Innovation Specialist (Behavioural Science)

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the transformation to efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The Office of Innovation (OIN) drives and coordinates innovation across FAO, consolidating its innovative spirit and fostering transformative partnerships. OIN is leading FAO's exploration of behavioural science and behaviour change methodologies to enhance innovation across its Programme Priority Areas and Functional Objectives, aligning with the UN Secretary-General's call for increased use of these approaches.

Job Purpose

This role seeks to identify qualified consultants and/or PSA subscribers for a roster of Innovation Specialists in Behavioural Science. The incumbent will provide expertise for short-term assignments, potentially involving full-time or part-time functions, with durations ranging from a few days to eleven months, subject to performance and organizational needs. The specialist will support FAO's Science and Innovation Strategy globally, regionally, and at the country level across three key pillars: strengthening evidence-based decision-making, supporting innovation and technology adoption, and enhancing FAO's capacity to better serve its members.

Responsibilities

The Innovation Specialist (Behavioural Science) will apply behavioural insights to various programmatic areas across FAO at global, regional, and country levels. Responsibilities include supporting, coordinating, or leading formative behavioural science research, literature reviews, and scoping exercises. This involves guiding teams in applying a stepwise approach to behavioural science for human-centered thinking and generating insights. The role includes piloting behavioural science projects, co-designing interventions, and organizing co-innovation workshops using established frameworks. Developing new toolkits, adapting existing ones to the agri-food context, and applying qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research are also key. The specialist will analyze and translate pilot results, iterate interventions for scalability, and potentially develop new policy elements. Other duties as required may also be assigned.

Work Experience

Consultants require at least 1 year (Category C) or 5 years (Category B) of relevant experience in applied behavioural science, including assessments, barrier/lever analysis, experiments, and research. Experience with qualitative/quantitative methods, research instruments, data analytics (SQL, Stata, R preferred), behavioural design, prototyping, user testing, and workshop planning is essential. Experience in training on behavioural science concepts, project management, and relationship management is also required. PSA Subscribers need at least 1 year (Category C) or 5 years (Category B) of relevant work experience.

Skills

Key competencies include Results Focus, Teamwork, Communication, Building Effective Relationships, and Knowledge Sharing. Essential qualifications include a degree in behavioural science, economics, psychology, statistics, sociology, or a related field, with an advanced degree being an asset. Experience in supporting, coordinating, or leading behaviour change projects, pilot and fieldwork in agriculture, and enabling innovation uptake in vulnerable communities are crucial. Familiarity with UN contexts and potential use cases for AI in behavioural science research are considered assets.

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