Job Description
Organizational Setting
The Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF) provides strategic leadership for FAO’s support to Members in the development of more sustainable agrifood systems. Working in close coordination with other technical units at headquarters and the Decentralized Offices, the Division is tasked with integrating FAO’s scientific and economic analyses to provide improved policy guidance and targeted investment in agrifood systems. Bringing together FAO’s longstanding experience and capacities in strengthening systems of food safety and quality control with its technical support to Members in the areas of value chain development, agroindustry and agribusiness enterprise development, urban food systems and food loss and waste, the Division integrates and extends food systems support across the Organization.
ESF leads ‘Achieving Sustainable Urban Food Systems’ Programme Priority Area (PPA), one of the 20 PPAs of the FAO Strategic Framework, which involves multidisciplinary collaboration across headquarters’ units, FAO Regional and Country Offices. The programme aims to, in collaboration with external partners, empower national and local governments and partners to deliver transformative change in agrifood systems along the rural-urban continuum leading to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban and peri-urban agrifood systems that addresses urban poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, enables healthy diets and catalyses inclusive and sustainable rural transformation, promoted through the adoption of supportive policies and programmes, and the initiation and scaling-up of actions and investments by national and local stakeholders.
The position is located in the Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Urban Agrifood Systems Adviser reports to the Director, Food Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF).
Technical Focus
The Urban Agrifood Systems Adviser supports the delivery of the FAO Programme Priority Area Achieving sustainable urban food systems, under the overall leadership of the Director, ESF. He/she promotes more coordinated, aligned and efficient working on urban agrifood systems across FAO aligned with the Director-General’s priority for a One FAO while supporting the delivery of urban agrifood systems projects with impacts at scale.
The incumbent brings expertise in urban agrifood systems from and experience of taking a systems approach to address urban agrifood challenges with awareness of the broad range of technical issues relevant in urban and/or through the urban rural continuum, such as urban agriculture, urban forestry, waste management and ecosystem services, food supply resilience, agrocommodity packing - processing in urban catchment areas, public sector procurement - territorial markets and/or access to affordable, safe nutritious foods.
Key Results
Comprehensive technical and policy expertise and advice to support the planning, development and implementation of programmes, projects, products and services.
Key Functions
- Provides policy expertise and advice to support the planning, development and implementation of divisional programmes, projects, products and services.
- Provides technical and programmatic support on the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; identifies priorities, liaises with relevant parties.
- Coordinates and reviews the assessments of issues and trends for the implementation of programmes and projects and the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies.
- Leads the preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analyses, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications.
- Contributes to consultative and other meetings and conferences, including proposals for agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.
- Participates and/or leads training workshops and seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
- Provides guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties.
- Provides advice on the development of policies and strategies, as well as national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO’s work.
Specific Functions
- Leads the Core Team of the Programme Priority Area (PPA) on Urban Agrifood Systems, in support of the overall leadership by the Director, ESF.
- Liaises with leadership of Green Cities Initiative and contributes to the Green Cities Initiative task force.
- Supports development, alignment and delivery of FAO projects on urban agrifood systems and provides uniform guidance to all projects on learning and evaluation of impact.
- Coordinates technical expertise and aligns normative tools and methods from across FAO in support of field projects and normative work.
- Provides specialized technical expertise on urban agrifood systems and coordinates support provided to FAO Regional and Country Offices.
- Organizes and prepares international meetings, workshops, learning events, and policy dialogues to influence global debates.
- Acts as technical focal point for programmatic partnerships with the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) and builds strong relationships with strategic partners.
- Identifies data needs in support of the PPA on Urban Agrifood Systems.
- Collects and analyses evidence of good practice and learnings from all projects into internal guidance and normative recommendations, knowledge products and capacity development materials, and implements learning events to enhance the skills of FAO staff and Members.
- Advocates for the integration of urban issues into FAO’s programmes and projects.
- As delegated, represents ESF at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences, supports strategic partnerships, best practices, and increased policy dialogue and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national partners.
- Performs other duties, as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Advanced university degree in relevant subject to urban agrifood systems, including but not limited to urban planning, urban studies, geography, agricultural sciences, food security, agribusiness, global development, public health, systems dynamics, nutrition, sociology or economics.
- Seven years of relevant experience in policy advice and analysis relating to urban agrifood systems.
- Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Extent and relevance of experience in supporting the development and implementation of urban agrifood systems.
- Demonstrated ability to formulate policy, planning and programmes and provide technical support for implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Extent and relevance of experience in providing technical support to municipal and national governments.
- Extent and relevance of experience of building internal and external partnerships.
- Ability to mobilize resources.
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
- Strong technical writing skills to produce reports, papers, and other knowledge products, enabling the communication of intricate information to a diverse range of stakeholders.
HOW TO APPLY
- To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
- Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
- Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
- Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
- Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
- We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp
DEADLINE: 28 November 2023
