Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme Specialist

Yaoundé | Dakar | Antananarivo | Lusaka | Gaborone | Nouakchott | Harare | N'Djamena | Port Moresby | Georgetown | Hanoi

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Yaoundé | Dakar | Antananarivo | Lusaka | Gaborone | Nouakchott | Harare | N'Djamena | Port Moresby | Georgetown | Hanoi
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Environment
    • Agriculture and Forestry
    • Animal Health and Veterinary
    • Project and Programme Management
    • Waste Management
    • Natural Resource Management
  • Closing Date: 2025-10-30

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT\:

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

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


Organizational Setting

The Forestry Division 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 member countries, 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 and ecosystem services.

The post is in the programme coordination unit of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme in the FAO Forestry Division. The SWM Programme aims to reduce hunting of wildlife to sustainable levels, protect endangered wildlife species, conserve biodiversity, reduce the risks of zoonotic diseases and secure ecosystems services (i.e., food) to Indigenous People and rural communities. The SWM Programme is funded by the European Union, with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment and the French Development Agency.

The SWM Programme is led by FAO and works through a consortium of partners, which includes the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The initiative is implementing projects in sixteen countries, namely\: Botswana, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Guyana, Lao PDR, Madagascar, Mauritania, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The SWM Programme directly contributes to Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and supports governments in their work to
achieve many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption
and Production, and SDG 15 on Life on Land.

Within the above context, the SWM Programme is seeking the support of consultants and subscribers to support the implementation of project activities.


Reporting Lines

The consultants/subscribers will report to the SWM Programme Coordinator, Senior Forestry Officer, NFO.


Technical Focus

The identified assignments will support the SWM Programme Coordination Unit in the implementation of the programme activities at
global and site levels. The three main areas are\:
• Sustainable wildlife and natural resources management
• Policy advice and governance
• Capacity building and training in wildlife-related topics


Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and support to the SWM Programme Coordination Unit and site teams in his/her area of technical expertise.
• Support the preparation, review and finalization of technical SWM Programme publications, guidelines and capacity building activities in his/her area of specialisation to promote effective sustainable wildlife and natural resources management.
• Design and support research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting activities for specific SWM Programme sites.
• Liaise with relevant FAO units, SWM Programme partners and/or other organizations to obtain guidance and comments on technical and scientific matters.
• Contribute to SWM Programmes strategic plans and the implementation of assigned activities in accordance with FAO and donor rules, procedures and systems.
• As applicable, organize and participate in missions and other events in support of the delivery of the SWM Programme, including for consultation, training, capacity building and technical assistance to site teams.
• Contribute to SWM Programme communication and outreach materials.
• Develop concept notes/project documents
• Any other duties that relate to his/her area of technical expertise.


FAO Standards and guidelines\:

• Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
• All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including\:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31\: https\://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en
FAO social media policy and guidelines\: https\://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia
Social Media Branding Guidelines\: https\://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE https\://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en
FAO terminology http\://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names of Countries https\://www.fao.org/nocs/en
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).
• Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.


CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING


Minimum Requirements

• For Consultants\: Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in forest resources management, wildlife management, environmental sciences or related field. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• For PSAs\: University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in forest resources management, wildlife management, environmental sciences or related field.
• At least one year of relevant experience for Category C, at least five years’ relevant experience for Category B, and at least ten years relevant experience for Category A on issues related to forest resources management and/or wildlife management.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English and limited knowledge (Level B) of French for COF.REG consultants. For PSA.SBS consultants working knowledge of only one of these two.


FAO Core Competencies

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


Selection Criteria

• Extent and relevance of technical work experience in one or more of the main areas of SWM Programme’s work.
• Fields experience working on sustainable hunting management, wild meat consumption and human-wildlife conflict issues.
• Familiarity with FAO policies and procedures would be an asset.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Knowledge management and capacity building or training experience, especially related to sustainable wildlife management, may be considered an asset.

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 any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
  • Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
  • 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 more information, visit the FAO employment website
  • 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

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.
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