development (SG-AFNR) Sector Office, Sectors Group. SG-AFNR will lead the delivery of $14 billion food security ambition, and will introduce innovations, knowledge sharing and champion climate adaptation financing. The selected candidate, if new to ADB, is appointed for an initial term of 3 years.
He/she will take a lead in the economic and financial analysis of projects through a variety of methods, the development of loans and technical assistance (TA), ensuring that implemented projects are in accordance with ADB guidelines and interests as well as the identification of opportunities of potential ADB projects. In addition to the core skills of a Senior Natural Resources Economist, the incumbent should have a set of skills or experience related to a thematic area of natural capital expertise and projects to support development of program and investment pipeline related to her/his area of natural capital expertise. The incumbent will report to the Director of SG-AFNR and will supervise National and Administrative Staff.
Roles/Responsibilities
- Provides technical inputs and economic/social analyses in the development of sector studies, TAs, policies, strategies, and innovative participatory approaches to further the development in natural capital in the context of environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural and natural resource development, climate change, and rural poverty reduction and economic growth.
- Contributes technical inputs for country programming and contribute to the development of the Country Partnership Strategy(s) (CPS).
- Participates in interdepartmental working groups on natural resources management and natural capital, climate change issues, and participate in country teams.
- Provides technical inputs for the identification, design, development, and processing of loan and TA projects in AFNR’s DMCs to ensure consistency with policies and strategies to further development in the agriculture and natural resources sectors.
- Participates as mission member responsible for natural capital and natural resources management, environment, and climate change issues relevant to SG-AFNR in the identification, preparation, appraisal, and supervision of loans, grants, and TA projects related to water supply, wastewater, urban development, and environmental management.
- Leads missions and other activities for the administration of sector and program loan and TA projects in natural capital and natural resources management, environment, and climate change.
- Provides and helps develop methodologies and frameworks for economic ecosystem management, resource valuation including innovative concepts such as gross ecosystem productivity, natural capital accounting, and cost-benefit analysis and their monitoring.
- Provides economic and financial analysis for project preparation using a variety of methodologies and techniques in addition to standard cost-benefit analysis the areas of natural capital and natural resources management, environment, and climate change.
- Ensures that the development impact of the natural capital portfolio is monitored and evaluated.
- Reviews economic work on the natural capital and natural resources management, environment development trends, and economic analysis for DMC specific studies.
- Keeps abreast of the latest policy and technical developments in international and national natural capital, natural resources management, and environmental management of relevance to the Natural Capital and Climate Team and SG-AFNR.
- Liaises with governments, multilateral and bilateral organizations, civil society, and NGOs to review and exchange information on natural capital and natural resources management, environment, and climate change issues and programs.
- Coordinates and contributes to sector and thematic studies and prepare knowledge products related to natural capital and natural resources management, environment, and climate change issues.
- Takes the role of coach to develop capabilities/potential of reporting staff.
- Supervises the performance of reporting staff with oversight from a more senior staff, providing clear direction and regular monitoring and feedback on performance.
- Plans and ensures the on-going learning and development of reporting staff.
- Supports to develop a natural capital practice group across ADB under One ADB approach.
- Applies and/or monitors application of project economic analysis including cost and benefit analysis to ADB projects at appraisal and completion.
- Identifies suitable ADB projects and helping to design the projects to incorporate impact evaluation and conducts impact evaluation of ADB projects to inform decision makers of the carefully-measured development impacts of ADB projects and how to improve development impacts in future project design.
- Actively collaborates with the Economic Research and Development Impact (ERDI) department to determine research priorities in order to improve the economic analysis of ecosystem services and its link to natural capital accounting.
- Identifies and conceptualizes key policy issues to be addressed in ADB’s policy dialogue on natural capital.
Eligibility
- Master’s Degree or equivalent in applied economics or economics, preferably with specialization in the natural resources, environment, or other related fields. University degree with 5 years specialized experience in the fields mentioned above in similar organization/s, may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.
- At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in the agricultural, natural resources, and environmental economics at a senior level.
- Experience in applying expertise in an international setting within the natural capital and resource, and environment sectors and for economic appraisal of investment projects in particular.
- Experience in working in developing countries.
- Proven application of expertise within natural capital and natural resources or environmental management area, or breadth across multiple areas with in-depth knowledge within one area.
Requirements
- Good knowledge of theory and practice of project economic analysis including cost and benefit analysis and impact evaluation in the sector.
- Able to utilize and share relevant knowledge to benefit the broader ADB community.
- Able to act as a mission leader/team lead, exercising supervision coordination, and planning responsibilities over the assigned team, with oversight from the Director or a more senior team leader .
- Act as a mentor to more junior team members, providing guidance on projects and processing of loans/technical assistance.
- Act as a coach to develop the capabilities/potential of more junior colleagues.
- Please refer to the link for ADB Competency Framework for International Staff, Level 5.
Note that the actual level and salary will be based on qualifications of the selected candidate.
