FAO Hiring for Operations Specialist at Roma, Lazio Full Time

Operations Specialist

Job Posting: 17/May/2023

Closure Date: 07/Jun/2023, 4:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit: NFI

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location: Italy-Rome

Duration: 11 months

Post Number: N/A

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

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO’s Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, for better production (BP), better nutrition (BN), a better environment (BE), and a better life (BL), leaving no one behind.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for the economic, social, institutional, governance and policy aspects of FAO’s activities related to fisheries and aquaculture and their development, with particular emphasis on human well-being, food security and poverty reduction; post-harvest utilization, marketing and trade with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishery communities; collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best available and up-to-date fishery statistics and for the syndication of the FAO information on all aspects of world fisheries and aquaculture. The Division is also responsible for FAO’s activities related to the management and conservation of the living aquatic resources used by fisheries and aquaculture, including the biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable and threatened species and habitats; management of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in accordance with management standards and best practices; development of fisheries technology, with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishing communities, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels.

The FISH4ACP project (“Sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries”) is a five-year project led by the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. FISH4ACP aims at improving the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains through five main components/specific objectives: i) Robust fisheries and aquaculture improvement strategies are developed and agreed with stakeholders; ii) Economic performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in selected value chains is improved; iii) Inclusiveness and the social sustainability of selected value chains are improved; iv) The environmental sustainability of selected value chains is enhanced; and v) MSMEs in selected value chains have access to additional sources of finance and investment.

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) provided funding for a three-year project (2021-2023), known as the Responsible use of Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources for Sustainable Development Project. Under Component 5, the project will enhance the sustainable utilization of fisheries and aquaculture products and its contribution to livelihoods and food security through the application of multi-dimensional solutions to reduce FLW in fish value chains. Through the activities proposed, the project will contribute to addressing the knowledge gap on reducing and preventing FLW.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader of the Fish Value Chain Development Team, in close consultation with relevant Fisheries and Aquaculture officers and administrative staff at RAF, RAP and RLC.

Technical Focus

The assignment will be in support of the operations and management of FISH4ACP project and component 5 of NOR/352 in NFI.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Prepare project-related documents for distribution, make inputs to technical documents and aid in knowledge sharing for increased visibility.
• Support FAO knowledge sharing and capacity development initiatives in NFI projects, including preparation of training and workshop material.
• Monitor project activities and ensure adherence to FAO policies and regulations in relation to budget, procurement, travel and other administrative actions.
• Retrieve, enter, select and analyse data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO’s corporate systems and data bases; verify accuracy of data documents; make necessary calculations.
• Assist to organize and handle day-to-day operational activities of the funding project, including providing support in all aspects of project cycle management.
• Monitor budget; reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data; assist in the preparation of Field Budget Authorizations and budget revisions.
• Examine and process a variety of payments, reimbursements and disbursements.
• Assist in preparing Letter of Agreements (LoAs) and subsequent financial monitoring and payments processing of the LoAs.
• Assist in the preparation of technical content for working documents, advocacy materials, web pages, articles, invitation letters and information material for technical networks, workshops, conferences and other outreach events; present on FAO work as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Law, Languages or a relevant field preferred.
• Minimum 1 (category C) and 5 years (category B) of practical experience in general project/office operational activities, and progressively responsible experience in operations works.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian. For PSA, working knowledge of English, French or Spanish.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to write and/or edit documents clearly and concisely in English is considered a strong asset;
• Excellent analytical skills, and demonstrated sense of initiative are considered strong assets;
• Previous experience with FAO tools (iMIS, FPMIS, etc. ) is considered an asset;
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of FAO administrative processes and procedures would be an asset.
• Ability to work efficiently and accurately
• Communication skills to maintain good working relationships with people from different nationality and cultural background.
• Previous work experience with UN agencies would be an asset
• Good computer skills

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 contact: [email protected]

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