Programme Officer (Aquaculture)

Organizational Setting

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for the economic, social, institutional, governance and policy aspects of FAO's activities related to fisheries and aquaculture and their development, with particular emphasis on human well-being, food security and poverty reduction; post-harvest utilization, marketing and trade with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishing communities; collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best available and up-to-date fishery statistics and for the syndication of the FAO information on all aspects of world fisheries and aquaculture.

The Division is also responsible for FAO's activities related to the management and conservation of the living aquatic resources used by fisheries and aquaculture, including the biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable and threatened species and habitats; management of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in accordance with modern management standards and best practices; development of fisheries technology, with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishing communities, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels.

The position is located in the Technology and Production Team (NFIAT) in the Sustainable Aquaculture area of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Programme Officer (Aquaculture) reports to the Senior Fishery Officer/NFIAT Team Leader in the Sustainable Aquaculture area and under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director, NFI.

Technical Focus

The Programme Officer (Aquaculture) will support the preparation and implementation of aquaculture development plans and programmes that seek to optimize the development of sustainable aquaculture practices and programmes of work, with a specific focus on aquatic genetic resources in aquaculture (AqGR).

The overall objective is to maximize the impacts of aquaculture on countries' social, economic and environmental objectives, including food security and nutrition, and help meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets. The programme of work and activities should follow the FAO Common Vision for Sustainable Food and Agriculture and the FAO Code of Conduct on Responsible Fisheries and associated technical guidelines such as the FAO Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture.

Key Results

Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate assigned programme/projects.

Key Functions

• Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects, etc.; monitors and analyses programme/project development and implementation.
• Reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and tracks follow-up actions.
• Assists in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies, etc.
• Prepares various written outputs, e.g. drafts background papers, analyses, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Undertakes outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).

Specific Functions

• Provides technical guidance and support to the implementation of the Project GCP/GLO/1173/GER “Application of a Global Information System on Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture”.
• Supports the maintenance and further development of AquaGRIS, FAO's information system for aquatic genetic resources, and provides technical assistance to countries on demand.
• Supports the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Aquatic Genetic Resources and the COFI Advisory Working Group on Aquatic Genetic Resources and Technologies.
• Supports the characterization, responsible utilization and conservation of aquatic genetic resources and sustainable supply of seed for aquaculture.
• Contributes to the preparation and implementation of programmes of work related to the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, as an integral part of the FAO Blue Transformation roadmap.
• Contributes to initiatives on aquaculture innovation, such as application of biotechnology and development/utilization of climate resilient aquaculture species/farmed types.
• Contributes to NFI's cross-cutting initiatives on SDGs, climate change, biodiversity and food security and nutrition.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in aquaculture and fisheries, marine sciences, genetics, biodiversity and conservation, biotechnology and applied development studies or related disciplines.
• Five years of relevant experience in the planning and development of aquaculture projects.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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, particularly in field positions.
• Extent and relevance of experience of aquaculture hatchery, seed supply for one or more aquaculture species and conservation, and management of genetic resource in aquaculture/agriculture is highly desirable.
• Extentexperience and/or solid understanding of the principles and practice of sustainable aquaculture systems is highly desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in data management.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting technical reports, papers and other knowledge products.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses.