Land and Water Officer (Water Quality)

Organizational Setting The Land and Water Division (NSL) of FAO foresees a future whereby governments, development partners, civil society, academic institutions, and the private sector and farmers, all work together to ensure that land, soil, and water resources are wisely used, conserved, and restored for sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that support food security, nutrition, and human wellbeing. NSL provides policy guidance, technical and financial assistance to Members in developing policies, programmes, best practices and management tools for ensuring productive and efficient use of land, soil and water resources to meet present and future demands for agricultural products, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of these resources. It promotes equitable access to and sustainable management of these natural resources with a view to enhancing productivity, livelihoods, equity, health and ecosystem services. Under the new Strategy, NSL will work towards a core set of five integrated and strategic objectives and action areas that have been elaborated to cut across the thematic areas of land, water, soils, and geospatial areas of work of the Division: (1) Good governance; (2) Wise use and restoration; (3) Mitigation and resilience; (4) Integrated solutions; (5) Data, digitalization, technology and innovation. The post is located in the Land and Water Division (NSL) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines The Land and Water Officer (Water Quality) reports to the Director, NSL.

Technical Focus Integrated water resources management, with focus on water quality, environmental monitoring, pollution and health.

Key Results Comprehensive technical and policy expertise to support the planning, development and implementation of cross-divisional programmes, projects, products and services in accordance with cross-divisional objectives and the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions • Plans and leads components of multidisciplinary teams, leads and/or participates on Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams, and working groups and/or provides specialized expertise on technical networks and/or international technical policy and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies; • Develops technical, analytical, monitoring and reporting frameworks, and related methodologies, tools, systems and databases etc. to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of programmes of work, projects, products and/or services; • Designs and conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative approaches and strategies, new tools, technologies, technical reports/publications, and/or policy proposals as well as the provision of technical/policy/ specialist/advice and expertise; • Responds to country requests for technical and policy assistance, provides technical advice, assistance and solutions to Decentralized Offices and provides technical backstopping to field projects; • Collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to, and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within Members such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning materials, on-line tools; • Promotes international cooperation/advocates best practices, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international/intergovernmental meetings; • Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.

Specific Functions • Provides technical support to the division and FAO units on water quality and agriculture interactions from the perspective of irrigation/drainage water quality for crop production, chemical and biological water quality data collection, indicator parameters, data requirements/assessment, agriculture pollution prevention, environmental monitoring, and integrated one health issues; • Coordinates the formulation of multi-sectoral approaches and tools to integrated water management for food production, taking into account the multiple uses of water interactions and services, water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus considerations, including mechanisms to ensure cooperation and benefit sharing of stakeholders and considering natural resources sustainability, health and environmental concerns; • Formulates/facilitates FAO programme on non-conventional water resources, wastewater and desalinated water, for irrigated agriculture, working in tandem with divisional teams on irrigation and infrastructure development, data, and with partners in the development of international norms/guidelines and best practices for augmenting water supply under water scarcity and drawing on linkages between urban and peri-urban agriculture; • Provides and coordinates support to normative and field programme activities involving water resources development and management, by assisting in the appraisal and formulation of programme and project proposals, directs technical assistance and advice, and the evaluation of ongoing and completed water quality, agricultural pollution control-related projects, including implementation of green technologies, promotion of circular economy, and nature-based solutions; • Disseminates information on water resources management through the Water Reports and other technical publications, and through meetings, seminars, and training courses; • Contributes to/supports the generation and analysis of data and information to improve the knowledge on agriculture and aquaculture production and water quality impacts, wetlands conservation and wise use, and provides guidance on the sustainability threshold in the exploitation of the water resources and maintains regular collaboration with colleagues across teams/Units/Decentralized Offices to strengthen FAO's work on integrated water resources management; • Facilitates the establishment and mobilisation of multidisciplinary task forces/ad-hoc working groups on cross-cutting water quality and agricultural production and nutrition and livelihoods issues of concern for the implementation of FAO programme priority areas in support of coordinated FAO response and strategy; • Supports FAO work under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) joint work on implementation of climate action in agriculture and food security related to water quality; liaises with FAO One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance Working Groups on divisional strategies and inputs; • Plans, organizes, and participates in communications and outreach activities in collaboration with relevant Divisions, Offices and Centres, working groups, stakeholders, partners and other entities; • Contributes to the division's efforts in planning, programming and implementation works and performs other relevant duties as required.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in environmental and health sciences, natural resources science, engineering or agricultural sciences with a focus on water related issues; • Seven years of relevant experience in progressively responsible professional experience including supervisory positions in international organizations, government departments or private enterprises dealing with water development and management; • 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 • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions; • Work experience in formulating and implementing programmes and field projects; • Extent of knowledge of system approaches and computer applications in water resources management studies; • Extent of experience in multi-sectoral, multidisciplinary work and in facilitating collaboration and managing partnerships; • Extent of knowledge of agriculture production and water quality impact assessment/management tools and methods and related policies; • Extent and relevance of experience in technical fields related to wastewater/drainage water treatment and reuse and/or desalination for irrigated agriculture; • Extent and relevance of experience in conducting technical and feasibility studies of water resources and environmental projects; • Extent and relevance of experience in capacity building programmes, leading or participating in, multidisciplinary teams meetings and conferences; • Demonstrated ability to make effective oral and written presentations and to write clear and concise reports; • Demonstrated ability to mobilize and manage extra-budgetary resources; • Ability to plan, evaluate and organize work, write clearly and concisely, takes initiative, and maintain good working relations with people of diverse national and cultural backgrounds.