Soil Analysis and Laboratory Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAOs Land and Water Division (NSL) foresees a future whereby governments development partners civil society academic institutions as well as the private sector and farmers all work together to ensure that land soil and water resources are wisely used conserved and restored for sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that support food security nutrition and human wellbeing. NSL provides policy guidance technical and financial assistance to Member Nations in developing policies programmes best practices and management tools for ensuring productive and efficient use of land soil and water resources to meet present and future demands for agricultural products while ensuring the long-term sustainability of these resources. It promotes equitable access to and sustainable management of these natural resources with a view to enhancing productivity livelihoods equity health and ecosystem services.
Under the new FAO Conceptual Framework for Integrated Land and Water Resources Management NSL will work towards a core set of five outcomes that have been elaborated to cut across the thematic areas of land water soils and geospatial areas of work of the Division: (1) Good governance; (2) Wise use and restoration; (3) Mitigation and resilience; (4) Integrated solutions; (5) Data digitalization technology and innovation.
The post is located in the Land and Water Division (NSL) at FAO headquarters in Rome Italy.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Director of the Land and Water Division the specialist will report and work under the day-to-day supervision of the Soil Information and Data Team Lead.

Technical Focus

The role focuses on supporting the implementation of the relevant activities within GLOSOLAN (Global Soil Laboratory Network) and SoilFER Projects.

Tasks and responsibilities

Global Soil laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) of the Global Soil partnership (GSP)
Support the implementation of activities in the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) of the Global Soil Partnership
Oversee the development of a technical guidelines for interpretation of analysed soil properties related to soil health and Sustainable Soil management (SSM)
Oversee the organization of Eurasian Soil Laboratory Network meetings and training workshops
Oversee the development of the GLOSOLAN Global Assessment Report 2024
Support the implementation of relevant activities within the SoilFER Framework
Oversee the processing of soil samples for wet chemistry analysis.
Collaborate with project partners and laboratories to ensure accurate and timely soil analysis results.
Develop and implement quality assurance and quality control measures for soil analysis processes including the establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Participate in capacity-building activities such as workshops and trainings to enhance national capacities in soil analysis and data management.
Support the implementation of laboratory equipment procurement activities of the project.
Support the establishment and improvement of national soil laboratories and laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
Track progress and assess the quality of soil analysis and harmonization activities.
Provide input to project monitoring and reporting frameworks to ensure the effective implementation of soil analysis and harmonization efforts.
Contribute to regular progress reports on soil analysis and harmonization activities.
Communicate project outcomes and lessons learned related to soil analysis and harmonization to relevant audiences.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Advanced university degree in soil science agronomy or related fields
5 years of relevant experience in soil analysis and laboratory management
Working knowledge (level C) of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

Work experience in more than one location or area of work
Extent and relevance of experience in leading soil laboratory and soil analysis
Extent and relevance of experience in interpreting analysed soil properties for soil health assessment and SSM
Familiarity with soil laboratory management and QA/QC

Selection Criteria

Limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other FAO languages (French Spanish Arabic Chinese or Russian) is an asset.

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

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
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We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

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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 FAOs 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
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