National Food Safety Specialist

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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity 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

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific (SAP) supports member countries in meeting their national priorities in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, agrifood systems, nutrition and rural development. FAO’s member countries in the Pacific include the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FAO SAP is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional agriculture, food, nutrition and rural development priorities. FAO SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.

FAO SAP is seeking a National Food Safety Specialist to conduct activities aimed at strengthening the national food control system in Tonga by identifying food safety challenges and delivering targeted solutions. The role involves supporting the assigned FAO international consultant on the project to complete project activities, providing organizational support for workshops and meetings with relevant stakeholders and preparing and submitting reports on project work.

The post is based in Nuku’alofa, Tonga and funded under a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), under the project “Strengthening the food safety system in Fiji and Tonga, to support public health and food security”. The project aims to strengthen food control management systems in Fiji and Tonga by identifying food safety challenges and delivering targeted solutions, including raising awareness and providing practical tools and resources to industry stakeholders, enforcement agencies, and consumers to enhance food safety standards and practices

Reporting Lines

The National Food Safety Specialist will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific, technical supervision of the FAORAP Senior Food Safety and Nutrition Officer in close collaboration with the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, and reporting and liaison with the Assistant FAO Representative for Tonga. He/she works in coordination with relevant FAO technical and support staff and contributes to activities involving government institutions, consultants, and partners, under the guidance of the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition.

Technical Focus

The National Food Safety Specialist will report on workshops and project activities and supports activities related to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests (MAFF), under the guidance and coordination of FAO technical staff to undertake the collection of data/information from relevant sources, including Government Ministries, as required. He/She will undertake review, assessment and judgment of the data/information in close consultation with the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, and in support of activities involving MAFF. The Specialist will facilitate presentations and coordination of the stakeholder workshops/consultations organized as per the agreed work schedule.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will assist the international consultant to complete the following project activities\:
• Coordinate an assessment/review of the national food control system in Tonga
• Provide support in the preparation of national food control system assessment report for Tonga
• Provide support in the development and implementation of a surveillance and monitoring plan in Tonga
• Provide support for building a robust food control network in Tonga through increased engagements in international and national forums dealing with food safety, trade, and standardization.
• Coordinate overseas and in-country laboratory training for food safety laboratory personnel

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Food Security, Nutrition, Agriculture, or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in food safety and food standard regulation practices, including developing and preparing training and guideline materials, and conducting training workshops.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English
• National of Tonga or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core 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
• Extent and relevance of experience in the Pacific Islands/Small Island Developing States (SIDS) contexts are considered a strong asset
• Knowledgeable in food safety and national food control systems
• Relevant qualification supporting an understanding of national food control systems.
• Ability to draft reports and materials from workshops and relevant project activities to be shared with the international consultant.
• Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements is desirable
• Able to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams.
• Ability to work and plan at strategic as well as operational levels.
• Facilitation and communication\: experience of high-level coordination and chairing of meetings; ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.
• Excellent command of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel or other reporting and visualization software
• Excellent command of the English language, and ability to write clear and concise reports in English.
• Knowledge of key food security, agricultural and livelihoods indicators.
• Ability to solve problems and provide creative solutions.
• Excellent organizational skills

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

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

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.
• 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 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. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

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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