Project Operations Support Specialist

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

The Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO’s work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of forestry, including its contributions to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. It liaises with member countries, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues, and strengthens the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects analyses and disseminates information on the world’s forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products.
In this context, the FAO Forestry Division’s REDD , Climate Change and Resilience, and National Forest Monitoring teams provide capacity development support to countries on REDD process (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, plus the sustainable management of forests, and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks), from the readiness to implementation and results-based payments phase. In this context, FAO supports countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia and the Pacific to achieve the following outcomes\:
- Design and adopt national contributions to the mitigation of climate change through REDD , including the provision of additional social and environmental benefits, and in conformity with the UNFCCC’s REDD safeguards;
- Implement national contributions to the mitigation of climate change though REDD with the necessary institutional arrangements in place;
- Access Results Based Payments, mobilize finance and re-invest the proceeds to achieve new emission reductions.

With capacity development support and technical expertise from FAO, countries are able to use REDD work as a catalyst to deliver on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards climate change mitigation and adaptation put forward by each Party to the UNFCCC following the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Reporting Lines

The specialist(s) will report to the Programme Officer (Operations Coordinator), in close coordination with the Operations Group and with the Deputy Director, the REDD , Climate Change, and NFM team leaders and /or of specific officers within the Team(s), related project or programmes including in the Forests and Climate work stream.

Technical Focus

The specialist(s) will support the aforementioned Operations Coordinator and the related Operations Group in project management/programme support efforts - including support to the financial and budgetary management led by the Programme Officer (Finance and Budget) - of the project portfolio directly managed or technically backstopped by to the REDD , NFM, and Forest and Climate teams. Specifically, the incumbent will carry out the following tasks\:

Tasks and responsibilities

The consultant/PSA will\:
• Support operational processes during different phases of the project cycle for trust funds, from concept note to project formulation to project implementation/closure;
• Support preparation of specific sections of project documents and work plans;
• Support insertion of project data in corporate systems (FPMIS, GRMS etc) and proper maintenance of project data;
• Support (depending on needs) specific project implementation processes (such as procurement, including Letters of Agreements(LoAs) and related monitoring); preparation of reports, and preparation of forms related to project closure;
• Assist in the maintenance and development of project-related databases and dashboards, allowing for monitoring of portfolios of projects and programmes, among others UN-REDD, SEPAL, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration;
• Assist in maintaining and updating consolidated analytical tools and reports to facilitate portfolio-wide operational analysis and support in providing strategic advice;
• Assist in the preparation of specific ad hoc documentation/analysis to support budget holders for relevant global and interregional projects of the teams;
• Assist in selected tasks related to the preparation of the Annual Work Plan (and related budget) for the following financial year;
• Support team tasks such as maintenance of Sharepoint records etc;
• Participate in meetings and discussions organized by the Operations Group;
• Prepare summaries, statistics or other background material for the Operations Group (when requested);
• Other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (for consultants)/ University degree (only for PSA) in International Relations, Social Sciences, Project Management, Business Administration, Finance or other related fields.
• At least one year (for Category C consultants/PSAs) / at least five years (for Category B consultants/PSAs) of relevant working experience, preferably in project management, monitoring and/or reporting
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese). For PSA, working knowledge of English (level C).

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Good knowledge of corporate computerized financial / travel / Human Resources systems and administrative procedures and policies.
• Good knowledge and experience in project management, planning and monitoring and reporting.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Experience with trust fund projects and related processes.
• Ability to coordinate with internal and external partners.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines concurrently.
• Familiarity with FAO procedures, regulations and rules, will be considered an asset.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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 create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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