Senior Statistician (Crops, Livestock and Food Statistics)

The Statistics Division (ESS) develops, and advocates for the implementation of methodologies and standards for data collection, processing, analysis and validation of food and agriculture statistics. In these statistical domains, it also plays a vital role in the compilation, processing and dissemination of internationally comparable data, and provides essential capacity building support to Member countries. In addition, the Division produces and disseminates many publications, working papers and statistical yearbooks, that cover agricultural and food security relevant statistics (including prices, investments, production, trade and agri-environmental statistical data).

The post is located in the Statistics Division (ESS) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Statistician (Crops, Livestock and Food Statistics) reports to the Director, ESS.

Technical Focus.

Lead the Crops, Livestock and Food Statistics (CLFS) team of ESS, tasked with planning and implementing a programme of work in support of crops, livestock and food statistics, including the preparation of production and value of production statistics, agricultural trade statistics, food loss, supply utilization accounts and food balance sheets.

Key Results

Leadership and conceptual thinking for the development and implementation of comprehensive technical, statistical and/or analytical frameworks to support the programme of work and related products, projects and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Leads and manages highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams and short-term working groups, providing strategic vision and technical leadership; coordinates and/or participates on Divisional teams, Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and/or provides leadership/secretariat services on international technical networks and/or technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Analyses global and country specific requirements as well as agricultural, economic, social and environmental factors to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, programme of work as well as detailed work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
• Designs, implements and monitors work programmes including the conception and development of comprehensive short, medium and long term plans and strategies for the development of statistics and/or analytical frameworks.
• Leads the design development of edge tools, methods, systems and databases, the conception and implementation of critical indicators and/or policy models.
• Leads and reviews the research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative tools and methodologies to be used within the Organization or by external stakeholders.
• Leads the production of a variety of technical reports and oversees the provision of inputs for flagship publications, technical documents, divisional publications and/or web pages.
• Leads and provides responses to requests and provides technical/policy advice, assistance and solutions to Regional, Subregional, and Country Offices including technical backstopping to field projects.
• Leads, organizes and participates in the provision of capacity development services, which include the planning and organization of training workshops and seminars, and oversees the preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Represents the Organization at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences, advocates strategic partnerships, best practices and increased policy dialogue; develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national partners.
• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy and Divisional Plans.

Specific Functions

• Leads the Crops, Livestock and Food Statistics (CLFS) team of ESS, effectively managing the staff and the financial resources assigned to the team and effectively planning and implementing the biennial plan of the team.
• Leads methodological and conceptual developments in the area of agricultural production statistics, agricultural trade statistics, food loss, food supply utilization accounts and food balance sheets.
• Leads the production and dissemination of agricultural production, agricultural trade, food loss, supply utilization accounts and food balance sheets published by FAO and ensures that the resulting estimates are of high quality, compliant with international standards as applied at FAO, and based on information officially received from Member countries to the highest possible extent. Pursues quality improvement along the lines established by the FAO Quality Assurance Framework.
• Leads the process of annual update of key variables of Food Balance Sheets in coordination with the FAO Food Security Statistics team, in support of the estimation of the SDG Indicator 2.1.1 (Prevalence of Undernourishment).
• Collaborates with other teams in ESS and with other FAO Centres, Divisions and Offices and supplies relevant data for the development and the maintenance of the Food and Diet statistics domain in FAOSTAT.
• Leads the production of the Food Loss and Waste database and its annual updates; the computation of SDG Indicator 123.3.a (Food Loss Index) and reports on the indicator to the United Nations.
• Participates in joint projects with other Centres, Divisions and Offices in FAO, UN agencies, and recognized private institutions to develop additional indicators to be included in a suite of FAO endorsed indicators of crops, livestock, food loss and food statistics.
• Promotes the development of country capacity to produce and analyse agricultural production statistics, agricultural trade statistics, food loss, food supply utilization accounts and food balance sheets; assesses statistical capacity building needs and develops strategies to address these needs; formulates technical assistance projects in the field of agricultural production, trade, food loss and food balances statistics; and mobilizes resources towards this direction.
• Coordinates and collaborates with Senior Officers of other FAO Centres, Divisions and Offices on matters relating to production, trade, food loss and food balances statistics, for the preparation of reports or printed publications.
• Prepares technical articles, working papers, books and training materials and document best practices on agricultural production, agricultural trade, food loss, supply utilization accounts and food balances.
• Oversees the organization of international workshops, seminar and/or events on agricultural production, agricultural trade, supply utilization accounts and food balances.
• Represents FAO statistics in relevant international meetings, seminars and/or conferences on topics related to crops, livestock, food loss and waste, and food statistics.
• Undertakes fund raising activities in coordination with ESS management and other relevant FAO Centres, Divisions and Offices and Senior Officers.
• Participates in the planning and management of the Division’s work programme.
• Performs other related duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, agricultural economics, or a related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience in the compilation and analysis of food and agricultural statistics in national or international organizations, with a focus on statistics related to the production and trade of crops, livestock and food, and the compilation of food balances and supply and utilization accounts.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering
• Communication
• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
• Strong command of statistical methods including: data presentation, analysis and descriptive statistics; main continuous and discrete random variables (binomial, normal, standard normal, log-normal) and their properties; probability distributions; conditional probability, probabilities of intersections of events, Bayes’ theorem; correlation and rank correlation; sampling and sample size: simple, stratified, and multistage random sampling; inference, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and significance; linear regression (single and multiple) comparison of population means and variances, ANOVA; Chi-square and goodness of fit tests; nonlinear models: maximum likelihood estimation; elements of survey and questionnaire design.
• Extent and relevance of experience and knowledge of statistics-related issues.
• Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of programmes related to statistics in development organizations.
• Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in collecting, compiling and disseminating agricultural production, agricultural trade, food balances and supply utilization accounts statistics.
• Extent and relevance of experience in conducting quantitative analyses, analytical studies and methodological research in agricultural/economic statistics.
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate high-level publications.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing and undertaking international meetings, seminars and training courses.

Job Posting

14/Dec/2023

Closure Date

30/Jan/2024, 11:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit

ESS

Job Type

Staff position

Type of Requisition

Professional

Grade Level

P-5

Primary Location

Italy-Rome

Duration

Fixed-term: two years with possibility of extension

Post Number

0094242

CCOG Code

1M02

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments.

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• 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 persons 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
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production , better nutrition , a better environment, and a better life , leaving no one behind.