Senior Programme Officer

Reporting Lines

The Senior Programme Officer (Women) reports to the Director, OYW.

Technical Focus
Promotion and advancement of the role and empowerment of women in agrifood systems and rural development through enabling policies worldwide, in line with the cross-organizational field of 'women' in the FAO Strategic Framework - and related policies, guidelines and action plans; collaboration and creation of partnerships with United Nations (UN) system entities and other relevant partners related to women in agrifood systems and rural development; technical support to the WFF, focusing on continuous growth, increased visibility and tangible impact of the Forum and its flagship initiatives, partnerships and events, with a particular focus on women-specific concerns and issues; FAO-wide coordination of career development measures and other fields of concern to female employees; and overall office management, including human, financial and other resources of OYW.

Key Results
Leadership and technical expertise for the planning, development and implementation of programmes of work, projects, related products and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
• Leads the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; directs review of relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and initiates follow-up actions.
• Coordinates programmes and reviews the assessments of issues and trends for the implementation of programmes and projects and the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies.
• Supervises preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analyses, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications.
• Directs substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.
• Manages outreach activities; designs and conducts training workshops and seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties.
• Represents the Organization at international meetings and conferences, identifies and implements strategic partnerships, advocates best practices and increased dialogue, as well as develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders.

Specific Functions
• Plans, manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams, and/or participates in Organization-wide, cross-Divisional/Office/Centre committees, project teams and working groups, and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Builds and facilitates FAO's positioning/role in key international, regional and national governance and policy debates and processes of strategic relevance to the Organization related to women in food security, nutrition and agricultural/rural development.
• Strengthens networks and develops working relationships on issues related to women with other UN multilateral, bilateral organizations, academia, civil society and private sector.
• Reinforces existing and/or develops new corporate mechanisms and institutional relationships to maintain dynamic multi-directional linkages between the Organization's internal analysis, policy and governance support functions related to women.
• Facilitates targeted, innovative engagements at the country and regional level to promote outreach and uptake of FAO's women-related governance, policy and data resources, products and services available to relevant stakeholders.
• Develops mechanisms to support, manage, coordinate and/or track initiatives, services and projects related to career development and other concerns of female FAO employees, in close collaboration with the Human Resources Division (CSH) and the Women's Committee.
• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the cross-cutting fields on women in the FAO corporate strategies and policies, in close collaboration and coordination with relevant technical Divisions/Offices/Centres.
• Promotes and coordinates the mainstreaming of the cross-cutting issues of women within the programme cycle in line with FAO Strategic Framework -, including in thematically related contexts in inter-governmental or interagency settings, in close collaboration and coordination with relevant technical Divisions/Offices/Centres.
• Provides conceptual and technical leadership to the WFF, with a particular focus on issues and concerns related to women in food and agriculture.
• Manages a network of women-related stakeholders and partners, provides women-specific global outreach and engagement services and facilitates and implements related technical initiatives and programmes, including local capacity development for women-related stakeholders and groups worldwide.
• In close collaboration with all relevant teams at headquarters and Decentralized Offices, in particular the Office of Communications (OCC), the Office of Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU), the Office of Innovation (OIN) and the FAO Women Committee and related women focal points across the Organization, provides conceptual and technical inputs to FAO's engagement with women at global, regional and local levels, and supports related processes in the wider UN system.
• Plans, organizes and participates in capacity development activities to support women engagement and empowerment in agrifood systems transformation through provision of advice, technical assistance projects, training workshops, seminars and meetings as well as oversees the development of related materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Performs other duties as required by the Director, OYW.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, international development, public management, political sciences, social sciences, or a business administration related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience in programme coordination and management, policy analysis and advice, partnership building and outreach, and communications and resource mobilization, with demonstrated capacity for leading women-related policy programmes and initiatives in a multilateral or UN context.
• 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.
• Extent and relevance of experience in developing vision, strategies, programme coordination and partnership building and outreach, including on global issues, institutions and governance processes in a development context.
• Demonstrated leadership in planning, developing and managing programmes, including intergenerational and multistakeholder initiatives in fields related to policy, innovation, education or capacity development in the context of sustainable development, in particular women engagement and empowerment in food and agriculture.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing and leading international meetings, seminars and training courses, particularly in a multilateral or UN context, if possible related to women engagement and empowerment.
• Level of knowledge of results-based management methods and experience in their application.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively advocate and transmit complex information from a variety of audiences, including policymakers, development partners and women-related stakeholders.

_________________________________________________________________

FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

_________________________________________________________________

GENERAL INFORMATION Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment. Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. 

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link:
Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include:
• Dependency allowances
• Rental subsidy
• Education grant for children
• Home leave travel
• 30 working days of annual leave per year
• Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
• International health insurance; optional life insurance
• Disability protection FAO encourages a positive workplace culture to increase inclusivity and diversity within its workforce. FAO applies measures in which all staff members contribute equally and in full to the work and development of the Organization. This includes: 
• elements of family-friendly policies
• flexible working arrangements
• standards of conduct.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

---