Organizational Setting

FAO’s Subregional Office for the Caribbean (SLC) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC) The SLC is located in Barbados and is responsible for Barbados and the OECS (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, and the technical supervision of the FAO SLC Policy Officer.

Technical Focus 

Support the development, quality control, management and effective implementation of FAO SLC’s water portfolio, focusing on supporting governments and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of water-related projects, policies, and programmes. Support field work and capacity building activities for the adaptation of food systems and water scarcity, flood mitigation and increasing water productivity and achieving the national objectives under the Sustainable Development Goals Framework.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Liaise with government focal points in the SLC subregion to determine country priorities, current policies and strategies and, where appropriate, update relevant CPF output indicators.
•    Lead the development and roll-out of the Caribbean irrigation project under the FAO Corporate Hand-in-Hand Initiative.
•    Provide technical backstopping on water management aspects to concept notes and project proposals developed for the GEF, GCF, AF and other donors.
•    Lead the implementation of technical cooperation projects on water management in the subregion.
•    Support country governments in the subregion in developing integrated water management (IWM) policies for the short and medium terms.
•    Develop/ review technical specifications regarding water treatment, flood mitigation, irrigation equipment and infrastructure (pumps -including solar energy-, ducts, conveyor systems, rainwater harvesting units, reservoirs, groundwater, etc.), including water for livestock, and aquaculture.
•    Provide guidance on innovative solutions to be used in the subregion towards the harvesting, conservation, recycling, reuse of water for agriculture.
•    Support the mainstreaming of integrated water management aspects across the different units and programs in the region.
•    Regularly update the subregional information for the Water Scarcity Platform managed by the Regional Office for Near East and North Africa and facilitate Caribbean countries’ provision of data to Aquastat.
•    Any other duties as required by the Subregional Coordinator.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree (BA) in Integrated Water Management, hydrology, civil environmental or irrigation engineering, environmental sciences, etc.
•    Five (5) years of relevant experience in managing projects related to water resource management, climate change adaptation, WASH (water, sanitation and health), water and agriculture in an international context.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English. Limited knowledge (level B) of Spanish is an advantage.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Experience interacting with governments is required.
•    Experience working in Caribbean Small Island Development States (SIDS) is an asset.
•    Experience working in multilateral organizations is an asset.