Digital Information Specialists

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports sustainable agrifood systems globally. The Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) manages strategic partnerships, leads UN engagement, and advocates for FAO's goals. PSU oversees knowledge platforms, information policies, and standards like FAO AGRIS and AGROVOC, promoting knowledge sharing on food security and nutrition. This role aims to build a roster of specialists to support FAO in developing and applying digital solutions, information systems, data-driven tools, and semantic technologies for various assignments.

Job Purpose

This role seeks to establish a roster of Digital Information Specialists to support FAO's mission by developing and applying digital solutions, information systems, data-driven tools, and semantic technologies. Specialists will be considered for assignments across four profiles: Information Technology (IT) Specialist, Information Management Specialist, Semantics Specialist, and Data Analyst. Each profile focuses on distinct areas critical for enhancing FAO's digital capabilities, knowledge management, data utilization, and semantic interoperability to better support global food security and nutrition initiatives.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities vary by specialization. IT Specialists will design, develop, and maintain digital platforms, systems integrations, APIs, and cloud infrastructure, ensuring software engineering best practices and providing technical support. Information Management Specialists will develop and improve information management policies, standards, and guidelines, support metadata creation and quality assurance, and contribute to knowledge-sharing platforms. Semantics Specialists will design and maintain knowledge organization systems like AGROVOC, develop ontologies and taxonomies, and support semantic interoperability. Data Analysts will collect, process, validate, and analyze data, develop reports and visualizations, conduct statistical and predictive analyses, and support evidence-based decision-making through data-driven insights.

Work Experience

A minimum of one year of relevant professional experience is required in one or more of the following areas: information technology, information management, semantic technologies, data analytics, or digital solutions. Specific experience requirements will vary based on the chosen specialization profile.

Skills

Key skills include results focus, teamwork, communication, building effective relationships, and knowledge sharing. Technical skills are profile-specific, encompassing areas like software development, cloud computing, database administration, metadata standards, semantic web technologies (RDF, SKOS, SPARQL), data analysis, statistical methods, data visualization tools, and experience with systems like AGROVOC. Proficiency in English is essential, with knowledge of other FAO languages being an asset.

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