Young Professional Officer

Organizational context: The FAO Human Resources Division enables the achievement of the Organization’s Strategic Framework objectives. It acts as a strategic partner, fostering inclusivity, innovation, and continuous development to empower employees towards a world free of hunger and malnutrition. The Division aims to attract, develop, and retain a diverse, skilled workforce through equitable opportunities and a supportive environment. Located at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, the Talent Acquisition Branch enhances organizational effectiveness via strategic, transparent, and merit-based recruitment, attracting high-calibre talent aligned with FAO’s mandate and evolving needs.

Job purpose: This role supports the coordination of talent outreach and young talent programmes, including the Young Professional Programme (YPP), Junior Professional Officers (JPO) Programme, and FAO Global Internship, Volunteers, and Fellows Programme (IVF), as well as United Nations Volunteers (UNV). The position also assists in managing HR Partnerships.

Key responsibilities
involve research, technical analysis, and programme/project support to deliver HR services. This includes analyzing social, economic, environmental, and technological data, maintaining records and databases, providing technical project support, and collaborating on training materials and workshops. The role also involves organizing and following up on meetings and consultations, producing required materials, and assisting partners.

Responsibilities:
The Young Professional Officer will support talent outreach and sourcing activities by proactively planning recruitment needs, monitoring implementation, and advising on selection processes and KPIs, ensuring policy compliance. They will contribute to designing and implementing outreach strategies to attract young talent and enhance workforce diversity, aligning with FAO’s Strategic Framework and HR Talent Outreach Action Plan. The role involves shaping and delivering innovative young talent acquisition strategies using best practices to build a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing workforce. The officer will serve as a focal point, providing guidance on the administration of young talent programmes, and supporting end-to-end recruitment and retention efforts for programme participants. Additionally, they will assist in identifying strategic partnership opportunities with academic institutions, research bodies, and other organizations to expand these programmes and contribute to their continuous evaluation and enhancement, including targeted learning and development initiatives. The role requires preparing high-quality communications, analytical reports, and data-driven insights, and supporting the resolution of operational issues by coordinating with internal services and ensuring follow-up. Effective communication with stakeholders throughout the programme lifecycle is essential, including managing expectations and improving guidance and procedures.

Education:
An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in human resources management, business administration, organizational development, industrial psychology, or a related field is required. Candidates must possess one year of relevant experience in human resources management, specifically in talent acquisition, talent management, outreach, and sourcing. Fluency (Level C) in English and intermediate knowledge (Level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) are necessary.

Work

experience:
A minimum of one year of relevant professional experience is required in human resources management, with a focus on talent acquisition, talent management, outreach, and sourcing. Experience in multiple work locations or areas, including field positions, is desirable. Familiarity with automated HR management systems and platforms is also beneficial.

Skills:
Key competencies include Results Focus, Teamwork, Communication, Building Effective Relationships, and Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement. Candidates should possess demonstrated ability to draft detailed documents and concise reports for various audiences, and experience in analyzing data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Familiarity with HR management systems and platforms is important. An HR professional certification is considered a strong asset. Candidates must be 32 years of age or younger as of 31 December of the application year. Priority is given to nationals of non
- and under-represented countries, particularly from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and developing countries in general.

Required languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish

Desired languages: