Community Engagement Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is an agency that leads international 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 help eliminate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, and to ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. The organization operates in over 130 countries, with a workforce of more than 12,000 employees. In Ukraine, FAO has scaled up its presence with five offices located in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, focusing on enhancing national capacities in agriculture, sustainable management of forests and fisheries, and supporting economic recovery in conflict-affected regions.

Job Overview:
The Community Engagement Specialist will play a crucial role in the Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Programme, focusing on community mobilization and engagement in mine-affected areas. This position requires a strong emphasis on programmatic communications to ensure that farmers adopt safe agricultural practices and actively participate in program activities. The Specialist will be responsible for conducting community mobilization sessions, supporting beneficiary outreach, and implementing a communications plan for the Mine Action team. This role is vital for fostering behavior change, community ownership, and effective participation in Mine Action initiatives, ensuring that communication and community engagement are integrated into project implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Community Engagement Specialist will have a diverse set of responsibilities, including: supporting the implementation of the Mine Action programme's internal communications plan; translating complex technical information into accessible content for farmers; developing outreach materials tailored to affected communities; conducting community engagement sessions; supporting procurement activities; facilitating community liaison for ARM-led farming community surveys; providing translation and interpretation support as needed; maintaining a structured liaison with the FAO Ukraine Communications Unit; providing logistical support for project activities; documenting community feedback and lessons learned; drafting project progress and donor reports; contributing to beneficiary data collection and verification processes; and providing project-level implementation updates and community engagement data to the ARM Unit.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a university degree in Communications, Journalism, Development Studies, Rural Development, Agriculture, Social Sciences, or a related technical field relevant to community engagement and programme communications. Additionally, a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in programme communications, community engagement, or supporting development or humanitarian projects is required. Candidates must also be nationals of Ukraine and have a working knowledge of English and Ukrainian at Level C or native proficiency.

Educational Background:
The position requires a university degree in a relevant field such as Communications, Journalism, Development Studies, Rural Development, Agriculture, or Social Sciences. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of community engagement and program communications, particularly in the context of agricultural and humanitarian efforts.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have at least three years of relevant professional experience in areas such as programme communications, community engagement, or behavior change communication. Experience in implementing development or humanitarian projects is highly valued, particularly in contexts affected by conflict or crises.

Languages:
Proficiency in English and Ukrainian is mandatory, with both languages required at Level C or native proficiency. This linguistic capability is crucial for effective communication with local stakeholders and for translating technical information into accessible formats for the community.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Kharkiv and is in-office. FAO does not charge any fees during the recruitment process, and applications received after the closing date will not be accepted. Candidates must have their educational qualifications recognized by the World Higher Education Database (WHED). The appointment will be subject to medical fitness certification, accreditation, residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.