FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Professional Vacancy Announcement No: VA-422-09-PRJ-TCEO
Deadline For Application: 14 July 2009
Position Title Operations Officer
Duty Station Rome, Italy
Grade Level P-3
Duration Twelve months (with possibility of extension subject to continuity of funds)
CCOG Code: 1.S.0.1
Organizational Unit

Emergency Operations Service (TCEO) Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division (TCE) Technical Cooperation Department (TC)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division, TCE works in post-disaster and complex emergency situations and helps to protect, restore and enhance food production and the livelihoods of farmers, herders, fishers and associated processors and artisans.

  • Under the overall supervision of the Chief, Emergency Operations Service, TCEO and the direct supervision of the concerned Desk Supervisors, in collaboration with the other Operations Officers, and in liaison with the relevant technical divisions of FAO headquarters, the Operations Officer will perform or assist in the following tasks:
  • handle day-to-day operations on matters relating to emergency assistance/projects;
  • analyse requests for emergency assistance to the agricultural sector and formulate emergency/rehabilitation projects;
  • participate in the design and implementation of emergency/rehabilitation projects and programmes, including budgetary management and monitoring of the approved field expenditures;
  • liaise with FAO technical units to ensure technical quality in emergency activities;
  • prepare/present project proposals, after technical scrutiny, for financial support and/or presentation to interested donors and aid programmes of the UN system;
  • prepare briefs, reports and final statements;
  • liaise with other UN organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors at the appropriate level to ensure the best preparation and implementation of emergency activities;
  • formulate correspondence with recipient governments and donors;
  • prepare and participate in technical meetings and international fora related to humanitarian relief matters;
  • assist in fund mobilization efforts;
  • participate in interagency field assessments of relief requirements in countries affected by natural or human-induced calamities, including complex emergencies;
  • undertake short or prolonged field missions to review status of on-going projects;
  • perform other related duties as required.

** **APPOINTMENT/PROMOTION TO THE POST IS TEMPORARY AS ITS DURATION IS FOR ONE YEAR,
WITH POSSIBILITY OF EXTENSION

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Candidates should meet the following:

  • University degree in agriculture, economics or a field relevant to the work of the Organization
  • Five years of relevant experience in the sectors of agricultural and rural development including emergency operations at field and/or headquarters level
  • Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other official languages of the Organization, according to the country/region of the portfolio.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Candidates will be assessed against the following:

  • Extent of relevant experience in analysing complex field problems related to emergency and rehabilitation situations
  • Extent of experience in agriculture emergency project formulation, technical development and budget allocation, project implementation and evaluation in a volatile security context
  • Knowledge of the United Nations humanitarian administrative, operational and financial procedures or (and) experience in working with other humanitarian organizations
  • Familiarity with fundraising, coordination with technical and financing institutions, UN interagency cooperation as well as UN-NGO collaboration
  • Ability to plan and organize activities
  • Ability to work under pressure with tight deadline and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams;
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Knowledge of Portuguese will be an advantage.

Please note that all candidates should possess computer/word processing skills and should be capable of working with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
* The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.

TO APPLY: Carefully read and follow the Guidelines to applicants

Send your application to:

V.A TCEO-422-09-PRJ
Ms Cristina Amaral, Chief, TCEO
FAO Via delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome ITALY
Fax No: +39 06 570  54941
E-mail: VA-422-09-PRJ-TCEO@fao.org

This vacancy is open to male and female candidates. Applications from qualified women candidates and applications from qualified candidates from non/under-represented member states are encouraged. Please note that FAO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director-General and may be assigned to any activities or office of the organization.

  FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

  Post Number: N - ** Unidentified (several poistions)