Organizational Setting
The Land and Water Division (NSL) of FAO foresees a future whereby governments, development partners, civil society, academic institutions, and the private sector and farmers, all work together to ensure that land, soil, and water resources are wisely used, conserved, and restored for sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that support food security, nutrition, and human wellbeing. NSL provides policy guidance, technical and financial assistance to Member Nations in developing policies, programmes, best practices and management tools for ensuring productive and efficient use of land, soil and water resources to meet present and future demands for agricultural products, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of these resources. It promotes equitable access to and sustainable management of these natural resources with a view to enhancing productivity, livelihoods, equity, health and ecosystem services.
Under the new FAO Conceptual Framework for Integrated Land and Water Resources Manage Strategy, NSL will work towards a core set of five integrated and strategic Objectives and Action Areas that have been elaborated to cut across the thematic areas of land, water, soils, and geospatial areas of work of the Division: (1) Good Governance; (2) Wise use and restoration; (3) Mitigation and resilience; (4) Integrated solutions; (5) Data, digitalization, technology and innovation.
The post is located in the Land and Water Division (NSL) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Land and Water Officer (Sustainable Land Management) reports to the Senior Officer, Land and Water Officer (Lead of Land Unit), NSL.

Technical Focus
Integrated and sustainable agricultural land management, with focus on arable land management, including restoration and consolidation.

Key Results
Comprehensive technical and policy expertise to support the planning, development and implementation of cross-divisional programmes, projects, products and services in accordance with cross-divisional objectives and the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
• Plans and leads components of multidisciplinary teams, leads and/or participates in Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams, and working groups and/or provides specialized expertise on technical networks and/or international technical policy and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Develops technical, analytical, monitoring and reporting frameworks, and related methodologies, tools, systems and databases etc. to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of programmes of work, projects, products and/or services.
• Designs and conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative approaches and strategies, new tools, technologies, technical reports/publications, and/or policy proposals as well as the provision of technical/policy/ specialist/advice and expertise.
• Responds to country requests for technical and policy assistance, provides technical advice, assistance and solutions to Decentralized Offices and provides technical backstopping to field projects.
• Collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to, and ensures the quality, effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within Member Nations such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning materials, on-line tools.
• Promotes international cooperation/advocates best practices, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international/intergovernmental meetings.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.

Specific Functions
• Contributes to the development of strategies, policies and solutions, to achieve land degradation neutrality (SDG 15.3) in FAO Member Nations, with focus on agricultural lands.
• Develops, promotes and implements innovative restoration and management practices and technologies to address agricultural land degradation challenges in collaboration with national and international partners.
• Leads the development of agricultural land information systems to support targeted decision-making on agricultural land.
• Works with FAO Decentralized Offices and Member Nations in developing land degradation assessment methodologies and tools, monitoring and reporting land degradation status and developing land restoration and consolidation initiatives.
• Liaises with partners, conventions and initiatives at global, regional and country level to strengthen capacities in Member Nations to combat land degradation and sands and dust storms, restore productive land and agro-ecosystems and enhance their resilience to climate change.
• Maintains regular collaboration with colleagues across teams/FAO Divisions/Offices/Centres/Decentralized Offices to strengthen FAO’s work on agricultural land restoration and management, sands and dust storms.
• Develops and manages key partnerships, such as through UN Decades of Ecosystem Restoration, UN Sands and Dust Storm Coalition and with the Secretariats of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
• Develops related project concepts and proposals in accordance with FAO standards, in collaboration with teams, other Divisions/Offices/Centres and Decentralized Offices.
• Provides technical and operational support to related projects of FAO.
• Contributes to the Division’s efforts in planning, programming and implementation works.
• Performs other relevant duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in soil, agriculture, land and natural resources management, geography or related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in land resources and environmental related activities, including land resources/ecosystem assessment and management.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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, particularly in field positions is desirable.
• Knowledge of agricultural land resources assessment/management tools and methods, best practices and related policies.
• Extent and relevance of experience in data and information systems for natural resources management, in analysing and assessing land resources and ecosystem services.
• Extent and relevance of experience in working on land and ecosystem restoration, sand and dust storms.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement large-scale programmatic initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize and manage extra-budgetary resources.