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- 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 Government of Norway has recently approved funding for the project “Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for ecosystem-based adaptation in forests and agriculture” (MELBA Malawi). Between 2026-29, the project will operationalize a national monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the agriculture, forestry and land use (AFOLU) sectors to inform climate change adaptation planning and report against international commitments. The project is designed to run in parallel, and in close coordination, with the project “Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi” (EbAM), funded through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by FAO between 2024–30.
To support the implementation of the MELBA Malawi project, FAO Malawi is seeking to recruit the project’s Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). The CTA will be the overall technical lead of the project in Malawi, responsible for leading all technical activities. In addition, the CTA will work as the Geospatial Expert for the EbAM Project and will lead in the designing and deploying of a Spatial Information Management System (SIMS) customized for the EbAM Project.
Reporting Lines
The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Malawi and the direct supervision of the Technical Advisor (TA) of the MELBA project
Technical Focus
The incumbent will work in close coordination and collaboration with the headquarters’ Forestry Division the subregional office and the EbAM project team
Tasks and responsibilities
• Lead the operational management of the MELBA project, ensuring all activities are delivered on time and within budget.
• Lead project governance, including the establishment of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Project Technical Committee (PTC), the organization of key events and capacity development efforts, and relations and contracts with external partners.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and management throughout the project cycle, managing communications with government counterparts and other stakeholders in Malawi.
• Lead project M&E to track progress and impacts, identify good practices, promote learning, and provide timely evidence to inform decision-making and adaptive management.
• Lead the formulation and implementation of annual project work plan and communications plan, following the relevant FAO policies, standards and guidelines and donor visibility requirements.
• Coordinate operational support for development of MEL system architecture, coordinating field testing of monitoring tools, and supporting government engagement for indicator definition.
• Coordinate the project capacity building programme, facilitating institutional engagement and documentation and dissemination of good practice and lessons learned.
• Coordinate technical and policy inputs with Malawian focal points for climate, biodiversity and land degradation.
• Lead the preparation and submission of regular project reports to the PSC and donor, maintain the project M&E framework, update the FAO internal monitoring platforms, in coordination with the TA.
• Generate key information that feeds into national statistics on food and agriculture, integrated watershed management, land use and land cover change, in alignment with the goals of the Project.
• Perform other duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in climate change, environmental science, natural resources management, forestry, agriculture, political science, sociology, rural development, statistics, or any other discipline relevant to the work of the organization.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in project coordination, monitoring and evaluation, natural resources management, and/or climate change adaptation, preferably with experience supporting complex, multi-stakeholder projects at national and subnational levels.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Chichewa is mandatory
• National of Malawi
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Demonstrated experience in project management, coordination and operational support for environment, climate change or natural resources management projects, including budget management, procurement, and reporting.
• Experience in preparing and implementing project-level M&E systems for climate change or environment-related projects, including indicator development, data collection, and results tracking.
• Knowledge in climate change -related national reporting towards the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) especially on adaptation, would be beneficial.
• Knowledge and experience in spatial technologies including GIS, especially in areas of agriculture, watershed management, natural resources and climate change.
• Experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder processes, including government engagement, community consultations, and coordination of technical working groups.
• Knowledge of Malawi’s institutional landscape for climate change, environment, socio-economic and natural resources management, including the decentralization framework and district-level planning processes.
• Experience in donor reporting, communications, and resource mobilization for development projects.
Extent and relevance of experience in establishing and maintaining partnerships with government institutions, UN agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs) and donors.
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
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