Senior Agriculture Development Specialist

FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The organization's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

The main aim of FAO Country Offices is to assist governments in developing policies, programs, and projects to achieve food security and reduce hunger and malnutrition. The offices also help develop the agricultural, fisheries, and forestry sectors and use environmental and natural resources sustainably.

Specific activities of the Country Offices include:

• Implementing FAO's field projects and participating in the development of the Field Programme by identifying and formulating new projects and liaising with local donor representations.
• Helping governments prevent and assess disaster damage and assisting them in reconstructing and rehabilitating the agricultural sector.
• Carrying out public awareness activities and supporting important FAO campaigns such as the World Food Day (WFD).
• Providing assistance to technical and investment missions from FAO headquarters and regional or subregional offices to the country.
• Serving as a channel for FAO services to governments and other partners (donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), research institutions, etc.).
• Keeping FAO informed of major social and economic developments in the country and monitoring the situation of the agriculture sector in the country.
• Acting as FAO Representative to host governments and all partners involved in FAO activities.

The position is located in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The FAO Representative manages and is accountable for the FAO country program, office, resources, and staff. They report to and work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative (ADG/RR) and, where applicable, under the technical supervision of the Subregional Coordinator. The FAO Representative works closely with the Regional Leadership Team and is supported by the Regional/Subregional Office and headquarters' technical, administrative, and operational staff, as appropriate.

The FAO Representative also reports periodically to the Resident Coordinator on their respective contributions to the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and works towards the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). They are an active and accountable member of the UNCT as defined in the approved 'Management and Accountability Framework' that operationalizes the RC/UNCT relationships, in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution 72/279, and are also an active member of the Humanitarian Country Team, where relevant.

The FAO Representative leads FAO's response to national priorities and sustainable development challenges to advance the 2030 Agenda. They advocate for action aimed at accelerating the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as established in FAO's Country Programming Framework (CPF) and in line with the FAO Strategic Framework, with particular focus on the Programme Priority Areas (PPAs). The FAO Representative is entrusted with leading FAO's contributions to the UNSDCFs.

The FAO Representative successfully leads and manages the FAO Country Office and effectively represents FAO in their country(ies) of accreditation. They develop, maintain, and enhance collaboration with the host government and other key stakeholders on development and humanitarian issues.

The ideal candidate should possess:

• An advanced university degree in an area related to the activities of the Organization, e.g., agriculture, forestry, fishery, or rural development, etc.
• Twelve years of relevant experience in planning, formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of field programs.
• A working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish).

FAO offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. This includes dependency allowances, rental subsidies, education grants for children, home leave travel, annual leave, pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, international health insurance, optional life insurance, and disability protection.

FAO encourages a positive workplace culture to increase inclusivity and diversity within its workforce. This includes elements of family-friendly policies, flexible working arrangements, and standards of conduct.