Associate Professional Officer (APO), Emergency and Resilience Officer at P2 level, Rome, Italy

US Agency for International Development

I. Overview

Through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), the United States sponsors qualified U.S. citizens for employment in the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Associate Professional Officer (APO) Program.

These fully funded APO positions strengthen the humanitarian coordination capacity of FAO. They further encourage U.S. citizens to become active members of the international community. After completing their APO assignments, a number of APOs successfully compete for positions at FAO and in other international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

II. General Information

Title: Emergency and Resilience Officer

Organization/Office: FAO/Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER)

Duty Station: Rome, Italy

Date Required: As soon as possible

Duration: Two years

III. Duties, Responsibilities, and Output Expectations

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer, the APO will focus on supporting the implementation of FAO’s resilience agenda at the global, regional, subregional and/or country level with the following responsibilities:

  • Supports food and nutrition security assessments, emergency response, policy-related and/or project-related data and information;
  • Assists in the production of various reports, proposals, project documents, position papers, policy briefs, financial/donor reports;
  • Participates in project formulation and assists the Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer in providing technical and/or administrative support to ongoing operational emergency and recovery projects;
  • Maintains effective working relationships with key stakeholders throughout the project cycle, including to support implementation, facilitates monitoring and compliance issues and submission of reports, as required;
  • Supports resource mobilization activities including corporate appeals, donor macro grants, Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation (SFERA) submissions, annual appeals and mid-year reviews, maintains information and prepares related reports;
  • Maintains and updates information systems, databases and web pages;
  • Assists in contributing to global and regional policy processes related to emergency response and resilience programming as well as supporting key partnerships including preparation, review, facilitation and briefing for high-level events on FAO contributions to disaster management and resilience of the agricultural livelihoods;
  • Assists in liaising with FAO Divisions/Offices and Decentralized Offices (DO), as necessary, on issues related to development and implementation of emergency, rehabilitation and development projects;
  • Supports project operations related work to create a conducive environment for DOs in the implementation of emergency, resilience and development projects at all levels;
  • Collaborates on various thematic areas within FAO for supporting more coherent and convergent delivery of emergency, resilience and development actions at Country Office level;
  • Collaborates in providing strategic and technical guidance on Emergency and Resilience strategic and planning processes and related capacity development for the agriculture sector to countries and DOs, including through field missions;
  • Assists in the provision of technical support to the formulation and implementation of programs and projects related to emergency, resilience and development programs;
  • Performs other duties as required.

Key Results:

  • Research, technical analysis, and project related services to support the delivery of programs, projects, products, and services.

IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in agriculture, economics, business administration and management, international relations or other field related to the work of FAO.

Work Experience:

Three years of relevant experience in public and/or private sectors related to programming, planning and technical cooperation in food and agriculture, including experience in developing countries, especially in countries that are vulnerable to disaster or other emergency risks.

Languages:

Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Technical Skills:

  • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable;
  • Relevant knowledge of and experience in technical and policy matters related to biodiversity and genetic resources for food and agriculture;
  • Relevant experience in the preparation, editing and revision of technical/scientific and policy documents and in organizing meetings and workshops;
  • Relevant experience in collecting, analyzing and summarizing technical information and data;
  • Familiarity with standard office, data analysis and web-publishing software;
  • Working knowledge of another UN official language is considered a strong asset.

Competencies:

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

Workforce Diversity:

The UN believes that an inclusive culture attracts the best talent and encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, cultural, or religious backgrounds, to apply.

V. Background Information

The Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) is accountable for the overall effectiveness and coherence of FAO’s response to emergencies and resilience building. It promotes corporate efforts to support countries and partners in preparing for and effectively responding to food and agricultural threats and crises. It is responsible for coordinating the development and maintenance of corporate tools and standards to enable DOs to assist member countries in tackling emergencies. OER ensures global humanitarian policy coordination and knowledge, liaises with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), as well as with humanitarian resource partners, co-leads the global Food Security Cluster (gFSC) alongside the World Food Program, and coordinates organizational preparedness, surge capacity and response to large-scale emergencies.

Moreover, OER supports food and nutrition security assessments as well as early warning activities related to emergency and humanitarian analysis, dissemination and response. It also plays a major role in the development and leadership of FAO’s program to increase the resilience of livelihoods to food and agriculture threats and crises and, as such, contributes to broader UN efforts to operationalize the humanitarian-development nexus.

How to apply

VI. Application Instructions

The APO program selection process is carried out jointly by USAID/BHA and FAO.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply.

To apply please send the following to [email protected]:

  1. completed UN Personal History Statement (P11);
  2. resume (CV) and;
  3. cover letter to explain your interest in this position.

Please state which position you are applying for in the subject line of your email. If you wish to apply for multiple positions, please complete a Personal History Statement (P11) for each position and submit these to us in separate emails with the appropriate subject heading.

Application Details:

Please complete the P11 thoroughly. The P11 provides the opportunity to include all required information in one document, including your professional work experience and references. Please attach a cover letter to explain your interest in the position and interest in working with the UN, along with a general resume. The P11 has instructions on how to complete the profile; however, please be sure to also follow the additional instructions below:

  • The P11 must be completed in English only. You can find the P11 form at the BHA Jobs website.
  • You may leave the signature/date sections blank at this time. If selected for one of the positions, you will then need to submit a signed version.
  • Do not submit a photograph.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application Deadline: Friday, September 2, 2022, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

For more information please consult the Frequently Asked Questionshttps://bhajobs.net/files/resources/FAQ_JPO.pdf


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