Operations Officer at FAO

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting

Through its Country Offices or Representations, FAO provides policy advice, technical assistance and investment supports to its member states in ending hunger, addressing malnutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include advocating and formulation of relevant strategies and policies; introduction and dissemination of suitable approaches and technologies; design and implementation of country-tailored field projects; and liaison with government departments, UN Country Team, donor agencies and other development partners on subject matters related to FAO mandate areas.

The FAO Representation in Malawi is developing and implementing field programmes and projects based on the FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) in Malawi, focusing on three thematic priorities, including: 1) agriculture and food systems transformation; 2) sustainable natural resources management and environment protection; and 3) integrated disaster risk management and resilience building.

The Country Office is structured in three Units, including Programme and Technical Unit, Operation and Coordination Unit, and Administration and Finance Unit. The Operation and Coordination Unit is responsible for delivery of field programmes and projects. It comprises three project coordination Groups in the thematic areas of Agriculture and Food Systems, Natural Resource and Environment, and Emergency, Resilience and ECTAD (Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease), and three Sections for Procurement, Operations, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Information Management.

Projects currently being implemented by the Country Office cover the areas of agribusiness development, youth and women empowerment, land, fishery, forestry and water resources management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, emergency responses and transboundary animal disease control.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded project on Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi (EbAM) was recently activated, with a total budget of 53.2 million USD. The project aims at building climate resilience in vulnerable watersheds and communities through increasing climate resilience of watershed ecosystems, stabilizing productivity and farmers’ incomes and enhancing enabling environment.

Through its Country Offices, or FAO Representations, FAO assists governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to address hunger and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include design and implementation of country-tailored field programmes, liaison with local donor representatives, and active public awareness-raising and outreach activities related to FAO initiatives such as the World Food Day.
The position is located in the FAO Representation in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Reporting Lines

The Operations Officer reports to the FAO Representative.

Technical Focus

Lead and coordinate the operational support to field programmes and projects implemented by the Country Office, especially the GCF funded EbAM project.

Key Results

The provision of operation support and services.

Key Functions

•    Acts as a focal point for all project operational matters, organizes and handles the day-to-day operational activities of the field programme (including emergency, rehabilitation and development projects, in national, regional and global projects) and takes action in consultation with supervisors on any issues which arise during the execution period.
•    Prepares project task force meetings and provides secretariat support.
•    Ensures the timely provision of project inputs (personnel, technical support services, sub-contracts, training, equipment and supplies) directly by the Organization or, when appropriate, through contractors and in liaison with other support units.
•    Participates in the preparation of project work plans, monitors progress and identifies corrective measures to overcome operational constraints.
•    Reviews and monitors the project budget, prepares requests and revisions as required, maintains and monitors budget expenditures and resources, reviews project transaction listings with a view to identifying errors in accounting against budget lines.
•    Prepares and submits the Project Implementation Reports and any other reports required by the Organization.
•    Ensures the completeness and quality of data and documentation in the FAO corporate systems (e.g. GRMS (Global Resource Management System), FPMIS (Field Programme Management Information System)), for all assigned operational field projects and activities.
•    Prepares analytical reports on project performances as required.
•    Coordinates action concerning the completion of field projects and arranges for timely and adequate reporting, including identification of project follow-up requirements.
•    Contributes to the formulation of project proposals according to FAO’s procedures and prepares project documents for technical clearance and final approval under different funding arrangements.
•    Performs other duties as required.

Specific Functions

•    Works as the EbAM Operations Expert; leads operational support and services to the implementation of EbAM project (50% of staff time).
•    Works as the Head of Operations Section of the Country Office; supervises and coordinates the team and the work of the Operations Section.
•    Acts as the Country Office focal point on operations matters; oversees and coordinates day-to-day operational processing for the country office programme portfolio, especially the EbAM project.
•    Coordinates the Operations Section to support preparation and implementation of the Project Task Force (PTF) meetings of EbAM and other projects; provides secretariat services to the PTFs.
•    Liaises with other Sections to facilitate timely provision of inputs (human resources, technical support services, sub-contracts, training, equipment and supplies) directly by the Organization or, when appropriate, through contractors, for the implementation of EbAM and other projects.
•    Contributes to the preparation of work plans of EbAM and other projects, monitors implementation progress and identifies corrective measures to overcome operational constraints.
•    Reviews, verifies and monitors the budgets, expenditures and transactions of EbAM and other projects to ensure compliance with project budget allocation and relevant FAO and GCF guidelines; identifies errors in accounting against budget lines for corrections.
•    Coordinates with the project teams to prepare and submit periodic Project Implementation Reports and financial reports for EbAm and other projects, following the timelines, templates and other requirements defined by FAO, GCF and other donor agencies.
•    Cooperates with the project teams to prepare and process requests for funds, budget revisions and project extensions for EbAM and other projects based on the needs of projects implementation.
•    Ensures the completeness, timely updating and quality of data and documentation in the FAO corporate systems (e.g. GRMS, FPMIS) for all field projects and programmes assigned to the Country Office.
•    Prepares and regularly updates analytical reports on the delivery and performance of EbAM and other projects for the information of the monthly Country Office Management Team Meetings.
•    Coordinates processing of termination, closure and reporting of programmes and projects implemented by the Country Office, including identification of project follow-up requirements.
•    Supports formulation of project proposals according to FAO’s procedures and prepares project documents for internal clearances and final approval under different funding arrangements.
•    Acts as the Quality Assurance Officer in processing agreements between FAO and implementing partners under EbAM and other projects, including Partners Agreement (PA) under Operational Partner Implementation Modality (OPIM), Letters of Agreements (LoAs) and Beneficiary Grants (BG); supports relevant responsible persons in monitoring, reporting and closing these PAs, LOAs and BGs.
•    Performs other duties as required.