The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — FAO — is recruiting an Event Specialist (Digital Agriculture) to support the organization and delivery of a major regional forum on “AgriFood Innovation in the AI and Digital Age.”
The consultancy is linked to FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia — REU — based in Budapest, and will support the work of the Digital Agriculture team. The assignment is expected to last six months, with the preferred duty station in Tirana, Albania. Candidates based in Budapest, Hungary, or Rome, Italy, may also be considered.
The selected specialist will help coordinate a flagship three-day regional event dedicated to the digital transformation of agrifood systems across Europe and Central Asia. The forum is expected to bring together government officials, technology innovators, development partners, investors and farmers, with artificial intelligence serving as a cross-cutting theme across the event.
The programme will include a high-level political segment, a dedicated session on AgriGovTech — focusing on the digital transformation of government systems and public agricultural services — and a day focused on field innovation and the agri-tech ecosystem.
The Event Specialist will be responsible for end-to-end event planning and delivery, from the initial workplan and budget management to logistics, procurement, communication, speaker coordination, visibility, post-event reporting and knowledge management.
Key responsibilities include supporting the design of the three-day programme, developing sponsorship and partnership packages, coordinating logistics, managing invitations and travel arrangements, supporting procurement processes, coordinating exhibition spaces, preparing briefing materials for speakers and moderators, and ensuring strong media and social media visibility.
The role also includes coordinating the production of post-event knowledge products, such as the final event report, session summaries, video recordings, presentations and case studies, which will be made available as open-access resources.
Applicants should hold an advanced university degree in Event Management, Communications, Marketing, Public Administration, International Relations, Agricultural Science or a related field. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree may be considered if they have two additional years of relevant professional experience.
FAO requires at least five years of relevant experience in event management, conference organization, project management, travel, administration, finance support or related fields, preferably in an international or intergovernmental context. Working knowledge of English is required.
Experience in organizing large-scale international conferences, managing VIP and speaker relations, developing sponsorship packages, mobilizing resources, handling event communications and managing social media for high-profile events will be considered particularly relevant. Familiarity with digital agriculture, agri-tech innovation and the Europe and Central Asia regional context is considered a strong asset.
This opportunity is especially relevant for professionals working at the intersection of digital agriculture, event management, innovation, agrifood systems, artificial intelligence, communication and international development.
For AfricaVET, this vacancy also reflects the growing global importance of digital agriculture and artificial intelligence in transforming food systems. Although the assignment is focused on Europe and Central Asia, the themes are highly relevant to Africa, where digital tools, agri-tech platforms, data systems and innovation ecosystems are increasingly shaping the future of agriculture, livestock, food security and rural development.
Deadline for applications: 10 June 2026.
