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The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments
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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
The Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO's work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of forestry, including its contributions to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. It liaises with Member Nations, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues and strengthens the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects analyses and disseminates information on the world's forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products.''
The National Forest Monitoring team (NFM) supports FAO Member Nations on all aspects of forest monitoring; providing reliable information for national forest and land use related policy development, planning and sustainable management, as well as aiding them to fulfil international reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Under the Paris Agreement, the NFM Team supports countries on technical issues related to National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS), National Forest Inventory (NFI), as well as the development of cost effective and reliable Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) processes and the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). The NFM Team develops and maintains Open Foris (a set of tools and guidance supporting forest and land use monitoring), as well as developing and maintaining the System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL) an easy-to-use online platform offering anyone, anywhere, unparalleled access to satellite data and super-computing power.
The post is located in the National Forest Monitoring team (NFM) within the Forestry Division (NFO) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Forestry Officer (Remote Sensing) reports to the Senior Forestry Officer/Team Leader of the National Forest Monitoring Team, under the supervision of the Forestry Officer (SEPAL) and the overall guidance of the Director, NFO and under the technology guidance of the Digitalization and Informatics Division (CSI). The incumbent will work closely with the Decentralized Offices, Forestry Division (NFO) forestry experts and with other relevant FAO units.
Technical Focus
The technical focus of this position will be to support the development of the FAO System for Earth Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL) and the broader forest and land use monitoring work of the Forestry Division, while ensuring technical linkage with other FAO teams and partner organizations within the context of FAO's Strategic Framework and in alignment with the Organization's Policy on Gender Equality.
Key Results
Collection and analysis of information, data and statistics and project/meeting services to support programme projects, products and services.
Key Functions
• Collects and analyses relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology related information, data and/or statistics to support the delivery of programme projects, products and services.
• Undertakes analysis, provides technical input for plans and reports and edits/revises technical/scientific documents.
• Participates in the development of improved work methods, tools and systems.
• Updates databases and web pages.
• Participates on multi-disciplinary project/work teams.
• Collaborates in the development of training tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars etc.
• Participates in the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.
Specific Functions
• Supports the development of the SEPAL platform through application development in Python, R, and Google Earth Engine (JavaScript and/or Python APIs).
• Supports analysis of geospatial datasets to create useful information products for forest and land monitoring.
• Provides technical support capable of keeping SEPAL at the forefront of geospatial data processing.
• Responds to country requests for technical support and provide in-country capacity development.
• Supports the development of didactic material and documentation for SEPAL.
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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in forestry, natural resource management, remote sensing or a related field.
• Three years of relevant experience in applying remote sensing to forestry and land monitoring.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Demonstrable knowledge of forest monitoring, especially in the application of earth observation data for detecting and monitoring deforestation, forest degradation, and forest restoration.
• Extent of experience in-country capacity development for forest and land monitoring.
• Demonstrable skills in functional application of Python and/or R, and Google Earth Engine for geospatial analysis.
• Functional programming experience in Python and/or R, Google Earth Engine (JavaScript API, Python API).
• Familiarity with developing applications using, at least, Jupyter in order to facilitate use of SEPAL by novice users of geospatial data.
• Ability to write technical documentation capable of guiding users of SEPAL through basic/sophisticated geospatial analyses.
• Demonstrable ability to write elegant Python and Google Earth Engine code will be considered an asset.
• Knowledge of cloud computing and machine learning will be considered an asset.
• Ability to present procedures, results, and supporting reasoning to a general audience will be considered an asset.
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Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment
• Extension of fixed term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
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CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salary.htm
Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include:
• Dependency allowances
• Rental subsidy
• Education grant for children
• Home leave travel
• 30 working days of annual leave per year
• Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
• International health insurance; optional life insurance
• Disability protection
FAO encourages a positive workplace culture to increase inclusivity and diversity within its workforce. FAO applies measures in which all staff members contribute equally and in full to the work and development of the Organization. This includes:
• elements of family-friendly policies
• flexible working arrangements
• standards of conduct
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HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications and language skills;
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile;
• Once your profile is completed, please apply and submit your application;
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided on your online profile;
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications;
• Incomplete applications will not be considered;
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered;
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
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