Data analyst and capacity development consultant

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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

Organizational Setting

The Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO's work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of forestry, including its contributions to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. It liaises with member countries, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues and strengthens the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects, analyses and disseminates information on the world's forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products.

The position is located in the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) team of the Forestry Division. The FRA team is currently conducting FRA 2025 country reporting cycle. As part of the process, the team is also developing the methodology for the next global Remote Sensing Survey to produce independent and statistically robust estimates for forest land use area and its changes.
Capacity development on country reporting and remote sensing are important components of this work.

Reporting Lines

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the NFO Director, the technical supervision of the FRA Senior Forestry Officer/Team Leader, and will take day-to-day guidance from the Forestry Officer, FRA RSS Coordinator.

Technical Focus

Data analysis, geospatial tools, products, methodological development and capacity building.

Tasks and responsibilities

The geospatial consultant(s) will work in close collaboration with the FRA team and Remote Sensing specialists in other FAO units. He/she will provide technical expertise for: (i) compilation and analysis of Remote Sensing data for FRA 2025; (ii) Remote Sensing and FRA country reporting related capacity development workshops in selected countries; (iii) related reporting and data analysis and (iv) review of the FRA reports.

Tasks and responsibilities include the following:

• Support the consolidations of scripts and workflows for geospatial and tabular data processing.
• Support implementation of the ongoing FRA reporting cycle.
• Support the ongoing FRA RSS design and implementation.
• Support the ongoing development of global and regional forest resource maps and estimates.
• Develop and deliver targeted communications products.
• Organize and host internal capacity building activities, including webinars and regular team meetings.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree (for Consultants) or relevant educational background (for PSAs) in International Relations, Development Studies, Environmental Sciences/Engineering, Forestry, Geography, IT, Software and Systems Engineering, Project Management, or closely related discipline
• At least 3 years of relevant experience working on climate change, REDD , forestry, sustainability issues, communications and/or project management for an international organization, development partner, government, NGOs, CSO, academia or the private sector.
• Strong working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of another FAO language (Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian). For PSA, working knowledge of English. French or Spanish also valued, along with any other language spoken in tropical forested countries.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Expertise in geospatial data processing.
• Familiarity with SEPAL and Google Earth Engine.
• Work experience in programming with JavaScript and Phyton.
• Ability to work as part of a global team through largely virtual means but also willing to travel.
• Work experience with Artificial Intelligence.
• Sound oral and written communication skills in English. French and Spanish also highly valued.
• Ability to work under pressure and availability to travel developing or transition countries.

Selection Criteria

• Relevance of working experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team.
• Academic qualifications.
• Performance in the interview.
• Language skills.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency