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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 (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to eradicate hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all by ensuring that people have regular access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to lead active and healthy lives. With 195 Members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO operates in more than 130 countries worldwide. In Sri Lanka, FAO has been working since 1979 through its Representation (Country Office) in Colombo.
FAO contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation of agri-food systems to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. This is guided by the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Sri Lanka’s rice and other field crop (OFC) production systems are under increasing pressure from climate variability, labour shortages, rising input costs, and inefficient input use. Smallholder farmers commonly apply weedicides and fertilizers uniformly across their fields despite significant intra-field variability, resulting in reduced input-use efficiency and increased environmental risks.
Under TCP/SRL/4104, FAO is supporting the Department of Agriculture (DOA) in developing and field-validating performance-based, platform-agnostic standards and protocols for drone-based direct seeding, weed management, and nutrient management in a maize-mungbean cropping system in the Dry Zone. The project utilizes drone-acquired RGB and multispectral imagery to facilitate the early detection of weed infestations and nutrient stress, enabling targeted, site-specific input applications instead of conventional blanket treatments.
Reporting Lines
The National Expert on Drone-based Seeding, Plant Nutrient and Weed Management will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programmes), and the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer of the project. The incumbent will work closely with the relevant technical teams at the Field Crops Research and Development Institute (FCRDI) and other selected partner institutions.
Technical Focus
The objective of this assignment is to provide technical and operational support to FCRDI for the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and validation of drone-based seeding, plant nutrient management, and weed management protocols for maize–mungbean cropping systems. The assignment will support the development of national standards and operational guidelines under project TCP/SRL/4104.
The incumbent will provide technical and operational support to FCRDI for the UAV-based remote sensing components of the project, including supporting the processing and analysis of drone-acquired multispectral imagery, assisting in the validation of field data, and contributing to the development of operational protocols for weed and nutrient management for use by the Department of Agriculture's extension system and the national agricultural service-provider sector.
The incumbent will provide technical and operational support for the following activities:
• Supporting the implementation of imagery-based components of the project, including weed characterization and management (Output 2).
• Supporting activities related to nutrient deficiency detection and management (Output 3).
• Assisting with impact assessments and economic viability analyses.
• Supporting the delivery of capacity-building activities and the development of knowledge products.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Provide technical and operational support to the planning, establishment, and management of field trials for drone-based mungbean seeding, maize nutrient management, and maize weed management.
• Assist in the identification and preparation of suitable research and demonstration plots in coordination with the Field Crops Research and Development Institute (FCRDI) and other relevant local stakeholders.
• Support the development of field protocols and data collection methodologies to evaluate the agronomic, operational, and economic performance of drone-based applications.
• Support the coordination of drone operations and assist in ensuring compliance with approved experimental designs and field protocols.
• Collect, compile, and analyze field data on crop establishment, plant growth, nutrient status, weed suppression, yield performance, input-use efficiency, and operational costs.
• Support the assessment and interpretation of drone-derived imagery and related datasets to inform decision-making and validate operational protocols.
• Document field observations, lessons learned, implementation challenges, and opportunities for scaling up drone-based technologies.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of national standards, technical guidelines, and operational protocols for drone-based applications in agriculture.
• Provide technical and operational support to FCRDI in organizing stakeholder consultations, field demonstrations, and capacity-building activities for extension officers, researchers, and farmers.
• Prepare technical reports, progress updates, and recommendations, and perform any other related duties as required...
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• A university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics/GIS, Agricultural Engineering, Precision Agriculture, Soil Science, or a closely related discipline.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in UAV-based remote sensing applications, including at least two years of experience in agricultural or precision agriculture applications.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English.
• National of Sri Lanka or resident of the country with a valid work permit
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Selection criteria
• Master’s degree or PhD is an asset
• Proficiency in GIS software, such as QGIS or ArcGIS, for producing georeferenced prescription maps and other decision-support products.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience in multispectral image acquisition, radiometric calibration, and image processing using software such as DJI Terra, Pix4Dfields, Agisoft Metashape, or MicaSense Atlas.
• Experience in designing and analysing field calibration studies that relate vegetation indices to ground-truth agronomic data.
• Experience in delivering technical training for extension officers, researchers, and farmer groups.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English. Working knowledge of Sinhala and/or Tamil is required.
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
• 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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