Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger by achieving food security for all and ensuring people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO’s core mandate focuses on ending hunger and malnutrition; transforming agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable; conserving and sustainably using natural resources (land, water, soils, forests, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems); and strengthening livelihoods and resilience to shocks, including climate extremes, plant and animal pests and diseases, and market disruptions.

Reporting lines

The incumbent works under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in the country of assignment, technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and relevant headquarters/regional technical divisions, and in close coordination with national counterparts and development partners.

Technical Focus

Advancing FAO’s primary mandate across agrifood systems: sustainable crop and livestock production; forestry; fisheries and aquaculture; plant and animal health; food safety and quality; market access and value chains; climate change adaptation/mitigation; natural resource governance; and resilience and social protection.

• Support country efforts to reduce hunger and all forms of malnutrition through evidence-based policies, programmes and investments.
• Promote sustainable, climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agrifood systems, including responsible value-chain development and decent rural employment.
• Strengthen plant and animal health systems (One Health approach), biosecurity, food safety and traceability.
• Enhance sustainable management of forests, rangelands, water, fisheries and aquatic resources.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and implementation of programmes that improve availability, access, stability and utilization of safe, nutritious food.
• Provide technical assistance on sustainable production, post-harvest management, food loss/waste reduction, and market linkages for smallholders and agribusiness MSMEs.
• Support policy dialogue and the development of national strategies, legal frameworks and investment plans aligned to FAO’s Strategic Framework and national priorities.
• Strengthen surveillance, early warning and response for transboundary plant/animal pests and diseases; support food safety control systems and Codex-aligned standards.
• Advance climate-smart practices, ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions; integrate gender equality, youth engagement and social inclusion.
• Develop results frameworks, indicators and monitoring systems; prepare technical reports, guidance materials and knowledge products.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder coordination with government, producer organizations, private sector, research and civil society; support capacity development at national and local levels.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Animal Science/Health, Forestry, Fisheries/Aquaculture, Food Science, Natural Resource Management, Agricultural Economics, Nutrition or a related field.
• At least five years of relevant experience in food security/nutrition, agrifood systems, rural development, natural resource management, or related technical domains.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge (level B) of another FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, English, French or Spanish). For PSA/NSAs, working knowledge of the required language may be sufficient.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated expertise in at least one of FAO’s core technical areas (e.g. crop/livestock systems, forestry, fisheries/aquaculture, plant/animal health, food safety, value chains, climate change, social protection).
• Proven experience in programme/project design, implementation, monitoring and reporting; familiarity with results-based management and indicator frameworks.
• Experience working with government institutions, producer organizations and private sector; ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder processes.
• Strong analytical and writing skills; ability to translate technical evidence into practical guidance and policy options.
• Proficiency with standard office software and data/knowledge management tools.

Additional Selection Criteria

• Experience in the country/region of assignment and knowledge of national agrifood systems and institutions is an asset.
• Experience integrating gender equality, youth employment and social inclusion in agrifood programmes is desirable.
• Willingness to travel and conduct field missions as required.