Field Technical Assistant

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

FAO Myanmar is implementing the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) project\: “TCP/MYA/4005, Facilitating better production for smallholder farmers in Central Dry Zone”.
The project focuses on improving agricultural productivity, soil health, and food security by promoting climate-smart and sustainable practices and integrates community-based seed multiplication and natural fertilizer production with the establishment of village-level saving and credit groups. These groups will enable farmers to save income from production, access affordable credit, and reinvest in their farming activities, promoting both financial inclusion and resilience. By linking financial mechanisms with sustainable agricultural practices, the project aims to build self-reliant and resilient farming communities.
The Project activities will be implemented by the FAO Representation Office in Myanmar with the support of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok and in collaboration with implementing partners in Myanmar.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Myanmar and under the technical guidance of the Agricultural Officer RAP (Lead Technical Officer), direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), in close collaboration and coordination with the Technical Officer in the Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESPDD), and National Programme Specialist, the incumbent will assist in the development and day-to-day operation of the project activities.

Technical Focus

The Assistant will provide technical support to soil health and food security by promoting sustainable practices in consultation with the project responsible manager and the Programme Specialist. The primary objective of this initiative is to guide and support technical inputs as needed for the project, being important to provide important technical aspects of the project. Key responsibilities are categorised as follows\:

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical input to the project to ensure that activities are in accordance with the Project Document and implementation modalities.
• Prepare the baseline assessment questionnaires for seed production and natural fertilizer production
• Participate in the field project activities, such as capacity building training, workshops, meetings and community mass meetings, and provide necessary technical inputs to improve the performance of the project.
• Identify and select villages and farmers for the establishment of seed production and natural fertilizer producer groups.
• Provide technical support in conducting community meetings in each of the 30 villages to introduce the concept and objectives of seed producers and natural fertilizer producer groups.
• Ensure access to improved resources for members involved in seed multiplication and fertilizer production.
• Facilitate the training manuals for seed production and natural fertilizer production with the support of service provider
• Support the conducting of trainings for seed production and natural fertilizer production
• Accompany technical monitoring field visit if needed to project areas to ensure the operations of seed production and natural fertilizer production
• Provide technical support on recommendations on operational challenges and learning opportunities of different groups based on field observations.
• Regularly meet with the MEAL team for MEAL activities of the project and update the MEAL data.
• Support follow-up and coordination related to the savings and credit schemes and seeds and natural fertilizer production.
• Seek for opportunities in other FAO projects for promoting synergies and complementarities in project implementation and necessary contributions to the new project proposals development
• Perform other related duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in agriculture, rural development, rural sociology, development studies, economics, finance, or other relevant fields.
• At least five (5) years’ experience as coordinator/field liaison officer/assistant or field operation officer with UN agencies, INGOs and government
• Working knowledge of English and Myanmar
• Nationality of Myanmar

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in the project target regions/townships with FAO or other UN agencies, INGOs and government will be preferred and considered an asset
• Proven capacity and experience in working at the community level, national and sub-national levels
• Experience in seed and natural fertilizer production with focus on the following aspects
• Proven experience in developing sustainable plan for seed and natural fertilizer production.
• Technical skills in microbusiness/microenterprises, entrepreneurships and business management planning and implementation.
• Skills and experience in management of community based and community led leadership and skills management capacity building trainings and exposures.
• Experience of developing backward and forward linkages and productive networking for seed and natural fertilizer producer groups.
• Technical knowledge of innovation in social enterprise development for women empowerment, income generating activities, investments, income enhancement and income diversification.
• Experience in writing and publishing technical reports for the government, international developmental agency or international NGO.
• Previous working experience in another low and medium country is desirable.

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).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact\: Careers@fao.org
• 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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