Food Security Officer (Cluster Co-Coordinator)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

PROFESSIONAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO: FRSOM-28-14-PRJ

POSITION TITLE: Food Security Officer (Cluster Co-Coordinator)

GRADE LEVEL: P-4

DUTY STATION: Nairobi, Kenya

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: FAO Somalia (WITH JOINT ACCOUNTABILITY TO FAO SOMALIA AND WFP SOMALIA AS AGENCY CO-LEADS)

DURATION: 12 months

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: 29 April 2014

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence

The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative and with the guidance of the Coordinator of the global Food Security Cluster, the incumbent will be responsible for the FAO Food Security Cluster, jointly with the WFP- Co-Coordinator. In particular, the incumbent will:

• establish and maintain appropriate sectoral coordination mechanisms at the national and local levels, with the participation of key humanitarian partners from the food security, livelihoods and agriculture sectors;
• ensure appropriate coordination with national/local authorities, state institutions, local civil society and other relevant actors, even if not members of the Cluster;
• ensure the full integration of the IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s agreed priority cross-cutting issues, namely human rights, HIV/AIDS, age, gender, environment, human rights and early recovery, utilizing participatory and community-based approaches;
• develop/update response strategies and action plans for the Cluster and ensuring that these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies, such as the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP), an integral component of the CAP process;
• develop and disseminate relevant technical standards and best practices;
• contribute to the development and execution of needs assessment and analysis, identify gaps and ensure proper response;
• lead emergency preparedness and contingency planning;
• ensure adequate monitoring and reporting mechanisms are in place to measure progress against implementation plans and cluster objectives;
• strengthen the capacity of humanitarian actors through training and capacity investment;
• represent the interests of the Cluster in discussions with partners and provide a forum for advocacy and resource mobilization;
• perform other related duties as required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Candidates should meet the following:

• University degree in food security, agriculture, economics or related field
• Seven years of relevant experience in humanitarian response at a mid- or senior level including in the food security sector
• Working knowledge of English

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Relevance and extent of experience in emergency and food security crisis situations
• Proven coordination and information management skills, including experience of high level coordination and chairing of meetings
• Extent of experience in building partnerships
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable
• Extent of communications skills (written and oral)
• Demonstrated negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Depth of understanding of the international humanitarian response architecture, including coordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform and action, and funding mechanisms (e.g. Consolidated Appeals Process, Central Emergency Response Fund and Flash Appeals)
• Knowledge of agriculture, livelihoods and food security responses in emergency situations, including applicable standards, principles and best practice

Please note that all candidates should possess computer/word processing skills and should be capable of working with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

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

REMUNERATION

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: http://icsc.un.org/

For guidelines to applicants, please visit the Application Toolkit at: http://www.fao.org/employment/current-vacancies/project/en/

Send your application to:

V.A. FRSOM-28-14-PRJ
FAO Somalia
UN-Somalia Ngecha Road Complex
Corner Lower Kabete Road/ Ngecha Road
P.O. Box 30470 00-100 Nairobi-Kenya
E-mail: SO-HR-INT-VACANCIES@fao.org

Please note that FAO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director-General and may be assigned to any activities or office of the organization.

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT