Climate Smart Water Management Specialist

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) Representation in Egypt, which is headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist the Government of Egypt to develop policies, programmes and projects to improve food security and nutrition, promote sustainable agricultural development, reduce rural poverty, develop inclusive agri-food systems and strengthen livelihood resilience – in line with the Organization’s Strategic Objectives and United Nations’ global and Government of Egypt’s national Sustainable Development Goals.

FAO Egypt is currently implementing a rural development project that targets the smallholder farmer households in selected Haya Karima villages in Assiut, Sohag and Qena Governorates. Through the upscaling of tested and validated modern irrigation techniques, climate-smart water management (CSWM) practices, land use consolidation, good agricultural practices (GAP) and enhancement of strategic crops value chains, the project will work towards achieving increased crop yields per unit of irrigation water used over time and improving food security and income generation for small scale producers.
The selected candidate for this role will be based in one of the aforementioned project intervention governorates in Southern Egypt (Assiut, Sohag and Qena).

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of FAOR-EGY, the direct supervision of the project Manager based in Cairo, she/he will work closely with the governorate coordinator, the national project coordinator based in FAO Egypt in Cairo, project beneficiaries, government and non-government agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure the project's objectives are met; she/he will be responsible for performing the following tasks\:

Technical Focus

The main role is to support the development and implementation of methods for assessing irrigation efficiency, coordinate the installation and commissioning of irrigation systems, prepare the pre-design of pressurized on-farm irrigation systems, match irrigation modernization specifications with mobile lifting points. The incumbent will also contribute to the increase of agriculture output by contributing expertise in climate smart crop management, soil health improvement, pest, and disease control, and other matters connected to doing so.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Conduct benchmarking and field assessments to evaluate the performance of crops, identify constraints and challenges, and develop recommendations for improving agricultural productivity.
• Develop and implement crop management plans that take into account soil characteristics, water, climate, and other factors affecting crop growth and yield.
• Act as a technical back stopper for the FFSs coordinator
• Develop and implement pest and disease management plans to reduce losses and improve the quality of agricultural produce.
• Collaborate closely with farmers and other stakeholders to identify barriers and create climate smart solutions for boosting crop yields and raising the caliber of agricultural products.
• Identify and promote the use of appropriate agricultural technologies, such as improved seed varieties, fertilizers, and irrigation systems, to increase productivity and reduce environmental impacts.
• Identify and promote the use of appropriate modern irrigation techniques to ensure maximization of water productivity.
• Provide technical guidance/recommendations and support the development, implementation and mainstreaming of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies across intervention sites
• Support development of Letters of Agreement for implementation of project activities in the area of responsibility and monitor implementation including timely reporting
• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure proper documentation of project activities, events and successes.
• Work closely with the Energy Expert to conclude the development of the CSA Investment Plans and the Cost and Benefit analysis.
• Support the strengthening of partnership and linkages with public and private institutions that generate relevant information and technologies that support CSA
• Support the preparation of quality and timely briefs and reports on in the area of responsibility for internal and external use for clearance by the governorate coordinator
• Liaise with M&E team and implementing partners to conduct relevant assessments to gather feedback and comments to support programme reviews and improve delivery.
• Contribute to regular and terminal project reporting by providing field data and lessons gathered from the fields during project implementation.
• Provide technical support and training to farmers on good agricultural practices, including crop management, pest and disease control, and soil health management.
• Develop innovative solutions for improving agricultural productivity and sustainability.
• Collaborate with other project team members, such as agronomists, economists, and social scientists, to develop integrated solutions for enhancing agricultural productivity.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of project activities on agricultural productivity, income generation, and food security.
• Ensure that all project activities are conducted in accordance with relevant environmental and social standards and that the project contributes to sustainable development in the region.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Agricultural Engineering, water resource management, Irrigation Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in irrigation system design installation, operation, and maintenance and crop management.
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Egypt.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Relevance and extent of experience in working with inter-governemental bodies and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills;
• Experience in report writing and data analysis
• Computer literacy in standard office software and proficiency in project management tools and software

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION