Market Access and Trade Consultant

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• 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

Organizational Setting

For about six decades, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been working with the Government and people of Belize to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity, and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to climate change and other hazards.

Reporting Lines

The Markets and Trade Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Jamaica and will report to the Program Coordinator who is based in Belize.

Technical Focus

The Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations in partnership with the Government of Belize through the Technical Cooperation Program 3901 Belize Agriculture Sector Policy with focus on Seed, Back Yard Poultry, Marketing and Indigenous Territories has allocated funding for the development of a Regional Market Penetration Strategy. The Ministry of Agriculture’s vision is a transformed/modern sector that is fully competitive, diversified and sustainable and aims to create the enabling and favourable environment to increase the efficiency, productivity, profitability and competitiveness of the agriculture sector. Efforts to diversify the agriculture product base have led to the selection and investment in a small subset of non-traditional priority commodities. Building climate resilience and enhancement of commodity value chains, face challenges to provide sustainable market access for rural small farmers. The sector is presented with opportunities for regional market expansion and assistance is required to identify the logistics, requirements and potential bottlenecks for trade. Viable products for trade with in the Central American Region need to be identified, trade barriers, and functional trade mechanisms need to be addressed to enable the capitalization on proximity and connectivity opportunities to markets. The program will support the development of a trade and market penetration strategy for 4 commodities into 2 Countries in central America. Specifically, the FAO intends to assess the trade potential, logistical and phytosanitary requirements with key import agency stakeholders leading to the development of a roadmap to address the gaps to enable the trade opportunity. The Policy is intended to provide a clear and coherent framework to guide the interventions of all sector stakeholders.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Import Assessment of the 4 priority products and specific requirements, and identification of key importers, their market size and distribution, import volumes and values, preferred varieties and other relevant information of Guatemala and El Salvador.
• Carry out a market readiness assessment for 4 priority commodities (Coconuts, Pineapple, Onion, Carrots)
• Develop a trades position for access to the Guatemala and El Salvador markets for the 4 Priority Commodities, including comparative advantages and disadvantages when compared to other competitors.
• Develop a market readiness development strategy addressing the gaps for each priority commodity, including any existing or potential barriers to trade and recommendations to address them.
• Develop a practical and phased market access roadmap, with timelines and key activities, for the 4 selected commodities to each market (Guatemala and El Salvador)
• Deliver two market access workshops to a minimum of 20 participants (Public and Private stakeholders)
• Develop a Business Linkage and Promotional Plan targeting stakeholders in Guatemala and El Salvador
• Develop a Funding Proposal Concept Note for implementation of Market Penetration Strategy

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Trade, Agriculture Marketing or related degree.
• At least seven [7] years of high level relevant professional experience in agriculture based Marketing that support national and regional planning and market access.
• Previous work with an international organization or UN organization will be valuable
• Working knowledge (Proficient – level C) of English and Spanish.

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 conducting research related to agriculture and trade, using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Extent and relevance of experience in working with key public and private agricultural stakeholders in central america, including farmers, public sector stakeholders and traders.
• Extent and relevance of experience in working as part of a multidisciplinary team of remotely working experts.
• Familiarity with standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Solid documentation, record keeping and reporting writing skills.

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

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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