Livestock Development Officer
Organizational Context
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a UN specialized agency dedicated to eradicating hunger and promoting food security globally. Operating in over 130 countries, FAO provides policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity development. The FAO Country Office in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is transitioning to a programmatic approach, integrating cross-cutting support like One Health and Livestock across its portfolio. This role is crucial for mainstreaming these thematic areas into all FAO PNG projects and programmes, including those funded by various international bodies.
Job Purpose
The Livestock Development Officer will provide essential technical support to FAO's initiatives aimed at strengthening animal health and production systems, preventing pandemics, addressing zoonotic diseases, and combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the One Health framework. This role involves coordinating the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of FAO's contributions to relevant projects and programmes. Key responsibilities include conducting research and technical analysis, producing reports, offering backstopping to field projects, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the effective delivery of programme objectives and services.
Responsibilities
The Livestock Development Officer will support the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of FAO's activities within One Health and livestock projects, including those focused on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). This involves providing technical support, facilitating coordination between country, regional, and headquarters teams, ensuring compliance with corporate and donor requirements, and reviewing project proposals and technical documents. The role includes preparing and monitoring project work plans and budgets, collaborating with implementing partners, and offering technical guidance for One Health and livestock activities. Additionally, the officer will supervise project personnel, support team performance, monitor project implementation by collecting and analyzing technical information, documenting lessons learned, and identifying challenges. Collaboration with FAO teams, government institutions, and development partners is key to promoting synergies and knowledge exchange. The officer will represent FAO in technical meetings, share best practices, and contribute to technical reports, briefing notes, presentations, and resource mobilization efforts.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of relevant experience is required in animal health, infectious disease management, zoonoses, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including regulatory aspects, standard setting, and epidemiology. Experience working in more than one location or area, particularly in field positions, is beneficial.
Skills
The ideal candidate will possess experience in project and programme coordination and management at national and regional levels. Strong knowledge and experience in animal disease surveillance and/or risk management programmes are essential. The candidate should have experience in developing and managing technical projects related to infectious disease management and animal health systems capacity development. Familiarity with animal health capacity assessment and monitoring systems/tools, and experience in infectious disease management are important. The ability to analyze and formulate technical/scientific documents for livestock sector sustainability improvement, and to analyze complex animal health-livestock issues from a sustainable transformation perspective, is also required.