Regional Hub Coordinator

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is an agency that aims to achieve security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. Established in 1945, FAO has a mission to eradicate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, and to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development. With over 194 member countries, FAO operates in more than 130 countries worldwide, employing thousands of staff dedicated to improving agricultural practices and policies. The organization emphasizes environmental sustainability and innovation in agrifood systems, aligning its efforts with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Job Overview:
The Regional Hub Coordinator will play a pivotal role in orchestrating the development of regional innovation ecosystems aimed at facilitating agroecological transitions. This position combines project management with ecosystem facilitation, requiring the incumbent to coordinate Partner Hub Organizations and ensure alignment between country and regional activities. The Hub Coordinator will be responsible for building networks among various innovation actors, including research institutions, development partners, and community-driven initiatives. The role demands close collaboration with national counterparts and stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of the MAINSTREAM project, which focuses on deploying and scaling gender-responsive and transformative innovations for sustainability transitions in agrifood systems across sub-Saharan Africa.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Regional Hub Coordinator include:

• Project Management and Coordination: Planning and implementing Inception Phase activities such as assessments and stakeholder engagement; developing work plans and budgets to ensure timely delivery of project milestones; coordinating Partner Hub Organizations through regular meetings and workshops; preparing project documentation and reports for FAO management and donors; supporting the implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning systems; drafting Terms of Reference and managing affiliate personnel and service providers.
• Technical Leadership: Ensuring quality and methodological compliance of Innovation Policy Labs and national roadmap processes; supporting agricultural innovation system assessments and data collection in Zimbabwe; co-designing and marketing hub services; overseeing the development of regional innovation portfolios; supporting training programs for innovation facilitators.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships: Building relationships with government, civil society, private sector, and community organizations; organizing multi-stakeholder platforms and Policy Innovation Challenges; facilitating engagement with EU Delegations and development partners; coordinating with regional and international organizations; organizing and participating in project workshops and assessments.
• Knowledge Management and Outreach: Coordinating the technical development of regional hub guidebooks; supporting the preparation of outreach materials and knowledge products; contributing to regional technical content for various platforms; liaising with other subregional coordinators to exchange information and lessons learned.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (at least MSc) from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in fields such as agricultural innovation systems, rural development, agroecology, agricultural economics, development studies, innovation management, or related social sciences. Consultants with a bachelor's degree must have two additional years of relevant professional experience. Additionally, candidates should have at least five years of proven experience in project management within an international context, facilitation and coordination of multistakeholder innovation processes, working with regional-level programs or networks, and capacity development and training delivery. Full proficiency in English is mandatory, and knowledge of regional languages is considered an asset.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree (MSc or equivalent) in relevant fields such as agricultural innovation systems, rural development, agroecology, agricultural economics, development studies, innovation management, or agricultural extension/education. Candidates with a bachelor's degree must have additional professional experience to compensate for the lack of an advanced degree.

Experience:
The position requires at least five years of proven experience in project management in an international context. Candidates should have experience in facilitating and coordinating multistakeholder innovation processes, including interactions with policy and decision-makers at various levels. Experience working with regional-level programs or networks, as well as capacity development and training delivery, is essential. Familiarity with agricultural innovation systems and agroecology in sub-Saharan Africa is highly desirable, and experience working with FAO is considered an asset.

Languages:
Full proficiency in English is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of regional languages is considered an asset, and working knowledge of French is highly desirable, as it may facilitate communication with various stakeholders and partners in the region.

Additional Notes:
This position is likely to be full-time and may involve international collaboration. The specific contract duration and seniority level have not been detailed in the job posting. Compensation and benefits will be aligned with FAO's policies and may include opportunities for professional development and networking within the international community.