Climate Information and Services Specialist
Job Posting: 13/Jul/2023
Closure Date: 01/Aug/2023, 2:29:00 AM
Primary Location: Jamaica-Kingston
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
Organizational Setting
For about six decades, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been working with the Government and people of Jamaica to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity, and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to climate change and other hazards.
Reporting Lines
The Climate and Information Services Specialist will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Jamaica and will report to the Policy Officer for Environment and Climate Change who is based in the FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean in Barbados.
Technical Focus
Since becoming partners in 2016, FAO and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have been scaling up climate investments in high-impact projects that make the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors more efficient, inclusive, sustainable and resilient to climate change. Jamaica’s National Designated Authority (NDA), the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), has appointed FAO as the Accredited Entity (AE) to support the country in accessing GCF funding of approximately USD 15M to accelerate climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector. In January 2023, the concept note entitled “ADAPT Jamaica: Enhancing Climate Change Resilience of Vulnerable Smallholders in Central Jamaica” was endorsed by the GCF’s Climate Investment Committee (CIC2) for development into a full funding proposal. The envisaged project aims at increasing the adoption of climate-resilient technologies, innovations and best practices by targeted farmers and market actors, and at enhancing the enabling environment for catalysing inclusive, climate-resilient investments in agricultural production in central Jamaica. In alignment with the Climate Change Policy Framework (2015), the Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan and the FAO Country Programming Framework for Jamaica for the period 2022-2026, the proposed project is expected to directly benefit 122,223 small farmers and 381,149 farm household members. The development of the ADAPT Jamaica funding proposal involves a series of needs assessments, feasibility studies, environmental, social and gender analyses and risk assessments, which are to be completed in close coordination with the NDA, the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, and other relevant governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. One of these required studies is a climate information and technology needs assessment for the Jamaican agriculture sector and the development of a climate information capacity development plan for the project implementation phase.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Evaluate agroclimatic data-/technology-related gaps and opportunities to meet the management and decision-making needs of small farmers and other market system actors (e.g., financial and insurance institutions).
• Identify sector level gaps in the collection, collation, analysis of and access to climate data, the packaging and dissemination of climate information and the utilization of climate services by small farmers and other market system actors.
• Study possible legal/regulatory limitations regarding the scaling of the collection, collation and analysis of climate data, and the packaging and dissemination of climate information.
• Assess the institutional capacity (human and infrastructural) of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the Meteorological Service of Jamaica (MSJ) and other key stakeholders to expand the dissemination of agroclimatic information.
• Propose suitable mechanisms for reaching small farmers and explore private sector partnerships (e.g., with telecommunications companies) for demand-driven dissemination of agroclimatic information.
• Based on the findings, recommend project design elements that will help address the identified gaps and barriers.
• Provide technical inputs to the funding proposal, particularly as it relates to the presentation and interpretation of climate data and downscaled climate modelling.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• University degree in Climatology, Meteorology, Agricultural Science, Natural Resources Management, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of relevant experience in collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination of agroclimatic data and information in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
• Working knowledge (Proficient – level C) of English, and limited knowledge (Intermediate – level B) of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian. For PSA, working knowledge of English is sufficient.
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 conducting research related to agriculture and climate change, using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Extent and relevance of experience in working with key public and private agricultural stakeholders in Jamaica, including small farmers.
• Extent and relevance of experience in working as part of a multidisciplinary team of remotely working experts.
• Familiarity with geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing applications, and information and communication technology (ICT).
• Familiarity with standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Solid documentation, record keeping and reporting writing skills.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
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 more information, visit the FAO employment website
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
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