Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

The Türkiye Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FETUR) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing strategies for addressing the country’s food security, agriculture and rural development priorities. The Organization’s technical assistance includes institution building, development of knowledge and competencies, and exchange of experience in the countries facing transition challenges.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Value Chain and Cooperative Support Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Assistant Representative of FAO Turkiye (AFAOR) and the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and FAO Representative in Türkiye, and under the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officers of FAO Sub-regional Office for Central Asia and in collaboration with FAO Türkiye team led by AFAOR.

Technical Focus

The Senior Value Chain and Cooperative Support Specialist will focus on strengthen value chain systems, enhance cooperative development, and foster resilience in livelihoods through a multifaceted approach. Key areas of focus include conducting value chain assessments to identify gaps and improvement opportunities, performing feasibility studies to ensure sustainable enterprise development, and providing capacity-building in agribusiness, marketing, and value chain management. Special emphasis is placed on supporting women-led cooperatives, promoting entrepreneurship, and enhancing access to financial and social resources. Additionally, designing small grant mechanisms, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and implementing effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks are central to achieving impactful and sustainable outcomes.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Perform value chain assessments to identify gaps and propose actionable recommendations to enhance the selected value chains and maximize their impact.
•    Collaborate with the technical team to create detailed value chain maps, outlining key actors, product flows, infrastructure, financial institutions, and supporting organizations.
•    Assist in conducting comprehensive feasibility studies—technical, economic, social, and environmental—for various value chain enterprises, with a particular focus on cooperatives.
•    Support FAO staff in engaging with key stakeholders to facilitate and support the implementation of value chain components within resilience projects.
•    Design guidelines for small grants, including their disbursement modalities, management frameworks, and monitoring mechanisms.
•    Organize and deliver capacity-building initiatives in agribusiness, value chain management, and marketing development.
•    Provide guidance and support in collecting data and information to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of activities related to livelihood diversification, value chain enhancement, and market development.
•    Assist the cooperative support program of FAO Türkiye by managing work plans (e.g., training sessions, events, and travels), support to foster relationships with beneficiaries, stakeholders, service providers, and suppliers, and assist in ensuring compliance with FAO policies and procedures.
•    Document and report the outcomes of FAO Türkiye’s cooperative support program in a structured format, highlighting FAO’s technical guidance and interventions for sharing with stakeholders and donors.
•    Collaborate with the FAO staff to empower women-led cooperatives by fostering their entrepreneurial skills through the establishment of social and business networks.
•    Identify and disseminate information on national, regional, and international grant and funding opportunities, providing regular guidance to women-led cooperatives.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements   

•    Advanced university degree in agriculture, rural development, economics, or a related field, with postgraduate qualifications preferred.
•    At least 5 years of relevant experience in managing complex projects on livelihood diversification, value chain development, rural business development, and agricultural marketing with a focus on cooperatives.
•    Working knowledge of English (Level C) and Turkish.
•    National of Türkiye or resident of the country with a valid permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Strong knowledge of conducting value chain assessments and determining appropriate interventions to enhance agricultural productivity.
•    Experience in designing and implementing projects aimed at improving agricultural value chains and linkage with markets
•    Experience in developing and managing capacity-building activities for women-led cooperatives
•    Experience in sustainable agriculture and livelihoods resilience programming for women-led cooperatives

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION