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 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bangladesh has been working since 1973 to transform the country’s food and agricultural sectors. The bulk of FAO’s Trust Funds to support member countries, including Bangladesh, fall under the Government Cooperative Programme (GCP) Fund and the Unilateral Trust Funds (UTF) categories. The latter is a funding modality that allows developing countries to benefit from FAO’s technical expertise, which is fully funded by themselves, either from national resources or from the proceeds of loans, credits and grants made available by international finance institutions or bilateral donors.
FAO has recently entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Government of Bangladesh, represented by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), for the provision of technical assistance in implementing the Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER), jointly financed by the World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). PARTNER, the initial mobilization effort of which was complemented by FAO’s Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative during investment design, as well as the South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Initiative, which explored the scope of providing technical support to the program, has been working to promote diversification, food safety, entrepreneurship, and climate resilience in Bangladesh’s agri-food systems.
Reporting Lines
The National Mechanization Specialist is SC-8 level position. The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Bangladesh and the direct supervision of the National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist. The incumbent will also receive guidance and support from the National Crop Advisory and Training Expert, as well as personnel with FAO Programme unit.
Technical Focus
The position focuses on closely supervising the precision agriculture initiatives to be undertaken by a Service Provider within the scope of the project, to design and establish two precision agriculture model demonstration clusters, establish precision agriculture laboratory for partner agencies and support the design of precision agriculture research.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Conduct a short scoping study to identify the relevant community(ies) where to implement the participatory research and the capacity needs related to precision agriculture (including the adoption barriers).
• In coordination with the National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist, the incumbent, with guidance as needed from FAO’s Office of Innovation (OIN), will help to establish two field level precision irrigation model demonstration clusters, and establish a precision agriculture laboratory for sensor, IoT, renewable energy-based irrigation systems at partner agencies of MoA and support the design of precision agriculture research including monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes.
• In collaboration with the National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist, support in identifying the best equipment, its specifications, origin and procurement of such equipment for the field and laboratory and designing the field and laboratory infrastructures.
• Support the National Crop Advisory and Training Expert to oversee the organization of training of trainers (ToT) for the personnel of relevant institutions on multi-actor innovation approaches, especially on precision irrigation systems and the best precision irrigation practices identified in the process.
• Participate in coordination of implementation of a scaling-up strategy.
• Establish and conduct innovation policy lab (IPL) process(es) to generate policy frameworks on extension related to climate resilience precision agriculture.
• Assist in organizing multi-stakeholder policy dialogue(s) to co-develop and validate the best policy options and co-develop and validate the best policy options and co-develop an advocacy plan for their inclusion in the policy framework.
• Provide similar services to other components of the projects assigned by FAO.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced University degree in Agricultural Engineering or a related field.
• At least 7 (seven) years of relevant experience in public and/or private sector work, research, and implementing projects related to agricultural mechanization, precision and/or climate resilience agriculture including sensor, IoT and renewable energy-based interventions.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English.
• National of Bangladesh.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Strong knowledge of precision and/or climate resilience agriculture.
• Strong knowledge of agricultural machinery and mechanization, including sensor, IoT and renewable energy-based interventions.
• Strong knowledge of communication and documentation standards to ensure project documentation and liaison with stakeholders, government agencies, and project team(s). Strong background in agricultural machinery and mechanization, precision and climate-resilient agriculture.
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills to address challenges efficiently.
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 additional employment opportunities 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.
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
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
• 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/.These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.
• 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