National Project Personnel – Regional Manager – Kasungu

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• 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 member nations 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 our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

Organizational Setting

FAO assists governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to address hunger and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors and to respond to cries. FAO in collaboration with the Government of Malawi and with support of multiple development partners is implementing a wide range of activities to improve livelihoods of small-scale farmers as well as assisting a more inclusive and sustainable development in the country. FAO Malawi is currently supporting the Government to strengthen community-based resilience in vulnerable rural areas, facilitate a more sustainable management of natural resources and supporting nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Likewise, FAO provides and mobilizes technical assistance required by the country in areas related with agriculture production, agriculture economics and other areas relevant.

Reporting Lines

The District Coordinator will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative, and the direct operational supervision of the Senior Project Officer of FAO Malawi

Technical Focus:

The Regional Manager will be the overall focal person for FAO’s work and backstop the overall implementation of FAO activities in the assigned geographic area. The Regional Manager will carry out managerial, programmatic, coordination and administrative responsibilities on behalf of the Organization’s management and will support FAO teams in the assigned region to implement all interventions and activities of the organization’s portfolio ensuring programmatic alignment and close coordination with the District Councils, Agriculture Development Divisions and relevant stakeholders.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will work more specifically:

Regional Level:

• Oversee all technical and operational activities of FAO in the respective region.
• Support Management in backstopping all field teams in the area assigned and facilitate harmonization of technical and operational arrangements in close collaboration with District Coordinators and field office staff.
• Facilitate overall coordination of projects assigned by FAO under his responsibility, handling technical and operational aspects related with implementation.
• Lead specific technical work under his/her responsibility and support coordination of all FAO’s interventions in the district;
• Manage organizational communication with the Agriculture Development Division authorities under his/her jurisdiction and guide District Coordinators and field teams in their interactions with Government authorities.
• Represent FAO in relevant fora at ADD/regional level within the mandate of the Organization e.g. Food Security, Climate/DRR/Resilience, statistics, extension, nutrition etc. and provide feedback to FAO Country Management in Lilongwe.
• Actively participate in all initiatives together with the ADD technical personnel (where available).
• Facilitate the overall coordination of emergency assessments and interventions and/or resilience-building interventions in the assigned region while guiding the FAO field teams on different requirements from the Representation.
• Proactively create awareness amongst FAO stakeholders on FAO’s strategic priorities (CPF), programmes and other relevant FAO interests (in relation to the SDG, UNSDCF, MGDS, NAP and NAIP).
• Mentor District Coordinators in technical areas whenever is required and facilitate provision of technical support from ADDs and National level whenever it is required.
• Produce monthly, quarterly and annual reports covering strategic as well as detailed achievements during the reporting period as per FAO requirements, in close coordination with District Offices under his jurisdiction.
• Provide on-the-job support to government counterparts, particularly to DNCC, District Health Office (DHO) and District Agriculture Development Office (DADO) staff in the specific district under his/her responsibility;
• Support preparation of donor reports, technical documents and other related work associated to the projects directly coordinated by his/her responsibility.

Financial and Administrative Tasks

• Oversee management of finances, staff, equipment and assets under his/her responsibility and facilitate support to other FAO Offices in the region, if required.
• Prepare and submit monthly and quarterly travel plans for the staff under his/her direct supervision and ensure compliance with FAO’s travel procedures.
• Provide leadership on management of Organizational funds at district and regional level, providing operational guidance to the District Council Staff, FAO Administrative Assistants and partners on FAO minimum requirements. In addition, supervise and manage the portfolio of subcontracts implemented within the district of responsibility.
• Responsible for the preparation of bi-annual procurement plans for projects under his/her supervision as well as for their revision in order to ensure smooth implementation of activities at district level.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University Degree in Agricultural Economics, Agriculture (including forestry and fisheries), Veterinary Sciences/Animal Production, Human Nutrition; Natural Resources Management or related fields.
• At least 8 years of work experience in development, management and monitoring of projects and programmes in agriculture, food security, nutrition-sensitive agriculture and/or rural development;
• National of Malawi.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in programme management;
• Experience in managing complex projects involving many partners is an asset;
• Good knowledge of Government systems, NGOs and the UN will be an asset
• Extent and relevance of experience and innovativeness in the field of policy and practice in community level (with emphasis in Agriculture Production, Natural Resource Management, Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture, Livestock, etc);
• Proven ability to work as a member of a team with diverse backgrounds;
• Ability to pay attention to detail;
• Computer literacy, especially using standard and analytical software and other information, communication and technology equipment.
• Ability to be multi-tasked and to handle large volumes of work in an effective and timely manner.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.