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The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.
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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 persons 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
Organizational setting
The Markets and Trade Division (EST) monitors and analyses developments and trends in international, regional and national agricultural commodity markets and the factors affecting them, collecting and disseminating up-to-date and comprehensive market and policy information for the major traded commodities and those important to food security. It also undertakes forward-looking outlook studies. The Division analyses issues that affect global food and agricultural markets and trade, including analysis of trade policies and agreements, and provides technical support and capacity development to FAO Members in all these areas. Through its Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS), the Division is responsible for FAO's early warnings on food shortfalls and food security problems. EST is also responsible for the production of FAO flagship publication The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) and the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook. The Division houses the secretariats of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and its subsidiary Intergovernmental Groups (IGGs), the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) and the World Banana Forum (WBF).
The position is located in the Markets and Trade Division (EST) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Young Professional Officer (Economist) reports to the Team Leader, Food and Agricultural Market Analysis team, under the overall guidance of the EST Director.
Technical Focus
The incumbent will provide technical, statistical and analytical inputs, databases and related products and services to support the work of the Food and Agricultural Market Analysis team on agricultural commodity markets, including monitoring of market developments and conducting quantitative analysis on commodity prices, macroeconomic linkages, energy market linkages, and policy analysis.
Key Results
Research, technical analysis and project related services to support the delivery of assigned projects, products and services.
Key Functions
• Analyses relevant technical social, economic, environmental, and technology information, data and/or statistics for input in various documents.
• Maintains records and updates databases and web pages.
• Provides technical support to various projects.
• Collaborates in the development of training tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars, etc.
• Participates in the organization and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.
Specific Functions
• Supports the development, maintenance and quality assurance of databases and indicators on agricultural commodity markets and prices.
• Contributes to economic and quantitative analyses on factors affecting agricultural commodity markets, including price dynamics, macroeconomic linkages and trade-related developments.
• Assists in the preparation of analytical outputs, such as reports, technical notes, policy briefs, presentations and datasets, including the production of the Commodity Market Review report.
• Provides support in the monitoring and assessment of market developments, emerging issues, policy changes and other factors affecting agricultural commodity markets and identifies their potential implications.
• Supports the organization of meetings, workshops and technical consultations, including preparation of background materials and follow-up activities in the field of agricultural commodity markets.
• Contributes to capacity development activities, including the development of training materials, analytical tools and knowledge products on topics related to agricultural commodity markets.
• Performs other duties as required.
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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in economics, agricultural economics, macroeconomics, international trade, development economics, or a related field.
• One year of relevant experience in economic research and quantitative analysis, including experience in international markets and trade, econometrics and/or economic modelling, and database management.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
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, particularly in field positions is desirable.
• Academic/professional background in economics, with a foundation in empirical economics and quantitative analysis.
• Relevance of experience in commodity market analysis and economic research, including familiarity with statistical and econometric methods will be an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in programming with MATLAB, R, Stata, Python, or other relevant programming languages.
• Relevance of experience in the development and management of databases using macroeconomic data.
• Proven excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing.
• A Ph.D. in relevant field is a strong asset.
NB Please note that candidates should be 32 years of age or younger as of 31 December of the year of application.
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Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
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FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
- Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
- FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include:
• Dependency allowances
• Rental subsidy
• Education grant for children
• Home leave travel
• 30 working days of annual leave per year
• Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
• International health insurance; optional life insurance
• Disability protection
• elements of family-friendly policies
• flexible working arrangements
• standards of conduct.
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• 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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