Young Professional Officer (Climate Change)

Job Posting Organization:
The job posting organization is the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Established in 1945, FAO has a mission 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. The organization operates in over 130 countries and has a workforce of approximately 12,000 employees. FAO's Regional Office for Africa (RAF) is responsible for addressing regional priorities related to food security, agriculture, and rural development, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to programs and projects across the continent.

Job Overview:
The Young Professional Officer (Climate Change) position is located in the Regional Office for Africa in Accra, Ghana. The role involves supporting the implementation of FAO’s Strategy on Climate Change (2022-2031) and its Action Plan in Africa. The officer will provide technical expertise on climate change in agrifood systems, which includes advancing climate-related policies and investments, supporting the implementation of National Determined Contributions (NDCs), and contributing to project development and capacity building. The position requires collaboration with various technical officers and multidisciplinary teams at different levels, including headquarters, regional, subregional, and country levels. The officer will also be involved in knowledge generation and dissemination of climate change initiatives and lessons learned across the region.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Young Professional Officer will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including analyzing relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, and technological information for input into various documents. The officer will maintain records and update databases and web pages, provide technical support to various projects, and collaborate in the development of training tools and materials. Additionally, the officer will participate in organizing workshops, seminars, and meetings, and will assist in the provision of technical support for the design and implementation of FAO's projects aimed at scaling up climate action in agrifood systems. The officer will also support the analysis of trends in climate finance relevant to agrifood systems, contribute to the identification of tools for climate-resilient investment design, and monitor the implementation of FAO’s Strategy on Climate Change. Furthermore, the officer will help establish partnerships and mobilize resources, draft reports, and perform any other duties as required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in climate change, environmental engineering and sciences, natural resources management, or agriculture and forestry with a focus on climate change, biological sciences, or a related field. Additionally, candidates should have at least one year of relevant experience in development projects related to climate change mitigation and/or adaptation, preferably in agrifood systems. Proficiency in English is required, along with intermediate knowledge of another FAO official language such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in fields related to climate change, environmental sciences, natural resources management, or agriculture and forestry. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of climate change and its impact on agrifood systems.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least one year of relevant experience in development projects focused on climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. Experience in field positions and working in multiple locations or areas is desirable, as it provides a broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities in addressing climate change in agrifood systems.

Languages:
A working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English is mandatory, along with intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish). Additionally, intermediate knowledge of French is considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate in a multilingual environment.

Additional Notes:
Candidates must be 32 years of age or younger as of 31 December of the year of application. The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative aimed at attracting talented professionals, particularly from non- and under-represented countries. Priority consideration will be given to candidates from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), as well as developing countries in general. This position is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to start a career as an international civil servant with FAO.