Senior Agricultural Subsidies / Payment Agency Exper in England

NTU International is preparing a proposal for the EU-funded project “EU Assistance for the Uzbekistan AgriFood Development Strategy 2020–2030”, which aims to support the Government of Uzbekistan in the implementation of a sustainable, market-oriented, inclusive and climate-smart agri-food system. The project focuses on strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks, institutional capacities, and public sector governance in support of the Agri-Food Development Strategy 2020–2030.

The Technical Assistance will support reforms related to agricultural subsidies, public support schemes, digital payment systems, and strengthening of institutional mechanisms for agricultural financing and subsidy administration in Uzbekistan.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support reform and modernisation of agricultural subsidy systems and public support mechanisms.
• Provide technical assistance on development and administration of agricultural payment schemes and subsidy delivery systems.
• Support establishment and strengthening of payment agency functions, operational procedures, and institutional governance frameworks.
• Advise public institutions on subsidy targeting mechanisms, eligibility criteria, transparency systems, and financial control procedures.
• Support development of digital systems and databases for subsidy administration, beneficiary management, and payment monitoring.
• Conduct analyses related to agricultural support policies, subsidy effectiveness, and public expenditure efficiency.
• Contribute to preparation of operational manuals, technical guidelines, policy recommendations, and institutional reform roadmaps.
• Coordinate with Ministries, financial institutions, farmers’ organisations, development partners, and public agencies.
• Deliver workshops, technical training, and capacity-building activities related to agricultural subsidies and payment administration systems.
• Contribute to monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of subsidy reform and payment system initiatives.

Education:

• Master’s degree in agricultural economics, public finance, economics, rural development, public administration, or another relevant field.

General Professional Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in agricultural subsidies, payment systems, public administration, or agricultural finance.
• Proven experience working on agricultural reform or rural development projects in developing or transition economies.
• Experience in international development cooperation and donor-funded programmes.

Specific Professional Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in agricultural support schemes, subsidy administration systems, or payment agency operations.
• Demonstrated experience with agricultural payment systems, subsidy reform programmes, or public financial support mechanisms.
• Experience related to CAP-like support systems, digital payment platforms, beneficiary databases, or agricultural financing systems is considered an advantage.
• Experience supporting projects financed by the EU, World Bank, IFAD, ADB, FAO, or other international financial institutions is considered a strong asset.
• Experience working with Ministries of Agriculture, payment agencies, rural development institutions, or financial authorities is considered an advantage.
• Experience in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, or post-Soviet countries is considered an asset.

Languages:

• English (C1 mandatory); Working knowledge of Russian is considered a strong asset.

Please note that inclusion in the expert pool does not guarantee immediate assignment. Experts will be contacted based on project requirements and matching qualifications. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.