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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 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) advances the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. This effort promotes better production, improved nutrition, a healthier environment, and enhanced livelihoods, ensuring no one is left behind.
The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate FAO's work in 13 member countries in the Pacific subregion - Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Naoero, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu; and one Associate Member, Tokelau. SAP is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions and entities.
The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Reporting Lines
Under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator and the direct supervision of the Innovation and Digital Agriculture Officer at the FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP), and in close coordination with colleagues in the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), government counterparts in Pacific Island countries, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), and FAO headquarters (HQ).
Technical Focus
Strengthen digital agriculture systems, data infrastructure, and digital public goods in Pacific Island countries. Support subregional and national digital agriculture readiness assessments, e-agriculture strategy implementation, digital farmer registry deployment, capacity-building, and technical advisory services across a portfolio of regional and national projects.
Tasks and responsibilities
Digital Agriculture and Innovation
• Support the design and implementation of national and subregional digital agriculture readiness assessments and investment roadmaps across Pacific Island countries.
• Support the implementation of national e-agriculture strategies, including the identification and adaptation of emerging, human-centered digital tools and innovations relevant to smallholder agriculture in Pacific SIDS.
• Support the deployment, configuration, and continued development of Digital Farmer Registries (DFR) and related digital public infrastructure.
• Apply a product-management approach to digital public goods and digital solutions.
• Establish and support mechanisms to elicit user feedback (from farmers, extension staff, and government counterparts) to inform continuous improvement of digital products and services.
• Support the assessment of the maturity of certified and candidate digital public goods (DPG) and the readiness of national governments, and help identify appropriate adoption and scaling pathways for Pacific Island contexts.
• Deliver training and capacity-building workshops for government extension staff and counterparts on digital agriculture tools and platforms.
• Provide technical guidance on interoperability, data governance, and the responsible use of agricultural data.
• Support the identification and adaptation of digital solutions for market linkages, climate resilience and agricultural finance, including tools for climate information services, digital advisory, and access to financial services for smallholders.
• Support the preparation of technical briefs, policy notes, and recommendations to inform national and subregional digital agriculture strategies and investment priorities.
• Contribute to discussions on the responsible, ethical, and human-centered application of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in agriculture.
Project Management
• Plan project activities, procurement and staffing over the project timeframe.
• Facilitate and support all aspects of project implementation.
• Ensure the preparation, monitoring and updating of workplans.
• Contribute to the preparation of Terms of Reference and Letters of Agreement for project affiliate personnel and service providers.
• Liaise, and maintain positive working relations with stakeholders.
• Support the establishment of a Project Task Force (PTF) and liaise with, provide reports to and receive guidance from the PTF.
• Support the identification and mitigation of potential risks, and report and escalate issues when necessary.
• Monitor the progress and quality of deliverables from contracted experts.
• Identify resource mobilization opportunities and draft concept notes, project proposals, and funding applications.
• Complete other digital agriculture-relevant tasks as assigned.
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 Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Smart Agriculture, Agriculture Engineering, or a related field. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in digital agriculture, agricultural information systems, ICT for development including demonstrated experience in the planning, implementation and support of technical projects.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Familiarity with digital public infrastructure for agriculture, including the Digital Farmer Registries (DFR).
• Familiarity with product-management principles for digital solutions.
• Understanding of the maturity of digital public goods and of the factors affecting government readiness to adopt and sustain them.
• Familiarity with human-centered design of digital products and services for rural and agricultural users.
• Working knowledge of agricultural data standards, data interoperability and data governance, including the responsible use of agricultural data.
• Ability to support the design and delivery of training and capacity-building activities for government counterparts and extension staff.
• Able to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural project partners at regional and international level.
• Good communication and interpersonal abilities, with some experience liaising between diverse project stakeholders.
• Effective writing and analytical skills.
Selection Criteria
• Experience supporting national or subregional digital agriculture or e-agriculture initiatives.
• Experience with agricultural data governance, interoperability and the responsible use of data.
• Experience supporting the design and delivery of training and capacity-building activities, preferably for government counterparts in a development context.
• Experience supporting project implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Experience supporting Digital Farmer Registries (DFR) and digital public goods (DPG) will be an asset.
• Familiarity with the Pacific context will be a strong asset.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
- Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
- 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 more information, visit the FAO employment website
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
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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