Climate Change Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the 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.

Through its Country Offices, or FAO Representations, FAO assists governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to address hunger and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include design and implementation of country-tailored field programmes, liaison with local donor representatives, and active public awareness-raising and outreach activities related to FAO initiatives such as the World Food Day.

Reporting Lines

The Climate Change Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Malawi, through the Assistant FAO Representative (Programmes), and the direct operational supervision of the Head of Technical Section, and close collaboration with the Project Coordination Section, Government institutions and other UN partners, FAO technical backstopping officers

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for providing technical and coordination support to the implementation of the FAO programs. The Specialist will support FAO Malawi’s broad portfolio work on Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience programmes. The expert will provide project management skills to keep projects on track and technical expertise related to the incorporation of climate information within Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will work more specifically: • Work closely with all government, private/NGOs and tertiary institutions involved in climate data generation across the country and provide support to consolidate and harmonise all climate data records. • Assess climate data and information gaps as perceived by various sectors including NGOs, Community-based Organizations (CBOs), and smallholder farmers; • Facilitate climate data rescue and digitization of historical climate records, coordination and collaboration among institutions involved in data collection and synthesis, co-production and tailoring of climate information. • Gather, synthesise and disseminate key information relating to climate change, vulnerability and risk analysis; • Provide technical advice and guidance on technical specifications, evaluation and clearance of meteorological equipment procured with support from FAO by working closely with DCCMS. • Identify capacity building gaps and provide trainings among institutions involved in generation of climate and sectoral data to support research work in the country. • Plan and participate in national/district level training programmes and offer training to frontline extension staff on climate data use and interpretation for adaptive planning; and • Ensure that FAO projects programming and implementation incorporates considerations of climate risks to make resilience programmes and humanitarian action more effective. • Provide technical expertise and innovation related to the integration of climate information and risks into Disaster Risk Reduction, Early warning and Climate Change. • Provide technical support for ongoing projects on Disaster Risk Reduction, Early warning, Climate Change and Resilience. • Review reports, papers and articles to ensure that technical information is well presented. • Perform any other duties that may be identified and agreed upon with the relevant FAO technical units.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced degree in meteorological services, preferably in an agrometeorological discipline and sufficient background in climate data management, analysis and interpretation; • At least 5 years of relevant practical work experience in climate, vulnerability and risk analysis, and climate change adaptive planning; • Working knowledge of English • Must be national of Malawi

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Relevant experience in setting up of climate information service delivery systems, which link climate information providers with users in the agricultural sector; • Good understanding of climate information needs for smallholder agricultural farming systems for food and nutrition security; • Strong networking, collaboration and working relationship with Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations; • Proven work experience in climate information communication production and capacity building; and • Ability to understand and translate highly specialized technical work into easy to read climate information communication • Excellent command of written and spoken English; • Excellent communication, writing and presentation skills; • Flexibility and adaptability to work with tight deadlines;

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.