Job Posting: 06/Sep/2023
Closure Date: 27/Sep/2023, 10:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit: OER – Office of Emergencies and Resilience
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Grade Level: N/A
Primary Location: Various Locations
Duration: Up to 11 months, extendable upon funding availability
Post Number: N/A
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 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 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is committed to supporting Member Countries and Partners in preparing for and responding to disasters and crises that threaten agriculture, food and nutrition security or food safety. FAO’s work in emergencies focuses on reducing people’s vulnerability to these hazards, including animal diseases, before, during and after disasters through good emergency management practices, including risk assessment, risk reduction, emergency preparedness and response, and rehabilitation.
The Emergency Management Centre (EMC), established in 2006 is FAO’s rapid response and coordination mechanism to animal health and agrifood emergencies. Within FAO Headquarters, the EMC operates as a joint platform between two FAO divisions: Animal Production and Health (NSA) and the Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER), with technical collaboration with other divisions such as Plant Production and Protection (NSP) and Fisheries and Aquaculture (NFI). The NSA supports countries to strengthen the contribution of the livestock sector toward the reduction of hunger and poverty. OER leads FAO’s humanitarian efforts in supporting countries to more effectively prepare for and respond to food and agricultural threats and crises and to strengthen the resilience of agricultural livelihoods, in alignment with FAO 5 betters.
The tasks envisaged are to be carried out within the Emergency Management Centre. The EMC is currently expanding its services to assist the broader agrifood sector and Member Countries in all stages of emergency management.
Reporting Lines
The Incident Coordination Specialist based in HQ, reports to the EMC Manager and works in close collaboration and liaison with the Animal Production and Health and Emergencies and Resilience staff, as well as other FAO technical departments and International Organizations.
Technical Focus
Emergency management and incident coordination.
Tasks and responsibilities
Following are the generic functions for which candidates are sought. Specific tasks and responsibilities will be defined in Terms of Reference prepared for different assignments, according to the profile orientation required and the selected candidates’ experience, qualifications and expertise.
The key functions will be as following (tasks will be assigned according to the specific profile):
- Support preparedness, response and coordination activities for animal health and agrifood emergencies (eg. plant health);
- Support establishment and implementation of coordination mechanisms and strategies at regional and global levels;
- Support and lead planning and operations of trainings, response missions, support activities and incident coordination groups (ICG) with FAO and external stakeholders;
- Support strengthening of collaboration between Veterinary Services and Public Health Services on One Health in country based projects;
- Support the design and rollout of emergency management tools and platforms, and provide support/training to partners;
- Support the design and development of standard operating procedures and operational plans on emergency management, coordination and platforms at the EMC, country, regional and global levels;
- Monitor the effectiveness of trainings, response and coordination activities and make recommendations for improvement;
- Maintain coordination and collaboration with international EMCs/EOCs, the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Health Operations Center, other strategic EOCs and partners, including the private sector and the Global Security Clusters (among others);
- Attend meetings, conferences, workshops related to emergency management to share information and lessons learned, and network with other emergency management specialists;
- Undertake travel and field missions as needed;
- Perform other related duties, as requested.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- University degree in a discipline relevant to the duties listed or otherwise related to FAO’s Programme of Work, including technical field disciplines; Veterinary medicine degree is a prioritized asset;
- At least 1 year (Category C), 5 years (Category B) or 12 years (COF Category A) / in one of the areas below:
Emergency management in animal health or agrifood sectors (eg. Plant health, Fisheries);
Veterinary related matters activities (such as One Health, epidemiology, infectious disease management, or conservation)
Regulatory, standards setting, managerial, and operational experience; - Working knowledge (Level C) of English and limited knowledge (Level B) of one of FAO’s Official languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian. For PSA, working knowledge (Level C) of English.
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Work experience with international and/or regional organizations and/or institutions is desirable;
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable;Able to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams;
- Extent of knowledge of international humanitarian architecture, including agencies, NGOs, and other partners is an asset;
- Extent and relevance of experience in international animal health (regulatory and developmental) programmes is an asset;
- Extent and relevance of experience in prevention and control of infectious diseases or threats;
- Extent and relevance of experience in animal or plant health projects and program management;
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written;
- Effective team leadership and decision making skills with strong individual planning capacity is an asset;
- Experience in design and implementation of technical training in various cultures (Asia, Africa, S. America) is preferable;
- Experience in other global coordination mechanisms and regulations (WHO, IAEA, UNOCHA, OIE) is an 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
- 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 contact: Careers@fao.org
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
