National Project Coordinator

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

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

• 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
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing technical assistance to enhance the country's capacity to support youth participation in agrifood systems (TCP/ZIM/4003 (754112) project. This is a 1.5-year project (2025-2026), with two overall objectives, including (i) Developing a national strategy and investment plan for youths in agrifood systems strengthened and (ii) Capacitating and training youth and ministry personnel to better deliver the governance and leadership mandate on inclusion of youth in agrifood system improved. This initiative aligns closely with national priorities and strategies, particularly the Zimbabwe National Agriculture Policy, which emphasizes the need for inclusive agricultural development. Furthermore, it aligns with the government’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), highlights the importance of engaging youth in creating sustainable and resilient agrifood systems. By supporting youth participation, the project will contribute to national strategies aimed at poverty reduction, food security, and economic growth. Through targeted technical assistance, this project seeks to enhance Zimbabwe's institutional capacity to create a supportive environment for youth in agrifood systems. This includes providing technical assistance to the Zimbabwe government to develop strategies to engage youth in inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems in line with FAO's Strategic Framework and the FAO Rural Youth Action Plan. By building partnerships between public agencies, private sector actors, and youth organizations, we can ensure the sustainable engagement of youth in agriculture, ultimately contributing to resilient and inclusive agrifood systems in Zimbabwe.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Zimbabwe, direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative-Programme and technical oversight of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO). The incumbent will work in close collaboration with technical officers in the country office and in HQ.

Technical Focus

Coordination and communication; Project cycle management; Monitoring and evaluation; Technical expertise for the appropriate planning, development and implementation of the FAO projects and timely delivery of the project outputs and capacity development.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Coordinator will oversee the day-to-day operations of the project as outlined in the project document and implementation plans, following the project cycle. S/he will provide all necessary support, and technical advice to achieve the expected project objectives in Zimbabwe. In particular, the Coordinator will perform the following tasks\:

Project work planning

• Prepare detailed project annual work plans referred to the implementation and coordination modalities and submit them to the LTO for clearance.
• Prepare project procurement, travel, and recruitment plans and submit them to the LTO and supervisor for clearance
• Formulate/ facilitate the signing of any contracts related to the project implementation with implementing partners.

Project implementation, monitoring and reporting

• Make necessary arrangements for implementing the project and coordinate implementation of the project activities to ensure coordinated attainment of project results within timeframes
• Monitor the implementation of planned project activities on a day-to-day basis and provide weekly, monthly and annual updates to the Supervisor, LTO, etc.
• Monitor the performance of the project implementation regularly and give feedback to the LTO including recommended corrective measures where necessary.
• Review reports prepared by the external consultants and other service providers
• Support capacity-building efforts through organizing training workshops, seminars, and knowledge-sharing platforms focused on innovative transformation of agrifood systems and youth participation.
• Coordinate the assessments of the current state of the youth in agrifood systems and capacity of the country (incl. mapping youth in agrifood food systems policies and interventions, key stakeholders mapping, capacity assessment, existing solutions, providers and initiatives, the policy, institutional and legislative frameworks)
• Support the ongoing development efforts of the national youth in agrifood system strategy.
• Coordinate the production of the inclusive Youth National Investment Guidelines / Plan outlining the mechanisms that will attract investment and enable participation of youths in agrifood systems processes
• Facilitate the production of investment proposal for establishment of Youth Innovation and Digital Technologies Hubs/Labs in the Agrifood Systems
• Develop a bankable funding programme proposal to be submitted to donors
• Coordinate the youth policy dialogue to support participation of youths in the development of relevant policies to ensure that youth voices are incorporated
• Facilitate the participation of the government and youth leaders in an exchange/ learning tour to Rwanda. Organize a post learning visit session to reflect on lesson learnt and draft action points.
• Production of the relevant reports
• Provide technical leadership to the project implementation and ensure timely accomplishment of the set targets and milestones and eventual achievement of the quality results in time.
• Identify and act on constraints and issues if any that need timely resolutions and corrective actions.
• Ensure that project activities are implemented and managed as per the FAO and TCP guidelines and procedures.
• Identify and escalate critical issues related to project implementation such as delays, gaps, risks, and major changes to the attention of the LTO to initiate actions for timely resolution.

Youth Focal Point

• Assist in the resource mobilization and project formulation on youth issues to ensure the sustainability of the project results and potential scaling up.
• Coordinate the operational and technical preparation of youth key events
• Support the youth focused forums and associations that are linked to FAO such as WFF National Chapter

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in international development, environmental studies, economics, agricultural or development studies, social sciences or other related fields.
• 5 years of relevant work experience in agricultural policy, agricultural business models, rural development, decent rural employment and youth employment issues or international development.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English
• National of Zimbabwe or resident in the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

• Excellent command of written and oral English; working knowledge of local languages is an asset.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and others).

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 a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• 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 other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• 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 create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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