Senior Agrifood Systems Officer (Agrifood Systems)

Organizational Setting

The Division of Agrifood Systems and Food Safety (ESF) at FAO provides strategic leadership to drive agrifood system transformation by supporting FAO headquarters decentralized offices Members and partners in taking a systems approach to policy programmes and projects including through normative products methods and tools; documentation and collective learning of systems approaches; and support for implementation at national and subnational levels. It also works to deliver on the FAO Strategic Priorities for Food Safety within the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 including through the Joint FAO/WHO Scientific Advice Programme and support to the strengthening of national food control systems.

The position is located in the Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division ESF at FAO headquarters in Rome Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Agrifood Systems Officer reports to Director ESF.

Technical Focus

Lead innovate facilitate the design and implementation of systems approaches to agrifood systems transformation with a focus on country level engagement and the systematic implementation of systems-based practices to enable agrifood system transformation to deliver food security and nutrition.

Key Results

Provide leadership technical expertise in policy and practice as well as capacity development for (i) the design of operations with an integrated systems approach to agrifood systems transformation in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners and (ii) facilitate the implementation and monitoring evaluation and adaptive learning from systems approaches in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Plans manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams; leads coordinates and/or participates in Organization-wide cross-divisional committees project teams and working groups; and/or provides technical leadership or secretariat services in technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard-setting bodies.

• Analyses global and country-specific requirements and relevant technical issues to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework programme of work work plans and supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.

• Implements and monitors programmes of work involving the development of approaches evidence-based strategies and related tools methodologies and supporting systems/databases including monitoring and reporting frameworks.

• Conducts designs and oversees research and analysis activities to support the development of technical standards international instruments innovation technical reports publications and/or ongoing programme development as well as the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services.

• Provides technical and policy advice to Members and technical support to Decentralized Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes.

• Leads and/or collaborates in provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality and effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge-sharing activities with Members such as policy support organizational development and individual learning events including the preparation of related information and online tools.

• Represents the Organization at international meetings and conferences; identifies and implements strategic partnerships; advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue; and develops and negotiates effective working relationships consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders.

• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Specific Functions

• Leads the delivery of the Agrifood System Transformation Unit programme of work on the implementation of a systems approach to agrifood system transformation at country-level.

• Innovates initiatives partnerships and learning labs for agrifood systems transformation to demonstrate how to turn systems approaches into practice on the ground and monitor and measure results.

• Oversees the application of normative products and implementation and development of sets of practices to apply systems approaches.

• Engages with entrepreneurial actors in finance and investment academia innovation communications UN agencies and NGOs to form strategic alliances and partnerships to deliver transformative changes.

• Works with FAO decentralised offices and member countries and subnational institutions to integrate systems thinking into policies governance and projects.

• Supports the communication of results through a variety of information products and communications strategies.

• Engages in resource mobilization activities.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Masters degree level or equivalent) relevant to agrifood systems including but not limited to food policy agricultural sciences food security agribusiness global development public health geography systems dynamics nutrition sociology or economics.

• Ten years of relevant experience in the area of agrifood systems including leading and innovating initiatives at the intersection between different issues and sectors in agrifood systems with a systems approach.

• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic Chinese French Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus

• Leading Engaging and Empowering

• Communication

• Partnering and Advocating

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work particularly in field positions is essential.

• Deep understanding of systems approaches in agrifood systems and integrative nexus thinking across key agrifood systems issues and sectors (e.g. productivity environment livelihoods nutrition equity resilience).

• Extent and relevance of experience innovating designing and leading transformative initiatives in agrifood systems.

• Experience of data analysis and application of analytical skills to understanding quantitative and qualitative evidence of the functioning of agrifood systems.

• Extent and relevance of experience of fostering collaboration and convening and coordinating diverse actors across stakeholders and sectors in agrifood systems storage including product.

• Demonstrated skills in innovation strategic thinking and facilitation to translate vision into action A PhD in a relevant field is desirable.

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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 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
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.

FAOs 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.

FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

• Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment accreditation any residency or visa requirements and security clearances.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

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 These qualificationsshould 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
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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.

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