Geographer

Ensure proper georeferencing and analysis of land for women's empowerment.

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FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Application deadline 10 months ago: Friday 1 Aug 2025 at 21:59 UTC

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Overview

Ensure proper georeferencing and analysis of land for women's empowerment.

You have:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Geography.
  • Minimum professional experience of 5 (five) years of proven activity in georeferencing of urban and rural properties.
  • Working knowledge (level C) of Portuguese and of Spanish and/or English.
  • Brazilian nationality.

Organizational Setting

In April 2025, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) for the Sustainable Development of the Brazilian Legal Amazon approved the UNJP/BRA/097/UNJ project "Environmental Regularization Project through Land Governance and Territorial Planning, as a pillar for Sustainable Development / Land for Women Project". The intervention was conceived by the Institute of Colonization and Lands of Maranhão (ITERMA) and will have the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the executing agency. The "Land for Women" project aims to promote land and environmental regularization in settlement areas and rural communities in Maranhão, with a priority focus on women heads of household. Seeking to reduce social inequalities, expand territorial governance and promote sustainable agricultural practices, the intervention will combine land titling actions, training in sustainable practices and entrepreneurship, access to credit and environmental monitoring, with a view to ensuring land tenure security, promoting access to public policies and strengthening economic autonomy. The project is organized into three project components/deliverables, namely: • Formalization of women's lands in rural and traditional communities. • Training in bioeconomy practices, sustainable management and female entrepreneurship. • Technical capacity of the Governments of Maranhão and Pará for land monitoring and environmental enforcement strengthened.

Reporting Lines

The Geographer will work under the general supervision of the Assistant Representative for the FAO Programme Unit in Brazil and under the technical guidance of the MPTF Project Coordinator.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will work in the technical scope of the "Lands for Women" project, with emphasis on the collection, analysis, systematization and interpretation of spatial and territorial data, focusing on the organization and planning of geographic space and the elaboration of thematic maps, topographic maps, territorial diagnoses and studies of land use and occupation, using tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, geoprocessing and interpretation of orbital and aerial photogrammetric images, according to legal and technical requirements, promoting the project's actions, in accordance with the parameters of FAO, MPTF and Brazilian legislation.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Develop technical analyses focused on urban and rural zoning, environmental planning. • Assess environmental impacts and prepare management plans for conservation units. • Analyze geological and environmental risks, mapping areas susceptible to natural disasters, delimitation of watersheds and climatic and geomorphological studies applied to spatial planning. • Define property boundaries in land regularization, adverse possession and land conflict resolution processes. • Use state-of-the-art equipment and technologies, such as high-precision GPS, drones, total stations, and geoprocessing software, ensuring the accuracy of the data produced. • Georeferencing properties, performing the delimitations of rural and urban properties, leaving them duly identified with their topographic characteristics. • Use photographic devices for aerial photogrammetric survey for topographic recognition of an area.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING:

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Geography. • Minimum professional experience of 5 (five) years of proven activity in georeferencing of urban and rural properties. • Working knowledge (level C) of Portuguese and of Spanish and/or English. • Brazilian nationality.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Previous work with land regularization of social interest or policies aimed at traditional communities and rural women. • Specialization in georeferencing with participation in projects in areas over 1000 hectares or interface with rural communities. • Experience with the use of drones, software in GIS/CAD. • Selection Criteria:

• Active registration with the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy (CREA). • Lato or stricto sensu postgraduate degree, in Georeferencing, Geoprocessing or Remote Sensing is considered an asset. • Accreditation in SIGEF – Land Management System.• FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
  • 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.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience with georeferencing urban and rural properties? This question aims to assess your professional experience in a critical area of the role. Discuss specific projects, including the size of the properties and technologies used.
How have you contributed to sustainable land management in your previous roles? The interviewer wants to understand your commitment to sustainability. Pro members can see the explanation.
What software tools are you proficient in for GIS and geoprocessing? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a challenging land conflict resolution process you were involved in. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you assess the environmental impacts of a new agricultural project? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What role does community involvement play in your approach to land regularization? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you explain the importance of using drones in your work? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing women in land ownership? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 11 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: fao.org