Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, nutrition, environment and life, leaving no one behind. FAO is a specialized UN agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger, working in over 130 countries worldwide. FAO Country Offices offer policy advice and technical assistance to countries, fully observing international accountability standards to establish leadership and strengthen impact at country level.
FAO has been working in Lebanon since 1977, supporting sustainable agricultural development, food security, and resilience of rural livelihoods. FAO Lebanon's growing project portfolio mainly targets farmers, fishers and their organisations. The Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist will contribute to the design and implementation of projects aimed at improving food security outcomes and supporting sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable populations in Lebanon.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative and direct supervision of Programme Leader CPF Outputs 2&3, in close coordination with other Units and national authorities.

Technical Focus

The Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist provides technical, managerial/coordination and operational support for FAO Lebanon's food security and livelihoods programming, monitoring, designing and implementing food assistance interventions through cash and voucher assistance (CVA) modalities and in-kind support. Operating at the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, the Specialist tracks food insecurity in real time to inform emergency response while designing livelihoods-integrated interventions to reduce structural food insecurity. The Specialist coordinates closely with the Food Security & Resilience Coordinator and Resilience & Livelihoods Specialist on integrated interventions combining food assistance with productive asset support or capacity building.

Tasks and responsibilities

Food security monitoring and situation analysis

• Support FAO Lebanon's food security monitoring, tracking outcomes across target populations using established frameworks and tools.
• Assist in food security assessments, including CFSAM and Lebanon food security monitoring, contributing field data, local context analysis and beneficiary-level evidence.
• Assist in producing situation analyses, briefing notes and early warning products to inform programme design, donor engagement and inter-agency coordination.

Design and implementation of food security interventions

• Contribute to design and implementation of food security and livelihoods interventions, defining response modalities (cash, vouchers, cash , in-kind) based on needs analysis, market assessments and feasibility.
• Lead planning, implementation and monitoring of CVA programmes, including unconditional/conditional cash transfers, agricultural input vouchers, e-vouchers, cash-for-work and cash-plus modalities.
• Conduct or oversee feasibility assessments, response option analyses and market assessments to ensure evidence-based CVA modality selection.
• Coordinate with and monitor financial service providers, vendors and implementing partners in CVA delivery; escalate compliance concerns as needed.
• Ensure compliance with FAO CVA procedures and alignment of interventions with FAO strategies, Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, donor requirements and national food security objectives.
• Contribute to integrated support package design linking food assistance with agricultural inputs, training or productive asset support.

Targeting, registration and beneficiary management

• Contribute to targeting criteria and beneficiary selection methodologies ensuring assistance reaches the most vulnerable households and in line with programme objectives.
• Oversee beneficiary identification, verification, registration and database management, ensuring data quality, protection and accountability.
• Collaborate with FAO's grievance and feedback mechanism to ensure concerns are addressed and patterns inform programme adjustments.

Capacity building and extension

• Contribute to design and roll-out of capacity-building programmes including Farmer Field Schools (FFS), Farmer Business Schools (FBS) and related participatory extension approaches.
• Contribute to development and updating of training materials, guidelines and facilitation tools, and training of facilitators and implementing partners.
• Monitor knowledge and practice adoption among participants; adapt curricula based on field evidence and feedback.
• Coordinate with the Resilience & Livelihoods Specialist on joint capacity-building activities.

Project management and coordination

• Lead/contribute to preparation and updating of project workplans, activity schedules and procurement plans, ensuring alignment with timelines and budgets.
• Prepare ToRs, Scopes of Work, evaluation criteria, reports and programme documentation in compliance with FAO standards and donor requirements.
• Assist in preparation of technical input specifications and procurement processes.
• Prepare and update logical frameworks, results frameworks and performance monitoring matrices.
• Monitor implementation progress, identify bottlenecks and risks, and report corrective actions to the Programme Leader.
• Coordinate with partners, service providers and field teams.
• Lead preparation of donor progress reports and FAO corporate reporting submissions.
• Participate in internal and external coordination meetings.
• Perform any other related duties as required.

Monitoring, reporting and accountability

• Lead design and implementation of monitoring systems for food security and livelihoods interventions including beneficiary tracking databases, training registers and data collection tools.
• Conduct periodic field monitoring visits, documenting findings and producing field monitoring reports.
• Produce outcome assessments measuring changes in beneficiary income, productive capacity and practice adoption to adapt programme approaches.
• Document good practices, field evidence and lessons learned for organizational learning and resource mobilization.
• Provide technical input to background papers, reports, studies and project activity reports.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Economics, Rural Development, Food Security, or a related field.
• 5 years of relevant experience in food security programming, humanitarian assistance or agricultural livelihoods; and
• Working knowledge of English (level C)
• National of Lebanon

FAO Core Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Demonstrated organization skills and ability to meet tight deadlines;
• Ability to prioritize tasks;
• Communication skills;
• Ability to work in a harmonious and effective way in a multicultural team;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective working relationships with supervisors and colleagues.

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong technical knowledge of agricultural livelihoods systems, including crop production, livestock, agro-processing and income-generating activities in smallholder farming contexts.
• Strong knowledge of CVA modalities and market-based programming, including cash transfers, agricultural input vouchers, e-vouchers, cash-for-work and cash-plus designs.
• Demonstrated experience in response option analysis and modality selection, including market functionality assessments for CVA in crisis-affected contexts.
• Ability to coordinate with government food security institutions including Ministry of Agriculture and engage in inter-agency platforms such as the Food Security Sector.
• Experience designing and managing integrated cash-plus interventions combining food assistance with productive asset support or capacity building.
• Experience in targeting methodologies, beneficiary management systems and registration, with understanding of accountability, data protection and transparency requirements.
• Practical experience in design, roll-out and supervision of FFS, FBS and participatory extension methodologies, including facilitator training and monitoring of knowledge adoption.
• Strong field implementation and supervision skills with ability to maintain regular field presence and support project teams, facilitators and implementing partners.
• Understanding of climate resilience frameworks, shock-responsive programming and disaster risk reduction in agricultural livelihoods contexts.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to produce food security situation analyses, early warning products and evidence-based briefs for management and donor audiences.
• Good monitoring and technical reporting skills in English; ability to document field evidence, lessons learned and results for donor and corporate reporting.

Selection criteria

• Master’s degree is an asset.
• Experience working with financial service providers, vendors or implementing partners in CVA delivery is an asset.
• Prior experience with FAO, UN agencies or NGOs is an asset.
• Strong knowledge of Lebanon’s food security, agricultural and crisis context is highly desirable.
• Proven experience in: (i) design and implementation of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programmes, including cash transfers, agricultural input vouchers and cash-plus modalities; (ii) targeting, beneficiary management and registration systems; (iii) market assessments and response option analysis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION