Senior Nutrition and Food Systems Officer (Nutrition Integration in Agrifood Systems)

Organizational Setting

FAO's Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) provides technical expertise and normative guidance to support Members' actions to improve access to and consumption of healthy diets to raise levels of nutrition. Priorities include the generation and consolidation of data and evidence for decision-making, the development and mobilization of up-to-date guidance and guidelines across a variety of relevant topics, and the integration of nutrition into agrifood systems policies and actions from production, through value chain and market initiatives to consumers.

This position is located in the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Nutrition and Food Systems Officer (Nutrition Integration in Agrifood Systems) reports to the Director, ESN.

Technical Focus

To provide leadership within the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) in the technical area of nutrition integration in agrifood systems, supporting better production, food supply chains and markets to enable access to healthy diets for all. The role will contribute to the achievement of FAO's ambitious aims for integration of nutrition into agrifood systems actions through the development, testing, and deployment of evidence, good practice and guidance in agricultural production (land and water, plant production, livestock, fisheries and forestry), nutritious food value chain development, food markets, including micro- small and medium enterprise development. In achieving these aims, the incumbent will work closely with ESN colleagues, other headquarters Technical Divisions and FAO Decentralized Offices.

Key Results

Leadership and conceptual thinking for the development and implementation of comprehensive technical, statistical and/or analytical frameworks to support the programme of work and related products, projects and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Plans, manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams; leads, coordinates and/or participates in Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams and working groups, and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.

• Analyses global and country specific requirements as well as agricultural, economic, social and environmental factors to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work as well as Detailed Work Plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.

• Implements and monitors work programmes involving the conception and development of comprehensive statistical and/or analytical frameworks including early warning, medium- and long-term plans and strategies, leading edge tools, methods, systems and databases, critical indicators and/or policy models, etc.

• Oversees and reviews data collection, validation, analysis and reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, FAO flagship publications/yearbooks and/or ongoing programme development as well as technical and/or policy advisory services.

• Provides technical and policy advice to Members and technical support to Decentralized Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes of work.

• Plans, organizes and participates in capacity development activities involving the provision of advice, technical assistance projects, training workshops, seminars and meetings as well as oversees the development of related materials, on-line tools and information kits.

• Represents the Organization at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences, advocates strategic partnerships, best practices and increased policy dialogue and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national partners.

• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Specific Functions

• Leads, in close collaboration with ESN colleagues, other headquarters Technical Divisions and FAO Decentralized Offices as part of the divisional workplan, the design and delivery of a programme of work to build and deploy strategies to integrate nutrition in agrifood systems policies and actions, including agricultural production (plant, livestock, fisheries, forestry), value chain and market development, ecosystem topics (soils, water, climate, biodiversity), including work with micro- small and medium enterprise development.

• Manages a technical team in support of the programme of work, including human resource management, budget and results performance planning and management.

• Leads activities to consolidate, disseminate, contribute to, and mobilize the latest evidence and good practice related to nutrition integration in agrifood systems, in close collaboration with partners, and contributes to relevant FAO flagship and high-level reports.

• Identifies the need for, and leads activities to develop and mobilize technical standards, normative guidelines and guidance for nutrition integration into agrifood systems policies and actions.

• Contributes, as part of ESN's senior management team, to the divisional priorities, including resource mobilization, working closely with and enhancing collaboration across the Division on relevant and related topics.

• Performs other related duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in nutrition, food and agricultural economics, rural development, food and nutrition policy, public health or other relevant fields.

• Ten years of relevant experience in the design, implementation, research and/or evaluation of efforts to integrate nutrition into agrifood systems including agricultural production, value chain development, food environments, and/or food market development, with particular emphasis on low- and middle-income contexts.

• 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

• Leading, Engaging and Empowering

• Communication

• Partnering and Advocating

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.

• Extent and relevance of experience and knowledge of nutrition policy and programme initiatives for the integration of nutrition in policies and actions at various entry points across agrifood systems including agricultural production, value chain, food environments and/ or market-based initiatives.

• Extent and relevance of experience in planning, implementation and/or research and evaluation related to the design and implementation of programmes related to the integration of nutrition in actions at various entry points across agrifood systems including agricultural production, value chain, food environments and/ or market-based initiatives in development organizations.

• Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources.

• Extent and relevance of experience in managing teams (including people and resources management) and in collaborative work with partners.

• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses.

• PhD in nutrition, food and agricultural economics, rural development, food and nutrition policy, public health or other relevant fields, is highly preferred.