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Project Officer (Project Manager)

Nairobi

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Nairobi
  • Grade: Mid level - P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Project and Programme Management
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: 2025-02-21

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

• 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 the 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 Subregional Office for Eastern Africa (SFE) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). SFE is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Africa (RAF). It has jurisdiction over eight countries\: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Eritrea. It supports subregional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of subregional partnerships and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the subregion.

The SFE Resilience Team for Eastern Africa (RTEA), based in Nairobi, Kenya, and in close coordination with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), is providing strategic, programmatic and technical guidance to FAO and Member Nations’ programmes on the resilience agenda. Recognizing its complementary function to enhance country level efforts in the resilience agenda, the Subregional Resilience Team contributes to increasing the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises in East Africa through the achievement of the following priority areas\:

• Understanding food crises
• Anticipating, preparing for and responding to crises
• At-scale transformative investments

As part of its portfolio, SFE-RTEA is coordinating the recently signed European Union (EU)-funded “Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in Eastern Africa Programme” (PLACE – GCP/INT/1051/EC). This is a EUR 47 million strategic and long-term investment that addresses some of the key challenges to livestock and pastoralism in four cross border areas spread across seven countries – in a highly dynamic and often fragile region. The programme aims to foster an environment that promotes comprehensive and innovative solutions to enhance resilience, improve food security and establish sustainable pastoral livelihoods. It is implemented across four cross-border cluster areas—the Bahr el-Arab/Kiir, Karamoja, Mandera and Mara-Serengeti Clusters—spanning Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

The position is located in the FAO Representation in Nairobi, Kenya.

Reporting Lines
The Project Officer (Project Manager) will be under the overall supervision of the SFE Subregional Coordinator and the direct supervision of the Resilience Team Leader (RTEA) in Nairobi, Kenya. In close collaboration with the various country teams, the Project Officer (Project Manager) will be responsible for the coordination of the “Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in Eastern Africa Programme” (PLACE) programme.

Technical Focus
Contribute to the implementation of FAO RTEA priority areas for building resilience in Eastern Africa, in particular through the coordination of the EU-funded “Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in Eastern Africa Programme” (PLACE) programme (GCP/INT/1051/EC).

Key Results
Research, technical analysis and project related services to support the delivery of programme projects, products and services.

Key Functions
• Researches and analyses technical-related issues on the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; assists in the review of relevant documents and reports.
• Produces a variety of technical information, data, statistics and documents as well as technical input for reports and web pages.
• Provides technical support/analysis to various assessments, studies and projects and provides technical backstopping to field projects.
• Collaborates in the development of improved/updated tools, systems, processes and databases.
• Oversees the updating of databases and web pages.
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams and/or leads working groups/teams collaborates with other Divisions/Offices/Centres and agencies on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.
• Collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development activities within Member Nations such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning materials and on-line tools.
• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations.
• Performs other duties as required.

Specific Functions
• Provides technical backstopping, project management and overall regional coordination support for the EU-funded Regional Programme in Livestock and Pastoralism for Climate Change Adaptation in Eastern/Horn of Africa (PLACE, GCP/INT/1051/EC), including management of relationships with (regional) partners, donor (at working level) and country offices.
• Supports the design and implementation of policies, regulatory frameworks and institutional arrangements supportive of inclusive, equitable, effective and efficient systems.
• Promotes the regular use of knowledge, information and early warning for evidence-based decision making and monitoring.
• Supports governments in establishment of enabling environments, including the development of conducive and effective policies, strategies and investment plans, programmes, governance and coordination mechanisms in a cross-sectoral, integrated and participatory way.
• Provides technical support to ongoing operational emergency and recovery projects and programmes and related capacity development in country, regional and subregional offices.
• Enhances country public and private sector capacities and investments to design, implement and evaluate policies, strategies and programmes, including through international and regional instruments.
• Empowers the rural poor and their organizations, and particularly youth, women and vulnerable groups, to access productive resources, services, markets, productive employment and decent work opportunities, social protection systems.
• Formulates and builds capacities to implement regional and international standards, agreements and voluntary guidelines and legal, policy and institutional systems and frameworks.
• Provides programmatic, strategy and resource mobilization support for emergency and resilience programmes and strengthens country preparedness and response at all levels.
• Supports RTEA knowledge management, communication - visibility activities.
• Performs other duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in political sciences, business administration, agricultural economics, development economics, rural sociology, food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture (including livestock, forestry and fisheries) or related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in technical cooperation's related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, fishery, forestry, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
• 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.
• Relevance and extent of experience in in technical cooperation's related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
• Relevance and extent of experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams.

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Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment
• Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
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CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link\: https\://commonsystem.org/cp/default.asp
Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include\:
• Dependency allowances
• Rental subsidy
• Education grant for children
• Home leave travel
• 30 working days of annual leave per year
• Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
• International health insurance; optional life insurance
• Disability protection
FAO encourages a positive workplace culture to increase inclusivity and diversity within its workforce. FAO applies measures in which all staff members contribute equally and in full to the work and development of the Organization. This includes\:
• elements of family-friendly policies
• flexible working arrangements
• standards of conduct
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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;
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided on your online profile;
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

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.