Young Professional Officer (Nutrition and Food Systems)

Job Posting Organization:
The FAO Subregional Office for West Africa (SFW) is dedicated to supporting Member Nations and subregional institutions in addressing critical issues related to security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, nutrition, agriculture, and rural development across West Africa. Established to facilitate the implementation of FAO's Strategic Framework 2022-31, SFW aims to transform agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. The office operates with a multidisciplinary team of technical experts across various sectors, including crop and livestock production, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, land and water management, pastoralism, and climate resilience. SFW provides technical and policy support to 15 Member Countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The organization focuses on reducing poverty, improving food security and nutrition, and strengthening resilient livelihoods, particularly for vulnerable populations such as women and youth. SFW promotes sustainable agricultural practices, enhances access to markets, and fosters climate-resilient agrifood systems, guided by the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life, ensuring that no one is left behind. Through mobilizing partnerships and advancing innovative solutions, SFW aims to deliver transformative impacts at scale.

Job Overview:
The Young Professional Officer (Nutrition and Food Systems) position is integral to FAO's collaborative efforts in West Africa, focusing on the design, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-focused programs, projects, and policy initiatives. The role emphasizes the integration of nutrition into agriculture and food systems programming, contributing to analytical work, policy support, and capacity development. The YPP will be based in Dakar, Senegal, and will involve travel to various countries in the subregion as necessary. The position requires close collaboration with technical teams at SFW, FAO Country Offices, the Regional Office, and relevant partners, ensuring that nutrition considerations are effectively integrated into regional and national interventions. The YPP will also support the alignment of project documents with national nutrition priorities and global frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the World Health Assembly (WHA) Nutrition Targets.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Young Professional Officer will be responsible for a variety of key functions, including analyzing relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, and technological information for input into various documents. The officer will maintain records, update databases, and provide technical support to various projects. Collaboration in the development of training tools and materials, as well as the organization of workshops and seminars, will be essential. The YPP will participate in organizing and following up on meetings, consultations, and conferences, producing required materials and providing information and assistance to partners. Specific functions include supporting the integration of nutrition into SFW programs and projects, contributing to the formulation of project concept notes and proposals, and providing technical support to country offices and field teams. The officer will assist in strengthening multisectoral collaboration among agriculture, health, social protection, education, and environment sectors to promote integrated nutrition strategies, and contribute to the development of national and subregional nutrition action plans.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Nutrition or a related field, such as Food Science, Food Security, Agriculture, Food Technology, or Public Health, with a focus on integrating nutrition into agriculture. Additionally, candidates should have at least one year of relevant experience in nutrition-sensitive programming, food security, agricultural development, or related fields, preferably in developing countries. A working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is also required.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree, specifically a Master’s degree or equivalent, in fields related to nutrition, food science, food security, agriculture, food technology, or public health. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of nutrition-sensitive programming and its integration into agricultural practices.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have at least one year of relevant experience in nutrition-sensitive programming, food security, agricultural development, or related fields. Experience in developing countries is preferred, as it provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities present in these contexts. Additionally, work experience in multiple locations or areas of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.

Languages:
Candidates must have a working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language, which could be Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish. Proficiency in French is considered an asset, enhancing communication and collaboration within the region.

Additional Notes:
Candidates must be 32 years of age or younger as of December 31 of the year of application. The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative aimed at attracting talented, qualified professionals, particularly from non- and under-represented countries. Priority will be given to candidates from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and other developing countries. This program is designed to help candidates start a career as international civil servants with FAO.