Trade Development Consultant P

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 FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean (SLC) was established in 1996 and is based in Barbados. It is headed by a Sub-Regional Representative/Coordinator and is staffed by a Multidisciplinary Team and an Administrative Unit.
SLC supports 13 member countries; Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Moreover, FAO Representations are present in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname; Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas; and Guyana.
FAO SLC with implement several national technical cooperation programmes with countries across the OECS region in the area of competitive and resilient value chain development. These projects aim to strengthen and build high potential agricultural value chains at the national and regional level to improve farmer livelihoods, increase food security, and contribute to the reduction in national food import bills.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, and the technical supervision of the FAO SLC Trade and Markets Officer, the Consultant will provide technical and applied support to FAO’s Value Chain Development and Agribusiness projects in the OECS and support the regional implementation of the Value Chain (VC) methodology to promote sustainable and inclusive agricultural industries in the Caribbean.

Technical Focus

The objectives of the assignment are to support the roll out and upscale of FAO’s Value Chain Development methodology across the Caribbean region, with a focus on generating intraregional and extra regional market access and facilitating the strengthening of national and regional agricultural supply chains.

Tasks and responsibilities

Support development and expansion of FAO SLC’s Value Chain Development Programme across the Caribbean region. This includes the following areas:
• Conduct market research and supply chain needs assessments on agricultural commodities in local, intraregional and extra regional markets;
• Expand market access, and the expansion of trade and distribution networks for target products in regional and extra-regional markets with a focus on the US and UK;
• Provide technical support to supply chain development including demand planning, production scheduling, logistics and operations management and stakeholder coordination;
• Support the development and implementation of relevant supply chain development tools and activities in target countries;
• Participate in trade missions to relevant countries to promote market access and supply chain development;
• Provide mentoring, facilitation and training to ministry officials and value chain stakeholders in the area of agricultural marketing, production scheduling, and supply chain logistics;
• Support the adaptation and implementation of value chain development tools such as cost of production surveys, commercial pilot models, industry development plans and investment proposals for identified agricultural products;
• Provide logistical and coordination support to ongoing project and programme activities;
• Support outreach to relevant public and private stakeholders and development partners to support implementation of FAO’s work; and,
• Provide other technical inputs and advise on further development of the applied methodology as agreed.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, environment, agricultural economics, business administration, international development, international trade, economics, social science or a related field;
• 4 years of relevant work experience in agricultural trade and distribution and/or private sector agribusiness operations
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish for Consultants; working knowledge of English for PSA Subscribers.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge and/or experience in agricultural trade and distribution
• Work experience and knowledge of the Caribbean agricultural sector is a strong advantage
• Working knowledge of agricultural trade and distribution in Caribbean, North American and UK markets is a strong advantage
• Work experience or knowledge in agronomy, farm management or agricultural production is an asset
• Demonstrated skills in project coordination, facilitation and communication;
• Good knowledge of Excel, data management, and PowerPoint tools is an advantage;

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