Senior Food Safety Officer

Senior Food Safety Officer (Scientific Advice And Secretary of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives {JECFA} ) (2602276)
Organizational Unit : ESF
Job Posting
05/Nov/2026
Closure Date
26/Nov/2026, 10:59:00 PM
Type of Requisition : Professional
Job Type
Staff position
Primary Location
Italy-Rome
Duration : Two years with possibility of extension
Post Number : 0444995
CCOG Code : 1 H
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based ondate and time settings ofyour personal device
The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments. 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. FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
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.
Organizational Setting
The Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF), in the Economic and Social Development Stream, provides strategic leadership for FAO's support to Members in the development of improved food safety and more sustainable agrifood systems.
Working in close coordination with other technical units at headquarters and the Decentralized Offices, the Division is tasked with integrating FAO's scientific and economic analyses to provide improved policy guidance and targeted investment in food safety and agrifood systems. This includes normative products, methods and tools; documentation and collective learning of systems approaches; and support for implementation at regional, national and subnational levels. Bringing together FAO's longstanding experience and capacities in strengthening systems of food safety and quality control with its technical support to Member Nations in the areas of value chain development, agroindustry and agribusiness enterprise development, urban food systems and food loss and waste, the Division integrates and extends food systems support across the Organization.
The food safety work of the Division is framed by the FAO Strategic Priorities for Food Safety within the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031. This involves providing scientific advice on food safety issues, support to programmes of capacity development and facilitation of effective communication and access to information by all Member Nations on food safety and quality issues. The food safety unit is a recognized global leader in the provision of scientific advice on food safety issues to support the establishment of international standards for the safety and quality of foods. The Joint FAO/World Health organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA) is the expert committee providing food safety scientific advice to the Codex Alimentarius Commission and to Member Nations on matters pertaining to food additives, contaminants and veterinary drugs. JECFA has a joint secretariat led by an FAO Secretary and a WHO Secretary. ESF also hosts the Secretariat of other scientific advice mechanisms, such as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and ad-hoc expert consultations.
The position is located in the Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division (ESF), at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Senior Food Safety Officer (Scientific Advice And JECFA Secretary) reports to the Director, ESF.
Technical Focus
Leading the provision of Scientific Advice on Food Safety and oversight on risk assessment; JECFA Secretary.
Key Results
Leadership and technical expertise for the planning, development and implementation of the divisional programmes of work, projects, products