Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer (Head of Operations Unit)

Overview

Lead FAO programmes in Afghanistan focusing on emergency and rehabilitation operations.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, economics, business administration and management, international relations or another field related to the work of the Organization.
• Ten years of relevant experience in programme and project management associated with agricultural and rural development in emergency and development contexts.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge of another official FAO language.

Organizational Setting FAO in Afghanistan is investing, across all 34 provinces, in resilience-reinforcing actions that focus on protecting agriculture livelihoods and local ecosystems, boosting local production of nutritious foods and cash incomes, and safeguarding critical agriculture sectoral development gains achieved over the past couple of decades through revitalizing rural markets and economy. In 2022-2023, FAO will, under the life-saving assistance Outcome (1) of the UN Transitional Engagement Framework (TEF), focus on the following four priority actions: (i) Safeguarding Wheat Seed Security; (ii) Enhancing Local Production of Nutritious Food; (iii) Livestock Protection and Dairy Sector Support; and (iv) Restoring Irrigation Structures to Boost Cash Incomes. Additionally, FAO will contribute towards resilience-building activities under Outcome 2 of the TEF.

The position is located in the FAO Representation in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Reporting Lines The Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer (Head of Operations Unit) reports to the Deputy FAO Representative and will work in close coordination with the Assistant FAO Representatives Programme and Administration, the Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer (Head of Field Programme Unit), the Procurement Unit, and other units and teams in FAO Afghanistan.

Technical Focus Support the implementation of the FAO emergency and resilience programme in Afghanistan.

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

Key Functions • Plans, manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams, coordinates and/or participates in country level committees and provides technical leadership on interagency committees, networks and international working groups; • Contributes to and/or coordinates the planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting of the FAO Afghanistan programme of work, team plans, the supporting tools, standards and system frameworks; • Oversees and/or provides expert technical assistance to FAO Afghanistan Teams focusing on (i) humanitarian policy, interagency collaboration and mobilization of emergency resources; (ii) response, food chain crisis, special operations, Level 3 emergency preparedness, early warning and support to transition; and/or (iii) programming, integrating resilience into FAO planning at all levels, and the delivery of related products and services; • Promotes best practices and provides technical support/services and operational coaching to FAO Afghanistan Field Offices, designates focal points to facilitate emergency programming, resource mobilization and integration of emergency and development work in collaboration with Regional Offices, and provides capacity during critical phases of emergencies; • Oversees ongoing operational emergency and recovery projects and programmes and related capacity development in FAO Afghanistan; • Represents FAO on national committees and develops and maintains partnerships and inter-agency collaboration in support of FAO's leadership of the global Food Security Cluster (gFSC) and with a range of other partners such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF, NGOs and other humanitarian groups involved in emergency and recovery activities; • Coordinates the monitoring and promoting of resource mobilization activities including country appeals, donor macro-grants and other funding opportunities through project and programme formulation; • Oversees knowledge management activities including the maintenance and updating of FAO emergency information systems, crisis communications, information and advocacy, as well as providing up-to-date information for reporting, audits and evaluations; • Performs other duties.

Specific Functions • Provides leadership, guidance and operational support to the overall field programme management; • Leads and manages day-to-day operations on matters relating to the implementation of FAO field programmes, including emergency, rehabilitation, and development projects; • Coordinates project budget preparation, ensuring coverage, continuity, and sustainability of the office’s human resources (HR) and common costs including rental of premises and accommodations in field offices, Shared Common United Nations (UN) costs, security, and other general operating costs; • Coordinates the preparation of emergency, rehabilitation, and development project workplans, monitors progress, and identifies corrective measures to overcome operational constraints; • Facilitates close consultation and coordination between programme and procurement units; contributes to procurement planning, Purchase Order monitoring, and monitoring of delivery of inputs and services; • Supervises and coordinates the project cycle management from the project opening to the financial closure; provides quality assurance, under different funding arrangements; • Provides oversight over budget management and project expenditures monitoring, including HR planning, preparation and processing of budget revisions, preparation of project financial reports in line with donor requirements and preparation of yearly field programme delivery estimates; • Coordinates the preparation of financial and programme/project implementation reports, including final statements to governments and donors; • Oversees the support and strengthening of the operational structure, including training of national personnel, to ensure the necessary operational capacity for the implementation of the FAO field programme is maintained; • Oversees logistics, asset management ad IT support functions within FAO Representation in Kabul and field offices; • Advises the programme management of the office by participating in internal meetings, facilitating information sharing, planning/coordinating internal activities as well as supporting day-to-day operations of FAO Afghanistan projects; • Liaises with other UN organizations and partners (non-governmental organizations, national authorities, and donors, etc.) at the operational level on emergency response and development assistance; • Builds and maintains partnerships with relevant stakeholders and/or partners to develop capacity for efficient field programme/project delivery; • Performs other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in agriculture, economics, business administration and management, international relations or another field related to the work of the Organization. • Ten years of relevant experience in programme and project management associated with agricultural and rural development in emergency and development contexts, and in planning, formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating field programmes. • Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

* If a candidate fails to meet the minimum requirement of (intermediate) limited knowledge of the second language, they may be still considered in the selection process on the condition that if they are subsequently appointed to the post they will undergo obligatory language training until the required level is reached.

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. • Extent and relevance of experience in field programme/project operations in the food security and agriculture sector, in particular in complex emergency contexts; • Extent and relevance of experience in liaising with international donor organizations and development partners and in preparing proposals for funding, monitoring budgets, and preparing financial reports in donor-specific formats; • Extent and relevance of experience in programme/project management, including field office budget management, planning, and expenditure monitoring; • Familiarity with FAO's Project cycle guidelines and knowledge of FAO processes and administrative systems is considered a strong asset.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org