Organizational Setting

The key mission of the FAO country offices, which are headed by the FAO Representative, is to assist and support national governments to develop policies, strategies and programmes and projects to accelerate the implementation and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in the area of FAO’s global mandate and Strategic Objectives. More specifically, FAO’s response aims at addressing national needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, and to help in developing the agricultural, fisheries, livestock, and forestry sectors, and to using their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner, in line with FAO’s mandate and Strategic Objectives.

Reporting Lines

The International Laboratory Expert will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Liberia and the direct technical supervision of the ECTAD Country Team Leader in collaboration with the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO)/Chief, Animal Health Service (NSA)/, and in close collaboration with the ECTAD regional team for West and Central Africa and the ECTAD Liberia team.

Technical Focus

The International Laboratory Expert will contribute to the implementation of ECTAD Global Health Security (GHS) programme West and Central Africa – Supporting the Global health Security (GHS) program to address Zoonotic Disease and Animal Health in Liberia. He/She will support ECTAD initiatives in Liberia to build sustainable animal health and laboratory systems and One Health capacities to mitigate risks and threats caused by emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, endemic zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Tasks and responsibilities

Within the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease Operations (ECTAD), under the functional and administrative supervision of the FAO Representative in Liberia, and the direct supervision of the ECTAD Country Team Leader, and in close collaboration with the office of Emergency and Resilience (OER),  the ECTAD regional team for West and Central Africa and the ECTAD Liberia team, the incumbent will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

•    Contribute to the preparation of country strategies and programme for the management of high impact emerging and re-emerging zoonotic and non-zoonotic diseases in line with the national priorities and FAO’s Strategic Objectives.
•    Participate in and support the design and implementation of national strategies and programmes/projects following EMPRES/ECTAD strategies, in line with the FAO/ WOAH Global Framework for the Progressive Control of TADs and Regional priorities.
•    Contribute to the preparation of country and regional strategies and programme for the management of high impact emerging and re-emerging zoonotic and non-zoonotic disease (rEIDs) in line with the national and regional priorities and FAO’s Strategic Objectives
•    Develop, supervise and lead the implementation of activities relevant to laboratory aspects, AMR/Food safety, surveillance, Sanitary animal production processes and Biosafety/Biosecurity of the FAO GHSA/GHS programme (or as the program action packages and deliverables may be amended) to build capacity in the fight against high impact emerging and re-emerging zoonotic and non-zoonotic disease (rEIDs) in the country. This includes;
•    Support to implementation of internationally accepted laboratory testing protocols, with primary focus on PZDs and priority diseases as may be revised by the national Government, in consultation with the laboratory unit of EMPRES-AGAH, the regional laboratory expert and other Global Health Security (GHS) implementing partners in the country.
•    Support activities to strengthen laboratory quality assurance and biosafety/biosecurity (through the organization of activities such as participation in proficiency testing, implementation of data collection processes, supporting assessments and evaluation of the QMS (including LMT, SILAB and FAO expert’s missions when appropriate), etc.)
•    Contribute to the work planning process, development, review and implementation of GHS 2023-27 project document, updating of the SOW (as may be required) and GHS 2024 workplan.
•    Support the implementation of planned activities related to laboratory strengthening and bio-security and bio-safety, Surveillance and AMR action packages.
•    Plan, organize, conduct and/or support/supervise in-country expert missions for trainings, troubleshooting or installation of equipment in district laboratories including POEs.
•    Support the collaboration between veterinary laboratory staff and field epidemiologists, and the Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs).
•    Serve as focal person for ECTAD Liberia for matters pertaining to Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistances (AMU/AMR) and coordinate and support related activities through close collaboration with the OHP-AMR TWG. This includes direct guiding and supervision of the AMR/OH national expert recruited under the ECTAD.
•    Train veterinary laboratory technicians to conduct core tests for selected priority diseases and ensure effective implementation of laboratory testing protocols, as agreed with EMPRES/lab Unit, using appropriate biosafety/biosecurity measures.
•    Support networking/linkages with regional and international laboratories for international sample shipment, confirmatory diagnosis.
•    Contribute to enhanced collaboration with Public Health laboratories under the One Health approach, looking for synergies especially on transversal issues such as QA, biosafety/biosecurity and maintenance of equipment.
•    Assist the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) FAO GHSA programme team in collecting laboratory data for the programme M&E data calls;
•    Support the implementation of RESOLAB-RESEPI networking activities.
•    Support (where applicable) implementation of Epidemiology and surveillance activities.
•    Enhance cross-sectoral technical cooperation with the human health sector with respect to zoonotic diseases, particularly using FAO tools/guidelines/strategy.
•    Contribute to the development/preparation of GHS 2025 workplan (and subsequent Workplans) and Pandemic Fund proposal and workplan.
•    Contribute/support resource mobilization efforts.
•    Contribute to the preparation of project reports as required by the Governments, FAO and donors.
•    Contribute to the preparation of complementary reports as required by the donor.
•    At the end of this assignment, prepare an end-of-assignment report articulating achievements, difficulties encountered and recommendations and submit it to the CTL and the FAOR.
•    Performs other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree in Veterinary Medicine (DVM or BVM) with specialization in Microbiology.
•    At least 10 years of relevant experience in animal health/animal resource and/or public health/One Health.
•    Working knowledge (Level C) of English and limited knowledge (Level B) of one of the other FAO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian. For PSA, working knowledge (level C) of English is required.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work.
•    Demonstrated experience in programme and project management, advocacy and outreach, and resource mobilization is desired.
•    Familiarity with FAO systems and Programme policies will be considered an asset.

 
Selection Criteria 

•    Masters/PhD is advantage
•    Working experience in areas relevant to the technical focus of the project (Global health security including TADs and Zoonosis surveillance and control, Laboratory networking, Biosafety and Biosecurity, AMR, Food safety, One Health and Veterinary/Animal Health Human Resource development), preferably both on policy and operational levels Good knowledge and working experience in IT, data management, GIS, Risk analysis and MS office system
•    Good knowledge and experience in project implementation and/or management including M&E will be an added advantage
•    Working experience in poorly resourced sub-Saharan region