Forestry Officer (Urban Forestry and Green Cities)

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.

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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 persons 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.

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

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 Members, 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 post is located in the Greening Cities Team of the Forestry Division (NFO) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Forestry Officer (Urban Forestry and Green Cities)/Team Leader of the Greening Cities Team reports to the Deputy Director, NFO.

Technical Focus
The Forestry Officer (Urban Forestry and Green Cities) will be responsible for leading the Greening Cities Team, providing technical and policy support in the field of urban and peri-urban forestry and coordinating the FAO Green Cities Initiative, in collaboration with the relevant technical units.

Key Results
Comprehensive technical and policy expertise to support the planning, development and implementation of divisional programmes, projects, products and services in accordance with divisional objectives and the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Plans and leads components of multidisciplinary teams, leads and/or participates in Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams, and working groups and/or provides specialized expertise on technical networks and/or international technical policy and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Develops technical, analytical, monitoring and reporting frameworks, and related methodologies, tools, systems and databases etc. to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of programmes of work, projects, products and/or services.
• Designs and conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative approaches and strategies, new tools, technologies, technical reports/publications, and/or policy proposals as well as the provision of technical/policy/specialist/advice and expertise.
• Responds to country requests for technical and policy assistance, provides technical advice, assistance and solutions to Decentralized Offices and provides technical backstopping to field projects.
• Collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to, and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within Members such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning materials, on-line tools.
• Promotes international cooperation/advocates best practices, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international/intergovernmental meetings.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Specific Functions

• Coordinates the FAO Green Cities Initiative.
• Plans and leads NFO’s work on urban forestry and urban greening.
• Leads and implements normative activities on urban forestry and urban greening, with a focus on sustainable production of ecosystem goods and services from forests and trees.
• Promotes, advises and provides technical assistance to country capacity development on policies, strategies and methods related to urban forestry and urban greening and their contribution to sustainable urban development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Enhances knowledge sharing through production and dissemination of normative material (e.g. methodologies, guidelines, and best practices).
• Generates, disseminates and promotes the uptake of technical information, publications, articles, training course materials, websites and other sources of information on urban forestry and urban greening.
• Mobilises resources for and provides support and technical backstopping to field projects on urban forestry and urban greening throughout the project formulation and implementation process.
• Plans, organises and participates in international meetings, seminars and workshops on matters related to urban forestry and the Green Cities Initiative.
• Cooperates with other United Nations (UN) agencies, national and international organizations dealing with urban greening (e.g. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), C40) and promotes the implementation of the relevant UN multilateral environmental agreements and processes (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)).
• Builds partnerships and collaborates with research institutions and networks at national and international levels for the development of research and the transfer of research results and technologies, to enhance the contribution of urban forests and trees to human health and wellbeing as well as environmental sustainability.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in forestry, natural resource management or related fields.
• Seven years of relevant experience in forestry, natural resources management or land use planning/management, including international experience.
• Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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

Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
• Extent of knowledge and experience in urban and peri-urban forestry.
• Extent and relevance of experience in developing countries and knowledge of global issues, international initiatives, agreements and processes related to urban and peri-urban forestry and trees outside forests.
• Extent and relevance of experience in responding to emergency-related situations is considered a strong asset.
• Extent and relevance of experience in delivering oral presentation and drafting technical reports and documents in English.
• Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of other FAO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.

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FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

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• Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

• 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
• 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/
• 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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