Statistician

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

• 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 persons 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.

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

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through 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.

Organizational Setting

The Statistics Division (ESS) develops and advocates for the implementation of methodologies and standards for data collection, validation, processing and analysis, in the food and agriculture statistics domains. In these statistical domains, it also plays a key role in the compilation, processing and dissemination of internationally comparable data, and provides essential capacity building in support of member countries. The Division also disseminates publications, working papers and statistical yearbooks, that cover agriculture and food security statistics, including prices, investments, production, trade and agri-environmental statistical data. Finally, as the ESS Director also plays the role of FAO Chief Statistician, the Division supports the various functions of the Chief Statistician, that is to ensure stronger governance of FAO's data and statistical system, foster consistency of FAO's Data and Statistical programme within the Strategic Framework, ensure statistical excellence through the implementation of statistical standards and quality assurance mechanisms, and position FAO's presence in data and statistical discussions at global level.

The incumbent will work in the Food Security and Nutrition Statistics team within the Statistics Division and will contribute to the production and dissemination of all statistics reported in the Food Security and Nutrition, Food and Diet, and Cost and Affordability of Healthy Diets data domains of FAOSTAT.

The position is located in the Statistics Division (ESS) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Statistician reports to the Senior Statistician and team leader of the Food Security and Nutrition Statistics Team, under the overall guidance of the Director of ESS.

Technical Focus

The Statistician will provide statistical expertise in the improvement of existing methods and development of new methods for the generation of food security and nutrition statistics, and in the compilation, processing, validation, analysis, storage and dissemination of data, microdata and metadata, with a special emphasis on data from experience-based food security scales. The role includes: ensuring the correct application of methods to estimate the Prevalence of food insecurity based on Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU), and the Prevalence of Unaffordability of a healthy diet (PUA); the production of high quality documents and statistical tools, including software packages, scripts, datasets and reports on the analysis of food security and nutrition data; collaborating with external stakeholders and partners, including national statistical offices and other international organizations or research institutions, involved in the collection, analysis, dissemination and reporting of food security and nutrition statistics based on FAO endorsed statistical methods and definitions.

Key Results

Research and analysis of information, data and statistics, statistical methods, statistical and econometric modelling. Development and maintenance of specialized tools, methodologies, systems and/or databases and the technical assistance services to support the implementation/delivery and monitoring of the programme of work and related products, projects, publications and services.

Key Functions

• Collects, reviews, processes and/or analyses key social/economic/environmental/indicators, based on both traditional statistical methods/sources or on unstructured sources and data science methods, to support the delivery of economic and social development programmes of work, which can be focused on products, projects, publications or services.

• Develops improved/updated technical, statistical and/or analytical tools, systems, databases.

• Conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting in support of the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative tools and methodologies to be used within the Organization or by external stakeholders.

• Produces a variety of technical reports and provides input in technical documents, divisional publications and/or web pages.

• Provides response to requests and provides technical and/or policy advice, assistance and solutions to Regional, Subregional and Country Offices, including technical backstopping to field projects.

• Participates in multidisciplinary teams, collaborates with other Divisions/Offices/Centres on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.

• Provides capacity development services, including the planning and organization of training workshops and seminars and preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.

• Participates in divisional teams, Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and provides specialized expertise on international technical networks and or technical policy and standard setting bodies.

• Supports the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.

• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the Strategic Framework and divisional plans.

• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration, advocates best practices, knowledge sharing, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings and conferences.

Specific Functions

Maintains and refines the methodology and the statistical tools to compute the Prevalence of Food Insecurity based on FIES and other food security and nutrition indicators produced by the FSN statistics Team.