National Agriculture Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

The Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing strategies and projects that drive the transformation of food, agriculture, and rural development across the Pacific. It fosters and maintains relationships with subregional institutions and governments. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

FAO SAP is implementing a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/MIC/4001) project in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to strengthen climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive school garden systems as an entry point to improving food security, nutrition outcomes and agricultural skills among school-aged children.

FAO is seeking to recruit a National Agriculture Expert to support the implementation of this project in FSM.

Reporting Lines

The National Agriculture Specialist will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator (SRC) for the Pacific Islands and will directly report to the Policy Officer (Lead Technical Officer). The incumbent will work in close coordination with the Agricultural Officer and Micronesia Coordinator and liaise with relevant government counterparts, school stakeholders, parents, and other implementing partners in FSM.

Technical Focus

The National Agriculture Specialist will ensure timely and quality delivery of project outputs related to the establishment and strengthening of climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive school gardens.
The assignment focuses on school garden establishment and management; climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices; agricultural capacity development for students, teachers and parents; stakeholder coordination; monitoring, reporting and documentation of project results.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Ensure project activities are implemented on time and in accordance with the approved workplan and FAO standards.
• Organize and facilitate inception meetings with national and local stakeholders.
• Establish coordination mechanisms for effective project implementation.
• Lead baseline survey development, administration and analysis.
• Oversee the identification and confirmation of pilot school(s).
• Coordinate site preparation, garden design, nursery establishment and compost production.
• Manage procurement of project inputs in line with FAO procedures.
• Supervise crop establishment, field management and harvesting activities.
• Coordinate provision of produce and logistical support for cooking demonstrations, culinary activities and nutrition education activities led by the National Food Safety and Nutrition Expert.
• Develop training materials and deliver capacity-building sessions on:
• Nursery management
• Compost production
• Agronomy and crop management
• Post-harvest handling
• Coordinate three cropping cycles across five selected crops.
• Contribute to impact surveys and support behaviour change monitoring activities led by the National Food Safety and Nutrition Expert, particularly those relating to adoption of school gardening and local food production practices.
• Document success stories, lessons learned and good practices.
• Ensure timely delivery of project reports to FAO (monthly progress reports, a comprehensive final project report, and FAO terminal report)
• Respond to ad-hoc questions and perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Agriculture, Agronomy, Environmental Science, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Community Development or related field from a recognized institution.
• Minimum three years of relevant experience in agriculture, agricultural extension, crop production, school gardens, community-based agriculture, agricultural project implementation or related fields.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English.
• National of Federated States of Micronesia

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated experience in agriculture production, climate-resilient agriculture, agriculture extension,nutrition-sensitive agriculture or related field.
• Experience in school garden systems, community-based agriculture, agriculture extension, youth agriculture programmes or related agricultural initiatives.
• Experience in training delivery and capacity development.
• Experience in project coordination and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated monitoring and reporting experience.
• Knowledge of small island developing states (SIDS) contexts, particularly in the Pacific region.
• Experience working in the Federated States of Micronesia or Micronesia region is an asset.
• Strong writing and reporting skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple stakeholders.
Demonstrated experience working in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), including familiarity with national and state-level institutions, community structures, and local agricultural contexts.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• 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/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

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/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.
• 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

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