National Expert on Seaweed Processing and Marketing

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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

Indonesia produced almost 10 million tonnes of seaweed in 2023. This contributed around 30 percent of the global production. Despite Indonesia being the largest global producer of tropical seaweed, the sector has seen a steady decline in production since its peak in 2015. This decline is primarily due to deteriorating seed stock quality, climate change-induced sea-surface temperature rise, immature processing technologies, and volatile seaweed prices. Under the TCP/INS/4003, FAO and the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs are working together to address the critical gaps in the ongoing efforts to revitalize the Indonesian seaweed sector through the various project outputs including production and value chain aspects.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of FAOR-Indonesia and direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative in Programme (A-FAOR Programme), technical supervision of Lead Technical Officer of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and FAO HQ Technical Officer as well as close collaboration with the national authorities

Technical Focus

The Expert will be engaged in facilitating the small-scale seaweed processing, product innovation, and market development for the new seaweed farmed species introduced under the TCP/INS/4003 project

Tasks and responsibilities

• Assist in seaweed product development for small-scale processing for seaweed-based products using raw material from pilot farms, in collaboration with relevant institutions (Activity 3.2).
• Deliver training for processing and marketing groups to build their capacity in value addition and product development and promotion (Activity 3.4).
• Support entrepreneurship training and business matching initiatives and its related documentation (Activities 4.1 and 4.2).
• Support the review of market trends and positioning strategies for newly developed seaweed products. (Activities 4.2).
• Prepare related reports including training reports, Back-to-Office-Report and End-of-Assignment-Report under her/his responsibility (cross cutting outputs)
• Undertake any other tasks as required by FAO-Indonesia.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• An advanced university degree in processing and marketing for aquaculture/fisheries products or relevant/related field
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in small-scale seaweed processing, product innovation, and market development
• Working knowledge of English and Bahasa Indonesia
• National of Indonesia or resident of the country with a valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Proven experience in supporting seaweed-based product development, including food products, cosmetics, biodegradable packaging, organic fertilizer, bio stimulants, feed ingredient and in delivering training to producer groups or cooperatives.
• Experience in marketing strategies, entrepreneurship promotion among small holder farmers and processors, and linking seaweed processors to value chains and business partners will be a key asset for this role
• Strong analytical skills in assessing seaweed market trends, identifying value-chain gaps, and evaluating business opportunities.

Selection Criteria

• Excellent social, communication and organizational skills with national and sub-national government, international experts and local communities.
• Demonstrated ability to open-up to new approaches and new practices on the relevant pprogramme development.
• Demonstrated commitment to participatory and bottom-up approaches.
• Demonstrating detail orientation, proactive attention to outcomes and expectations, and the ability to understand and effectively use information and data.
• Ability to facilitate business-to-business (B2B) connections and negotiate agreements that enhance market access and competitiveness

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)
• 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.

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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