Senior Expert on Farm-Level Sustainability Indicators

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• 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

FAO Azerbaijan is implementing TCP/AZE/4004 “Technical support to the MoA in developing a comprehensive farm sustainability measurement system” with the objective of creating a robust set of farm-level sustainability indicators (environmental, economic, and governance). This system aims to facilitate the green transition at farm level and strengthen evidence-based policymaking for food systems transformation in Azerbaijan.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and REU Policy Officer and the direct operational supervision of the FAOR Azerbaijan, the incumbent will work in close coordination with the AI Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant national experts.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for creating a robust set of farm-level sustainability indicators (environmental, economic, and governance), contributing to a system to facilitate the green transition at farm level and strengthen evidence-based policymaking for food systems transformation in Azerbaijan.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to national experts during the development of new farm-level sustainability indicators, including indicators on fisheries and pasture - management.
• Review the draft indicators prepared by the national experts and provide technical comments and recommendations to ensure their methodological soundness, consistency and alignment with the overall farm sustainability measurement system.
• Advise on scoring system/weighting scheme developed for every indicator.
• Conduct a final technical review of the indicators developed for fisheries and pasture - management.
• Advise national consultants and provide technical guidance through online meetings, email exchanges and consultations with the project team, the AI Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant national experts, as required.
• Participate in online project and task force meetings and provide individual consultations to the national experts on the development and refinement of new indicators, as well as the team working with FDMS database and its improvements, as required.
• Conduct mission to Azerbaijan to undertake tasks mentioned above.
• Prepare an End of Assignment Report summarizing the activities undertaken, key results and recommendations.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agricultural or environmental sciences (e.g., agronomy, natural resource management, sustainability, environmental science) or related field. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years’ experience in developing or applying farm-level sustainability assessments
• Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

• Proven experience in developing or applying farm-level sustainability assessment frameworks, including environmental, economic, and social/governance indicators.
• Demonstrated experience in designing or adapting indicator-based methodologies and providing guidance to national teams during implementation.
• Experience in the analysis of EU member state farm level data from FSDN (farm sustainability data network) or development of sustainability indicators.
• Strong understanding of agricultural production systems, farm management practices, and sustainability challenges.
• Experience adapting international methodologies to national contexts and available data.
• Familiarity with data sources relevant to sustainability measurement (farm records, soil and climate data, remote sensing, administrative datasets).
• Experience supporting piloting activities, field validation, data collection protocols, and technical troubleshooting.
• Ability to mentor national experts and deliver practical capacity-building.
• Strong analytical, writing, facilitation, and stakeholder communication 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 any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
• 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 more information, visit the FAO employment website
• 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

• 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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