Project Manager

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is an international organization that leads global efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security. Established in 1945, FAO has a mission to support the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems. The organization operates in over 130 countries and employs thousands of professionals dedicated to achieving food security for all. FAO's initiatives focus on better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, ensuring that no one is left behind. The Digital FAO and Agro-Informatics Division (CSI) is responsible for all Information Technology activities within the organization, defining IT policies, strategies, and standards, and providing digital products and services to support FAO's operations worldwide.

Job Overview:
The Project Manager position at FAO is crucial for advancing the organization's Digital Workplace initiatives, which aim to create a modern, secure, and efficient working environment for FAO employees across various offices. The role involves managing cross-functional projects, ensuring that they are effectively planned, coordinated, monitored, and delivered on time. The Project Manager will focus on the 'FAO Headquarters Digital Infrastructure Upgrade' project, which is set to modernize the organization's network and data center infrastructure to meet growing digital demands. This project is essential for enhancing operational resilience, improving user experience, and enabling advanced digital services that are vital for FAO's future work. The Project Manager will work closely with technical teams and stakeholders to maintain clear governance and reporting, ensuring that all initiatives align with organizational priorities and quality standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant's responsibilities include planning, coordinating, and tracking the delivery of the 'FAO Headquarters Digital Infrastructure Upgrade' project. This involves developing and maintaining project plans, schedules, milestones, and deliverables in accordance with FAO project management methodologies. The Project Manager will work closely with technical leads to monitor progress, manage dependencies, and identify, track, and mitigate risks and issues. Facilitating coordination among cross-functional teams and business units is essential to ensure alignment and minimize operational disruption. The Project Manager will also monitor and report on project performance against scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives, providing regular updates to management and project governance bodies. Additionally, the role includes preparing and maintaining project documentation, dashboards, and status reports to support transparency and decision-making, as well as contributing to the coordination and oversight of other Digital Workplace initiatives as required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU) or UNESCO in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a closely related field. Those with a bachelor's degree must have two additional years of relevant professional experience. A minimum of seven years of relevant working experience in managing complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders is required, preferably within Information Technology infrastructure or enterprise technology environments. Candidates must also hold a recognized professional project management certification, such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, AgilePM®, or equivalent. Full proficiency in English is mandatory, and knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages is considered an asset.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, or Computer Science. Candidates with a bachelor's degree must have additional professional experience to compensate for the lack of an advanced degree. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of project management within the context of IT infrastructure and enterprise technology.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of seven years of relevant working experience in managing complex, cross-functional projects. This experience should involve working with multiple stakeholders and preferably be within Information Technology infrastructure or enterprise technology environments. Candidates should demonstrate a strong track record of successfully delivering projects on time and within budget, as well as managing risks and issues effectively throughout the project lifecycle.

Languages:
Full proficiency in English is mandatory for this position. Additionally, knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages is considered an asset, which may include French, Spanish, Arabic, or Chinese. This linguistic capability is important for effective communication within the organization and with international stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The position is full-time and is based in Rome, Italy. The role involves significant collaboration with various teams and stakeholders, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills. The Project Manager will be expected to engage in governance processes, reporting, and decision-making to ensure timely and well-aligned delivery of initiatives. The organization values results focus, teamwork, communication, building effective relationships, and knowledge sharing, which are core competencies expected from candidates.