Post-Harvest Management Specialist
Kigali
- Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Location: Kigali
- Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
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Occupational Groups:
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Closing Date: 2025-12-29
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
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
Organizational Setting
The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, program, and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, improving agricultural productivity, strengthening value chains, and ensuring sustainable management of natural resources.
FAO Rwanda is implementing activities under the SAIP II Project, with a focus on supporting farmer organizations, strengthening value addition, improving post-harvest handling systems, and enhancing market access for smallholder farmers.
The Post-Harvest Specialist will support technical and operational activities aimed at reducing post-harvest losses, strengthening storage and handling practices, improving market systems, and building capacity across farmer groups and cooperatives.
Reporting Lines
The specialist will work under\:
• The overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Rwanda
• The technical supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme)
• The direct supervision of the Project Manager and Project Coordination Unit (PCU)
• Close collaboration with relevant Government institutions, cooperatives, and field teams.
Technical Focus
The incumbent will support the enhancement of post-harvest management systems for perishable and staple crops, with emphasis on reducing losses, improving quality, and strengthening value chain efficiency. The work will focus on practical technical support, capacity development, and application of improved post-harvest technologies.
• Conducting value chain assessments to identify post-harvest constraints and opportunities
• Supporting adoption of improved post-harvest practices and technologies for handling, storage, and value addition.
• Designing and delivering tailored capacity-building programmes for farmers, cooperatives, and value chain actors.
• Providing inputs to post-harvest policy discussions, guidelines, and strategic planning.
• Promoting food quality and safety throughout post-harvest operations.
• Contributing to monitoring and evaluation of post-harvest interventions and documenting lessons learned.
Tasks and responsibilities
The specialist, under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative a.i. in Rwanda and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR (Programmes), will perform the following duties\:
• Lead the implementation of the farm-gate analysis on the root causes of post-harvest losses for selected horticulture and staple crops, ensuring the integration of a robust gender analysis to examine the different vulnerabilities of and barriers faced by men and women farmers.
• Develop a comprehensive training module in Kinyarwanda on post-harvest handling, management, and aflatoxin prevention, based directly on the findings from the farm-gate analysis of the selected horticulture and staple crops along with other strategies.
• Conduct hands-on Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions for selected project staff, district officers, and lead farmers on post-harvest handling for selected staple and horticultural crops, ensuring the practical transfer of skills and the inclusion of a module on delivering gender-sensitive advisory services.
• Prepare and submit a final consultancy report consolidating the assessment findings, the training materials developed, the outcomes of the ToT sessions, and recommendations for scaling.
• Perform any other related duties as required by the supervisor.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Be a national of Rwanda.
• At least a Masters University degree in Post-Harvest Management with a background in Crop Production, Horticulture, or a related field.
• At least five (5) years of relevant professional experience in post-harvest management of perishable crops
• Working proficiency (Level C) in English.
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda is required; French is an added advantage.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Extent and relevance of experience in post-harvest management of perishable crops and staple crops.
• Proven experience providing technical support on post-harvest handling of perishable and staple crops, including post-harvest technologies, capacity development initiatives, and post-harvest management policy dialogue.
• Experience supporting stakeholders in the formulation of tailored training, value chain assessments, and post-harvest programmes.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely to diverse audiences and work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of project activities, with the ability to synthesize lessons learned and produce empirical, evidence-based conclusions.
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 additional employment opportunities 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.
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
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
• 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/.These qualifications should 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
• 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
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.