National Codex Specialist

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

• 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific (SAP) supports member countries in meeting their national priorities in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, agrifood systems, nutrition and rural development. FAO’s member countries in the Pacific include the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FAO SAP is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional agriculture, food, nutrition and rural development priorities. FAO SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP).

The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.

Purpose of this Call

FAO SAP is seeking a National Codex Specialist to conduct activities aimed at strengthening national Codex capacities in the Pacific region in the following countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu. The role involves supporting the assigned FAO international consultant on the project to complete project activities, providing organizational support for workshops and meetings with relevant stakeholders and preparing and submitting reports on project work. The post is based in various locations and funded under a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/SAP/4008), aimed at strengthening national Codex structures and processes, and advancing both regional and national food safety and trade objectives.

Reporting Lines

The National Codex Specialist will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific, technical supervision of the FAORAP Senior Food Safety and Nutrition Officer in close collaboration with the FAOSAP International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, and reporting and liaison with the National focal points in designated countries. He/she works in coordination with relevant FAO technical and support staff, contributes to activities involving government institutions, consultants, and partners, under the guidance of the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition.

Technical Focus

The National Codex Specialist will support FAO-led activities related to the National Codex Committee (NCC), and other relevant Government Ministries. This includes assisting with the collection of data/information from relevant sources, development of the national Codex Procedural Manual and promotion of Codex information materials under the guidance of the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition and technical staff. He/She will undertake review, assessment and judgment of data/information in close consultation with the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, and in support of activities involving the NCC. The National Codex Specialist will supportpresentations and assistwithstakeholder workshops/consultations organized as per the agreed work schedule.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will assist the FAO international consultant to complete the following project activities:
• Support advocacy activities and workshops to promote awareness of Codex work among national policy and decision-makers
• Support the development of Information Education and Communication (IECs) materials on Codex work for all relevant stakeholders including health, agriculture, marine and trade sectors to enhance political and economic support for national Codex work.
• Support Codex awareness activities and IEC materials during national and international day celebrations such as the World Food Safety Day
• Support the coordination of training workshops as required by relevant project activities
• Support the development of the National Codex Procedural manual and a National Codex website

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Food Security, Nutrition, Agriculture, or a related field.
• Five years’ experience in food safety and food standard regulation practices, including developing and preparing training and guideline materials, writing of reports and conducting training workshops.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English
• National of a Pacific Island Country (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated Knowledge of food safety and national food control systems and Codex.
• Possesses relevant qualification that support a sound understanding of national food control systems and Codex
• Proven ability to draft reports and summarize materials from workshops and relevant project activities for submission to the international consultant.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work
• Extent and relevance of experience in the Pacific Islands/Small Island Developing States (SIDS) contexts are considered a strong asset
• Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements is desirable
• Able to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams.
• Ability to work and plan at strategic as well as operational levels.
• Facilitation and communication: experience of high-level coordination and chairing of meetings; ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.
• Excellent command of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel or other reporting and visualization software
• Excellent command of the English language, and ability to write clear and concise reports in English.
• Knowledge of key food security, agricultural and livelihoods indicators.
• Ability to solve problems and provide creative solutions.
• Excellent organizational skills

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, 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.

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
• 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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