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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
- 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
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework, promoting efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, nutrition, environment, and life, leaving no one behind.
FAO Country Offices, guided by the Strategic Framework, provide policy advice, technical assistance, and core services to countries in FAO’s mandated areas. These offices implement country-specific priorities outlined in their Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), ensuring efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.
FAO Ethiopia country office in close collaboration with Ministries of Agriculture (MoA) and other relevant government institutions implement various interventions aimed at promoting sustainable food systems, providing related technical assistance and policy advice, enhancing access to knowledge and technology, promoting seed systems and genetic resources and supporting appropriate and timely response to food security challenges and emergencies.
FAO developed a cross-border project entitled Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in East Africa which is also called PLACE Africa project. The project aims to contribute to the development of sustainable climate resilient pastoral systems in Eastern/Horn of Africa that have the ability to improve the livelihoods of pastoral communities. The direct beneficiaries of the project are the pastoralist and other actors in and around the Karamoja and Mandera clusters of South Ethiopia and Somali Regions, respectively. This project conceptualizes pastoralism in a three-dimensional approach with regard to value chain development\: the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. the environmental pillar prioritizes conserving the environment and promoting harmonized policies and initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and conserving biodiversity and their habitats, and promoting the sustainable use of transboundary natural resources. Rangeland management and restoration that leads to enhanced availability of pasture for livestock feeding is one component under the environmental pillar.
To support effective implementation, the Range Ecology and Management Specialist will collect and analyse primary and secondary data which involves participatory mapping of the communal rangelands; participatory identification of indigenous pasture and forage varieties; and mapping of locations affected by invasive plants in the Mandera Cluster of the Somali and Karamoja Cluster of South Ethiopia regions. The outputs of this assignment are expected to advice rangeland related interventions under the environmental pillar of the PLACE Africa project.
Reporting Lines
The Range Ecology and Management Specialist will work under the overall supervision and guidance of the FAO Representative in Ethiopia, and and the direct supervision of Livestock Country Team Lead.
Technical Focus
Through participatory approach collect and analyse both primary and secondary data to map communal rangelands; identify indigenous pasture and forage varieties; and map locations affected by invasive plants in the Mandera Cluster of the Somali and Karamoja Cluster of South Ethiopia regions to advice rangeland related interventions under the environmental pillar of the PLACE Africa project.
Tasks and responsibilities
In particular, the incumbent will be responsible for fulfilling the following specific tasks\:
• Facilitate participatory mapping of the communal rangelands and identify the existing policies and practices of rangeland management.
• Facilitate identification of indigenous pasture and forage varieties in South Ethiopia and Somali Regions Seed Enterprises.
• Support identification/selection of community groups for community led forage seed multiplication.
• Facilitate mapping (supported by GIS and other relevant tool/s) of the specific locations affected by invasive plants and the species involved
• Provide essential technical support in developing strategies to control the spread of invasive plant species and to restore degraded rangelands
• Assist creation of centralized and harmonized database (indigenous pasture and forage varieties, invasive species and ecological condition of the rangelands and final report with key findings and recommendation rangeland restoration plans and integrated management strategies as well as outline roles, responsibilities, and policy needs.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• A master’s degree in Range Ecology, Rangeland Management, Forage/pasture management, Livestock feed and feed management, Natural Resources Management, or related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in rangeland ecology, pasture assessment, forage management, or natural resource management in arid and semi-arid lands.
• Proven experience in conducting field-based ecological assessments including Participatory mapping of rangelands and land use, Identification of indigenous forage and pasture species and Mapping of invasive species and degraded areas.
• Strong track record in data collection, analysis, and reporting of both primary and secondary ecological data.
• Demonstrated experience working with pastoralist communities, government agencies, and NGOs in similar contexts.
• Working knowledge of English and local languages
• National of Ethiopia or has a valid residence permit
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 and extent and relevance of the experiences in rangeland/pasture/forage/feed management.
• Skilled in plant identification (especially indigenous African forages, pasture and invasive weeds).
• Solid understanding of climate-resilient rangeland management approaches.
• Knowledge of ecosystem services, land degradation neutrality, and rehabilitation methods.
• Proficiency in GIS and remote sensing tools for mapping vegetation, land use, and invasive species.
• Ability to design and lead participatory rural appraisal (PRA) or similar community-based data collection tools.
• Proficiency and flexibility in using statistical software, especially R, Stata, SPSS, SAS or similar (preferably open-source) software.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently within the target regions and open to work with other relevant units.
Selection Criteria
• A PhD is an added advantage.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
- 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 http\://www.whed.net/
- For other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.
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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