Senior Natural Resources Officer (Water Resources Management)

Organizational Setting

The FAO Subregional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Yemen (SNG) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). It assists the FAO Representations in the subregion with addressing subregional food security, agriculture and rural development issues at country level. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE).

Reporting Lines

The Senior Natural Resources Officer reports to the Subregional Coordinator for the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Yemen under functional guidance of the relevant technical divisions in headquarters to ensure corporate technical coherence and quality. S/he works in close collaboration with the members of SNG's multidisciplinary team, the Regional Programme Leader, the Delivery Manager of the Regional Water Scarcity Initiative, and relevant technical units, including the Land and Water Division.

Technical Focus

Water resources for agriculture: water resources assessment including hydrological modelling, water accounting and demand forecasting; water governance policy and regulations; irrigation design and management, water quality management, water saving technologies and controlled environment agriculture.

Key Results

Leadership and technical policy expertise for the planning, development and implementation of Regional Programmes of work, projects, products, services in accordance with Regional objectives and FAO’s Strategic Objectives and in alignment with the Organization's Gender Policy.

Key Functions

• Plans, manages, or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams, leads, coordinates, and/or participates in Regional 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;

• Analyzes global and country specific requirements and relevant technical issues to provide critical input into the FAO’s Strategic Objectives, Programme of Work, work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies;

• Implements and monitors programmes of work involving the development of the approach, evidence-based strategies, and related tools, methodologies and the supporting system/database, monitoring and reporting frameworks;

• Conducts, designs and oversees research and analysis activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, technical reports, publications and/or ongoing programme development as well as the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services;

• Provides technical and policy advice to Member countries and technical support to decentralized offices in the development and implementation of their programmes;

• Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within member countries such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning, online tools;

• Represents the Organization at international meetings and conferences, identifies and implements strategic partnerships, advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders;

• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate strategy.

Specific Functions

• Coordinates FAO response to requests for external assistance by governments on sustainable integrated water management systems including management of groundwater and non-conventional water resources (saline and brackish water and treated waste effluents), hydrological modelling and demand forecasting, water saving technologies, climate change resilience, climate smart agriculture, and other related areas;

• Organizes the review and provides guidance on state-of-the-art technology applicable to the countries covered by SNG and advises on needs, projects or the development, management and conservation of water resources for agriculture with special emphasis on controlled environment agriculture;

• Advises the Government of the United Arab Emirates on the implementation of the United Arab Emirates Food Security Strategy 2051 and related initiatives in relation with water resources management;

• Monitors and reports on water situations and prospects, contributes to FAO's AQUASTAT monitoring system and the monitoring of indicators for SDG 6 'Water for all', and promote water accounting approaches at the national and subregional levels;

• Advises Member Governments in identification, formulation, implementation and evaluation of programmes for the sustainable management of water resources;

• Promotes applied innovations on water technologies, including innovative groundwater governance approaches and effective water allocation mechanisms;

• Develops and implements capacity building in support to enhanced water resources management and governance;

• Promotes, organizes and participates in studies and represents FAO/SNG in conferences/meetings/workshops related to the aforementioned fields and follow-up with the initiation of activities emanating from such studies;

• Performs other duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in natural resources with focus on water resource management, hydrology, hydraulic engineering and agronomy, or a related field;

• Ten years of relevant experience in natural resources management, including sustainable integrated water management systems (groundwater and non-conventional water resources); water policy, regulations and programming; hydrological modelling, water saving technologies and demand forecasting;

• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official 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 or knowledge of one or all of the following disciplines: climate change, sustainable bioenergy development, natural resources management, water management, forestry management, land management and/or rural development and more specifically on advanced research and applied innovations on water management technologies;

• Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation of technical and policy reports, guidelines and manuals in the field of water resources management and water security in connection with international water related organizations;

• Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of programmes related to natural resources in development organizations;

• Ability to mobilize resources;

• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses.