Overview
The ETC will advance the Trade Policy and Facilitation Unit's agenda on trade policy reform and trade facilitation, focusing on non-tariff measures, regulatory alignment, and quality infrastructure, with an emphasis on agricultural trade and sanitary and phytosanitary regulations.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead technical analysis of non-tariff measures, particularly SPS and TBT measures, and import licensing regimes.
- Assess how SPS measures affect client countries' ability to access export markets.
- Develop policy recommendations on NTM rationalization, reform sequencing, and institutional arrangements.
- Provide technical expertise on aligning regulatory frameworks with trading partners.
- Analyze gaps between client countries' regulatory frameworks and export market requirements.
- Support country teams in designing reform programs to strengthen regulatory coherence.
- Contribute substantively to Development Policy Operations and other lending instruments.
- Prepare country-specific policy notes, technical assessments, and analytical briefs.
- Engage with government counterparts, regulatory agencies, industry associations, and development partners.
- Prepare and deliver presentations, workshops, and technical briefings.
- Contribute to building client government capacity to assess and manage NTMs.
- Support quantitative assessments, including trade cost analyses.
- Contribute to the preparation and dissemination of knowledge products.
Required Experience
- At least 8 years of relevant professional experience on agricultural trade and competitiveness issues (or PhD degree and at least 5 years of relevant professional experience).
- Demonstrated technical knowledge of non-tariff measures, with particular depth in SPS and TBT measures.
- Familiarity with WTO SPS and TBT Agreements, Codex Alimentarius, IPPC, and OIE frameworks.
- Direct experience advising governments or development partners on SPS regulatory reform and market access compliance.
- Experience working on agricultural trade competitiveness in developing country contexts is a strong advantage.
- Strong understanding of SPS and food safety import requirements of major trading partners and regional blocs.
- Solid analytical skills and comfort working with data and quantitative evidence.
- Experience preparing policy-facing analytical outputs.
- Experience contributing to World Bank operations or comparable analytical and advisory engagements is an advantage.
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously, work effectively in multidisciplinary teams, and engage substantively with government officials, regulatory counterparts, and agricultural sector stakeholders.
Qualifications
- Masters or Advanced Degree in relevant field (economics, international trade, agricultural economics, law, or public policy with a strong focus on agricultural trade and trade regulation).
- PhD degree in relevant field.
