Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific (SAP) supports member countries in meeting their national priorities in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, agrifood systems, nutrition and rural development. FAOโs member countries in the Pacific include the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FAO SAP is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional agriculture, food, nutrition and rural development priorities. FAO SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP).ย
The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.
Purpose of this Call
FAO SAP is seeking a National Food Safety Specialist to conduct activities aimed at strengthening the national food control system in Fiji by identifying food safety challenges and delivering targeted solutions. The role involves supporting the assigned FAO international consultant on the project to complete project activities, providing organizational support for workshops and meetings with relevant stakeholders and preparing and submitting reports on project work.ย
The post is based in Suva, Fiji and funded under a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), under the project โStrengthening the food safety system in Fiji and Tonga, to support public health and food securityโ. The project aims to strengthen food control management systems in Fiji and Tonga by identifying food safety challenges and delivering targeted solutions, including raising awareness and providing practical tools and resources to industry stakeholders, enforcement agencies, and consumers to enhance food safety standards and practices.ย
Reporting Lines
The National Food Safety Specialist t will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific, technical supervision of the FAORAP Senior Food Safety and Nutrition Officer in close collaboration with the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, and reporting and liaison with the Assistant FAO Representative for Fiji. He/she works in coordination with relevant FAO technical and support staff and contributes to activities involving government institutions, consultants, and partners, under the guidance of the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition.
Technical Focusย
The National Food Safety Specialist will support FAO-led activities related to the ย National Food Safety Taskforce (NFST), Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications (MTCSMEC), and other relevant Government Ministries. This includes assisting with the collection of data/information from relevant sources under the guidance of the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition and technical staff.
He/She will undertake review, assessment and judgment of the data/information in close consultation with the International Consultant for Food Safety and Nutrition, and in support of activities involving FAO/NFST/MTCSMEC. The Specialist will support the facilitation of ย presentations and coordination of the stakeholder workshops/consultations organized as per the agreed work schedule.
Tasks and responsibilities
The incumbent will assist the FAO international consultant to complete the following project activities:
โข ย ย Support the assessment/review of the national food control system in Fiji
o ย ย Assist in compiling responses from survey questionnaires, interviews and group discussions to identify gaps, challenges, weaknesses and strengths of the national food control system
โข ย ย Provide support in the preparation of national food control system assessment report for Fiji
o ย ย Support analysis of response data from the assessment exercise
โข ย ย Provide support in the development and implementation of a surveillance and monitoring plan in Fiji
o ย ย Support the coordination of logistics for training workshops for the evaluation of the current food supply chain to identify weaknesses and areas for improvement and on the effective surveillance and monitoring methods and data analysis of food safety risks
โข ย ย Provide support for building a robust food control network in Fiji through increased engagements in international and national forums dealing with food safety, trade, standardization
o ย ย Provide ย logistical and administrative support in organizing workshops and seminars for food safety personnel in Fiji, increase engagements in national forums involving governmental bodies, industry players, and consumers to promote integrated effective regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข ย ย University degree in Food Security, Nutrition, Agriculture, or a related field.
โข ย ย Five yearsโ experience in food safety and food standard regulation practices, including developing and preparing training and guideline materials, and conducting training workshops.ย
โข ย ย Working knowledge (level C) of Englishย
โข ย ย National of Fiji or resident of the country with valid work permit.
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย Communication
โข ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skillsย
โข ย ย Demonstrated Knowledge of food safety and national food control systems
โข ย ย Possesses relevant qualification that support a sound understanding of national food control systems.
โข ย ย Proven ability to draft reports and summarize materials from workshops and relevant project activities for submission to the international consultant.
โข ย ย Work experience in more than one location or area of work
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in the Pacific Islands/Small Island Developing States (SIDS) contexts are considered a strong asset
โข ย ย Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements is desirable
โข ย ย Able to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams.
โข ย ย Ability to work and plan at strategic as well as operational levels.
โข ย ย Facilitation and communication: experience of high-level coordination and chairing of meetings; ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.
โข ย ย Excellent command of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel or other reporting and visualization software
โข ย ย Excellent command of the English language, and ability to write clear and concise reports in English.
โข ย ย Knowledge of key food security, agricultural and livelihoods indicators.
โข ย ย Ability to solve problems and provide creative solutions.
โข ย ย Excellent organizational skills