Senior Animal Health Officer
Organizational Context
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the transformation to sustainable agrifood systems. The Animal Production and Health Division (NSA) promotes sustainable livestock development, providing expertise and policy advice. It supports animal health, genetics, feed, and husbandry, offering analysis, policy dialogue, and technical assistance. The One Health and Disease Control Branch (NSAH-CJW) leads efforts to prevent and control transboundary animal diseases and health threats at the human-animal-plant-environment interface, including zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). FAO collaborates with UNEP, WHO, and WOAH as the Quadripartite to address these threats.
Job Purpose
This role focuses on the One Health approach within agrifood systems, specifically in animal health and production. It involves disease prevention, biosecurity, responsible antimicrobial use, and AMR mitigation. Key areas include epidemiology, surveillance, diagnostics, risk management, and strategic interventions to enhance animal health and sustainable livestock development. The position promotes multisectoral collaboration to advance disease prevention and AMR mitigation, supporting global action plans and declarations. The incumbent will provide leadership and technical policy expertise for developing and implementing divisional and cross-divisional programs, projects, and services aligned with FAO's Strategic Framework on One Health.
Responsibilities
The Senior Animal Health Officer will lead and coordinate FAO's work on AMR and One Health in agrifood systems, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and promoting effective approaches for country implementation of National Action Plans on AMR and One Health. This includes leading the One Health Technical Working Group, overseeing corporate planning, program development, monitoring, and reporting on One Health and AMR, and providing strategic advice to senior management and governing bodies. The role involves ensuring the quality of technical and policy products, coordinating FAO's engagement in Quadripartite mechanisms, and leading the development of FAO's corporate strategies on One Health and AMR. Oversight of flagship initiatives, provision of technical and policy advice to Members, and leadership in resource mobilization and partnership strengthening are also key. The officer will promote integrated AMR surveillance, laboratory capacity, antimicrobial stewardship, and data-driven monitoring systems, ensuring the integration of sustainability, gender, inclusion, and capacity development into all actions.
Work Experience
A minimum of ten years of relevant experience in animal health and production, public health, disease prevention and management, including regulatory aspects, standard setting, medical microbiology, and/or epidemiology is required. Demonstrated experience in One Health and antimicrobial resistance programs at the international level and within national institutes is essential. Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is also essential, with at least two years specifically in AMR and animal health in diverse settings or direct support to countries/regions.
Skills
The role requires extensive experience in One Health and/or AMR coordination and programming within agrifood systems at international, regional, and country levels, including multidisciplinary approaches. Knowledge of One Health/AMR in food and agriculture, multisectoral coordination, responsible antimicrobial use, surveillance, food safety, and animal health systems is crucial. Experience in coordinating interagency initiatives, planning and reporting on development programs, capacity development, and policy dialogue is necessary. Proven ability to develop project proposals, investment cases, and resource mobilization strategies, along with organizing high-level meetings, is required. Familiarity with key international frameworks like the One Health Joint Plan of Action and the Global Action Plan on AMR, and experience supporting AMR surveillance systems are essential. The ability to edit and write technical content clearly and concisely, including using digital and AI tools, is also required.