Senior Program Management Specialist

Overview

Provide high-level strategic and technical support for agrifood systems transformation and climate resilience.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in relevant fields such as agricultural economics, climate finance, program management, or related discipline.
• At least 10 years of progressively senior international experience in relevant fields such as program management, strategic advisory services, or resource mobilization.
• Working knowledge of French and English is required.

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

Organizational Setting

Ensuring Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life (the Four Betters) are the pillars of FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031. Guided by the Four Betters, the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Côte d’Ivoire supports the Government, national institutions, development partners, financing institutions and private-sector actors to advance agrifood systems transformation, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, food security, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and inclusive rural development. The FAO Côte d’Ivoire portfolio includes a Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (FEF) and other donors supported projects that advance the Government’s agenda on agroforestry, biodiversity, land restoration, aquaculture value-chain interventions, technical cooperation activities, investment-center supported programs, and emerging opportunities linked to sustainable cities, urban and peri-urban agriculture, forestry, circular bioeconomy, renewable energy and the overall transformation of the national agrifood systems. The portfolio requires strengthened strategic coordination, management follow-up, results-based oversight, quality assurance, resource mobilization and programmatic coherence across ongoing and pipeline projects. The relocation of the GCF regional hub for West and Central Africa to Abidjan, the upcoming GEF-9 programming cycle, and the growing engagement of multilateral development banks, bilateral donors and UN partners create a strategic opportunity for FAO Côte d’Ivoire to position itself as a high-value technical and convening partner for climate finance and agrifood systems transformation. This assignment will therefore provide senior level advisory support to the FAO Representative and the Management Team.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the FAO Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, the Senior Program Management Specialist will work in close consultation with the Assistant FAO Representatives, project managers, Project Task Forces, Lead Technical Officers, the Regional Office for Africa, headquarters technical divisions, the Investment Center and relevant national counterparts.

Technical Focus

Program management and Leadership/team management

The Senior Program Management Specialist will provide high-level strategic, technical and managerial support for effective coordination, implementation support, portfolio management, quality assurance and resource mobilization for ongoing and pipeline FAOCI projects. He/she will operate as an autonomous senior adviser, supporting the FAO Representative in strengthening program coherence, management decision-making, partner engagement, donor positioning, risk management, performance monitoring, and the identification of scale-up and financing opportunities across the country office portfolio.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide senior strategic advice to the FAO Representative on portfolio coherence, programme positioning, delivery oversight and alignment with CPF, FAO Strategic Framework, government priorities and donor commitments. • Lead coordination and management follow-up across all FAOCI projects through harmonized tools, dashboards, portfolio reviews, risk tracking, budget monitoring and corrective action follow-up. • Act as a senior technical and managerial backstopping to the GCF-funded flagship project, including work planning, delivery review, safeguards, reporting, visibility, continuity, sustainability and scale-up. • Promote operational synergies across GCF, GEF and other FAOCI projects in climate resilience, agroforestry, biodiversity, aquaculture, food systems, nutrition, circular bioeconomy and related areas. • Lead climate-finance and donor intelligence analysis and support development of a prioritized resource mobilization plan and pipeline of concept notes and investment opportunities. • Conduct strategic engagement with government, donors, GCF/GEF stakeholders, UN agencies, IFIs, technical partners and private-sector actors to advance FAOCI’s programme and financing priorities. • Represent FAO in technical and strategic discussions, as delegated by the FAO Representative, and facilitate coordination with FAO regional, subregional, headquarters and Investment Centre teams. • Ensure quality assurance of project documents, donor reports, budgets, logical frameworks, procurement plans, agreements, terms of reference and partner deliverables in line with FAO standards. • Strengthen results-based management, monitoring, reporting, evidence generation, data quality, lessons learning and management use of portfolio performance information. • Coach project managers and technical teams and develop practical templates, management tools, capitalization products and knowledge materials for institutional learning, partner dialogue and resource mobilization.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agricultural economics, natural resources management, climate finance, public policy, program management, international development, veterinary/public health, agrifood systems, environmental sciences or related field. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience. • At least 10 years of progressively senior international experience in program/portfolio management, strategic advisory services, resource mobilization, donor relations, climate finance, agrifood systems or emergency/development coordination. • Working knowledge of French and English is required.

FAO Core 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 • Extent and relevance of experience in development and humanitarian programmes management • Extent and relevance of experience in resource moblisation and donor relations • Very good organizational skills and ability to meet tight deadlines. • Ability to prioritize tasks. • Ability to work in a harmonious and efficient manner in a multidisciplinary team. • Excellent writing and analytical skills. • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective working relationships with the project team. • Relevance of experience in writing high-quality written materials for a wide variety of audiences. • Experience working with GCF and or UN agencies is an advantage.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated experience with FAO, the UN system, international financial institutions or major development partners, including coordination of multi-stakeholder programs and preparation of donor-facing analytical products. • Strong knowledge of climate finance mechanisms, GCF/GEF programming, results-based management, risk management, project cycle management and partnership engagement. • Excellent analytical, drafting, facilitation and representation skills; ability to operate autonomously and deliver high-quality outputs under tight timelines. • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in vertical funds, Technical Cooperation Program and other donor funded project design, monitoring or implementation and reporting processes; • Good understanding of results-based projects management, reporting, and evaluation; • Experience in developing and implementing capacity building activities for multiple stakeholders; • Experience working in developing countries and advising government and non-government stakeholders; and

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Potential interview questions

Added 12 days ago - Updated 9 hours ago - Source: fao.org