Technical Advisor

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

Through its Country Offices or Representations, FAO provides policy advice, technical assistances and investment supports to its member states in ending hunger, addressing malnutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include advocating and formulation of relevant strategies and policies; introduction and dissemination of suitable approaches and technologies; design and implementation of country-tailored field projects; and liaison with government departments, UN Country Team, donor agencies and other development partners on subject matters related to FAO mandate areas.

The FAO Representation in Malawi is developing and implementing field programmes and projects based on the FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) in Malawi, focusing on three thematic priorities, including\: 1) agriculture and food systems transformation; 2) sustainable natural resources management and environment protection; and 3) integrated disaster risk management and resilience building.

The country office is structured in three Units, including Programme and Technical Unit, Operation and Coordination Unit, and Administration and Finance Unit. The Operation and Coordination Unit is responsible for delivery of field programmes and projects. It comprises three project coordination Groups in the thematic areas of Agriculture and Food Systems, Natural Resource and Environment, and Emergency, Resilience and ECTAD (Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease), and three Sections for Procurement, Operations, M&E and Information Management.

Projects currently being implemented by the Country Office covered the areas of agribusiness development, youth and women empowerment, land, fishery, forestry and water resources management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, emergency responses and transboundary animal disease control.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi (EbAM) was recently activated, with a total budget of 53.2 million USD. The project aims at building climate resilience in vulnerable watersheds and communities through increasing climate resilience of watershed ecosystems, stabilizing productivity and farmers’ incomes and enhancing enabling environment.

Reporting Lines

The Technical Advisor (TA) will be under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Malawi and the technical guidance of the EbAM Lead Technical Officer (LTO) at FAO Sub-regional Office for Sothern Africa (SFS) and will work in close cooperation with the EbAM Project Task Force members, other FAO internal and external partners and government counterparts.

Technical Focus

The Technical Advisor will lead the implementation of the EbAM project (75% of assignment time). She/he will also work as the Team Leader of the Operation and Coordination Unit of FAO-Malawi, and the Focal Point Person of FAO-Malawi on Natural Resources and Environment.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of the EbAM project; provide technical advice and guidance to the FAO EbAM project team, other EbAM Executing Entities and implementing partners on matters related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, land, water, forestry and watershed management, ecosystem conservation, payment for environmental services and climate financing.
• Support the establishment and proper functioning of the project management structure as per the definitions in EbAM Funding Proposal, including the Central Project Implementation Unit in Lilongwe, the Regional Project Implementation Units in Mzuzu and Blantyre, the Project Steering Committee and the Project Technical Committee.
• Support the deployment and updating of the FAO EbAM project team, through developing ToRs and participating in interviews and selection panels for affiliate workforce.
• Lead the formulation and periodic updating of EbAM work plan, budget plan, procurement plan, M&E plan, HR plan and travel plan, and oversee their implementation and reporting.
• Support the inception of the EbAM project, especially preparation and finalization of the Inception Report.
• Provide technical oversight, operational support and quality assurance to the implementation, monitoring and reporting of all the formulated EbAM plans.
• Support operational processing for project implementation, including contracting and management of Operational Partner Implementation Modalities (OPIMs), letter of agreements (LOAs) and other sub-contracts.
• Establish and maintain good collaboration with FAO internal offices and external partners, including government departments, donor community, UN agencies, academia institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs and the private sector, especially with other EbAM Executing Entities.
• Advise on formulation and implementation of the EbAM communication plan and outreaching activities to raise the visibility of the project interventions and impacts.
• Serve as the Country Office focal point person on matters related to ecosystem-based adaptation, watershed management, natural resource management and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Serve as the Country Office focal point person to the SFS Sub-regional Technical Coordination Unit on Natural Resources and Environment, contribute to implementation of FAO subregional initiatives on natural resources and environment.
• Coordinate and supervise the team and the work of the Operation and Coordination Unit of the Country Office; oversee the formulation, updating, implementation and reporting of periodic work plans of the Unit.
• Assist the FAOR in supervising the performance of the EbAM project team members and the Heads of Groups/Sections under the Operation and Coordination Unit, through facilitating formulation of their annual work and PEMS plans, monitoring their implementation, providing timely feedback, and contributing to their mid-term and annual evaluations.
• Carry out any other relevant tasks as may be assigned by the FAOR.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in natural resource management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, watershed management, environment and ecosystem conservation, agriculture and rural development or other related fields.
• Ten (10) years of professional experience in natural resources management, ecosystem conservation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Working knowledge of English is mandatory

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge and experience in climate change adaptation and mitigation in the areas of agriculture, land and land use change, especially in ecosystem-based adaptation.
• Experience and strength in project cycle management with UN agencies.
• Experience and strength in multidisciplinary team coordination and supervision.
• Experience and knowledge in climate financing.
• Experience in working on GCF funded projects.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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