National Soil Specialist

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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
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Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply.

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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Organizational Setting

FAO Representation in Sierra Leone implements an integrated food security programme, focusing on diversification of livelihoods, managing natural resources and building resilience. The office employs diverse team of experts locally, but also attracts the available technical experts from the region and the Head Quarters (HQ). FAO works in close partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone, farmers and other stakeholders, supporting plans and policies that affect the food and nutrition security in the country; our work is a part of the corporate commitment to support countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, especially SDG 2 on Zero Hunger.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Sierra Leone, the Consultant will be directly supervised by Lead Technical Officer and the project Coordinator at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Technical Focus

Develop the National Irrigation Master Plan for Sierra Leone, ensure timely delivery of result

Tasks and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Sierra Leone and direct supervision of the of the Lead Technical Officer and Project Coordinator, the Consultant will:

• The National Soil Specialist shall be responsible for the following;
• Meet with both governmental and non-governmental organizations/institutions, including but not limited to Njala University (NU), Sierra Leone Agricultural Institute(SLARI), etc with a view to having a first- hand information about present status of our soils
• Take stock of past soil survey reports
• Proposed interventions aimed at improving the status of our soils
• Conduct random auguring to determine soil physical properties and for conduct of chemical analysis as the case may be
• Produce diagnostic study report on the current status of our soils and making recommendations for improvement.

To propose capacity building actions;

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in soil science or any related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience in soil survey and analysis.
• All candidates should possess computer/word processing skills
• Working knowledge of English and knowledge of local languages in Sierra Leone will be an added advantage
• National of Sierra Leone or resident in the country with a regular work permit

FAO Core 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

• Extent and relevance of experience in Project Management, with particular emphasis in developing countries;
• Extent and relevance of experience in supporting stakeholder (government, private sector, civil society and local communities) to develop the capacity to develop National Action Plan
• Demonstrated capacity to develop partnerships with a range of stakeholders including donors;
• Demonstrated capacity to provide assistance in the organization of technical meetings, platforms and learning events;
• Demonstrated capacity to prepare documentation materials of work on agricultural investments and supporting Family farming initiative in Sierra Leone

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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.