Agri Finance and R&D Specialist

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About the Organization

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is centred around six core development areas, known as our signature solutions: poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality.

Job Description/Responsibilities

The Agri Finance and R&D Specialist - Technical Support Unit will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the National Programme Coordinator-PMU. She/He will ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of project objectives, in coordination with the, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DoA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (MoA&FW) when needed.

Strategic Assessment of Agricultural Finance Needs

• Lead comprehensive assessments of the financial needs of farmers, FPOs, agripreneurs, and entities engaged in agriculture, horticulture, and allied sectors, taking into account regional, crop- specific, and value-chain-specific requirements.
• Analyse financing gaps across production, post-harvest, processing, storage, logistics, and marketing stages, with a focus on small and marginal farmers.
• Provide strategic inputs on long-term capital needs, working capital cycles, risk mitigation requirements, and affordability constraints in the agri and allied sectors.
• Develop sector-specific financing frameworks for horticulture, poultry, fisheries, dairy, floriculture, agricultural biotechnology, and emerging agri-enterprises.

Leadership in Product Design for Agriculture Value Chain Finance

• Conceptualise and guide the design of innovative, scalable, and inclusive financial products to support agriculture value chain financing, including input financing, warehouse receipt finance, processing finance, and market-linked credit.
• Provide strategic oversight on integrating risk-sharing mechanisms, credit enhancement tools, and blended finance structures into agri-finance products.
• Review and recommend improvements in the roles, incentives, and operating models of Business Facilitators (BFs) and Business Correspondents (BCs) to enhance last-mile delivery of agricultural credit.
• Ensure product designs are aligned with digital platforms, data-driven credit assessment, and regulatory frameworks.

Analysis of Challenges and Strategic Solutions in Agri and Agri-Infrastructure Finance

• Lead high-level reviews of structural, institutional, regulatory, and operational challenges affecting agricultural and agri-infrastructure finance.
• Identify systemic bottlenecks related to risk perception, collateral constraints, repayment capacity, climate vulnerability, and market volatility.
• Propose innovative and sustainable financing solutions, including long-tenure loans, hybrid instruments, public–private partnerships, and credit guarantee mechanisms.
• Provide strategic recommendations for strengthening financing for warehousing, cold chains, processing units, logistics, and market infrastructure.

Policy Advisory Support to the Ministry

• Provide senior-level policy advisory support to the Ministry in matters related to agricultural and agri-infrastructure finance.
• Review existing agricultural finance schemes administered by the Department and recommend policy modifications, rationalisation, or redesign to improve outreach, efficiency, and impact.
• Contribute to policy notes, cabinet briefs, concept papers, and inter-ministerial consultations related to agri-credit and financial inclusion.
• Support alignment of departmental schemes with national priorities, financial sector reforms, and international best practices.

Financial Needs Assessment and High-Level Stakeholder Coordination

• Oversee assessments of formal and informal financing mechanisms used by farmers and agri enterprises and recommend strategies to deepen formal credit penetration.
• Lead engagement with State Governments, banks, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD, RBI-regulated entities, fintechs, and agri-tech firms to strengthen agricultural financing ecosystems.
• Review and provide strategic guidance on new financing models, including co-lending, co- origination, risk-participation, and platform-based lending, and recommend improvements for scale and sustainability.

Collaboration With Financial Institutions and Market Stakeholders

• Engage at a senior level with commercial banks, cooperative banks, NBFCs, development finance institutions, and insurance providers to gather inputs for product redesign and innovation.
• Facilitate structured consultations and working groups with key stakeholders to ensure market- responsive and implementable financing solutions.
• Provide leadership in aligning financial institutions’ products with government schemes and agri- value-chain requirements.

Promotion of Digital Financial Channels and National Agriculture Market (eNAM) Integration

• Provide strategic inputs to promote digital financial channels, including digital payments, account aggregation, alternative data-based credit assessment, and end-to-end digital lending in agriculture.
• Support national initiatives to enhance adoption and integration of the eNAM mandi system with formal credit, warehouse receipt finance, and market-linked lending solutions.
• Advise leveraging digital platforms for transparency, traceability, and efficiency in agri-financial transactions.

Engagement With International Crop Financing Practices

• Liaise with international organisations, multilateral agencies, and global experts engaged in agricultural and crop-financing programmes.
• Analyse global best practices in crop finance, climate-smart lending, value chain finance, and risk mitigation, and adapt them to the Indian context.
• Support knowledge exchange and incorporation of innovative global models into domestic agri- credit frameworks.

Review of Business Practices and Strategic Risk Assessment

• Review domestic and international business practices in agri-finance to identify financial, operational, climate, and market-related risks.
• Provide strategic inputs on risk assessment frameworks, portfolio management, and early- warning systems for agricultural lending.
• Ensure alignment of financing approaches with market realities, sustainability considerations, and prudential norms.

High-Level Support to Stakeholders and Scheme Implementation

• Provide senior-level support and guidance to States, banks, and fintech/Agri-tech partners for smooth implementation of agricultural finance schemes.
• Resolve strategic implementation issues through coordination, policy clarification, and stakeholder facilitation.
• Act as a key interface between the Ministry, States, and financial institutions for effective programme delivery.

Strategic Oversight of Credit Appraisal, Monitoring, and Recovery

• Provide high-level inputs on credit appraisal frameworks, underwriting standards, charge creation mechanisms, and recovery processes for agricultural lending.
• Support development of monitoring frameworks to track performance, asset quality, and impact of agri-credit interventions.
• Ensure sound financial management practices and adherence to regulatory and policy guidelines.

Other Senior-Level Responsibilities

• Performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
• Mentor junior professionals and contribute to institutional capacity building within the CPMU and partner organizations.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Advanced University Degree (master's degree or equivalent) specialization in Agriculture/ Rural Management/ Insurance/ Finance/ Banking/ Investment or related field is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in national or state level working with Governments, Public Sector private sector entities in the banking and finance sector.

Required skills:

• Demonstrates broad-based knowledge of current rural insurance and finance is required.
• Substantive technical expertise and the capacity for strategic planning, results-based management, and effective reporting to meet the
• responsibilities and requirements of the post with excellence.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Leadership in designing agriculture value chain finance products and financing solutions for Agri and Agri-infrastructure sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze challenges in Agri-finance and develop strategic, practical solutions.
• Demonstrates experience in policy advisory support and alignment with government schemes and financial sector reforms.
• Proven capability to collaborate with financial institutions and market stakeholders for effective program design and implementation.

Required Language(s):

• Fluency in English and Hindi is required.

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