Senior Program Management Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device • FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture. • Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply; • Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values • FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination • All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks • All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. Organizational Setting Ensuring Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life (the Four Betters) are the pillars of FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–2031. Guided by the Four Betters, the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Côte d’Ivoire supports the Government, national institutions, development partners, financing institutions and private-sector actors to advance agrifood systems transformation, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, food security, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and inclusive rural development. The FAO Côte d’Ivoire portfolio includes a Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (FEF) and other donors supported projects that advance the Government’s agenda on agroforestry, biodiversity, land restoration, aquaculture value-chain interventions, technical cooperation activities, investment-center supported programs, and emerging opportunities linked to sustainable cities, urban and peri-urban agriculture, forestry, circular bioeconomy, renewable energy and the overall transformation of the national agrifood systems. The portfolio requires strengthened strategic coordination, management follow-up, results-based oversight, quality assurance, resource mobilization and programmatic coherence across ongoing and pipeline projects. The relocation of the GCF regional hub for West and Central Africa to Abidjan, the upcoming GEF-9 programming cycle, and the growing engagement of multilateral development banks, bilateral donors and UN partners create a strategic opportunity for FAO Côte d’Ivoire to position itself as a high-value technical and convening partner for climate finance and agrifood systems transformation. This assignment will therefore provide senior level advisory support to the FAO Representative and the Management Team. Reporting Lines Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the FAO Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, the Senior Program Management Specialist will work in close consultation with the Assistant FAO Representatives, project managers, Project Task Forces, Lead Technical Officers, the Regional Office for Africa, headquarters technical divisions, the Investment Center and relevant national counterparts. Technical Focus Program management and Leadership/team management The Senior Program Management Specialist will provide high-level strategic, technical and managerial support for effective coordination, implementation support, portfolio management, quality assurance and resource mobilization for ongoing and pipeline FAOCI projects. He/she will operate as an autonomous senior adviser, supporting the FAO Representative in strengthening program coherence, management decision-making, partner engagement, donor positioning, risk management, performance monitoring, and the identification of scale-up and financing opportunities across the country office portfolio. Tasks and responsibilities • Provide senior strategic advice to the FAO Representative on portfolio coherence, programme positioning, delivery oversight and alignment with CPF, FAO Strategic Framework, government priorities and donor commitments. • Lead coordination and management follow-up across all FAOCI projects through harmonized tools, dashboards, portfolio reviews, risk tracking, budget monitoring and corrective action follow-up. • Act as a senior technical and managerial backstopping to the GCF-funded flagship project, including work planning, delivery review, safeguards, reporting, visibility, continuity, sustainability and scale-up. • Promote operational synergies across GCF, GEF and other FAOCI projects in climate resilience, agroforestry, biodiversity, aquaculture, food systems, nutrition, circular bioeconomy and related areas. • Lead climate-finance and donor intelligence analysis and support development of a prioritized resource mobilization plan and pipeline of concept notes and investment opportunities. • Conduct strategic engagement with government, donors, GCF/GEF stakeholders, UN agencies, IFIs, technical partners and private-sector actors to advance FAOCI’s programme and financing priorities. • Represent FAO in technical and strategic discussions, as delegated by the FAO Representative, and facilitate coordination with FAO regional, subregional, headquarters and Investment Centre teams. • Ensure quality assurance of project documents, donor reports, budgets, logical frameworks, procurement plans, agreements, terms of reference and partner deliverables in line with FAO standards. • Strengthen results-based management, monitoring, reporting, evidence generation, data quality, lessons learning and management use of portfolio performance information. • Coach project managers and technical teams and develop practical templates, management tools, capitalization products and knowledge materials for institutional learning, partner dialogue and resource mobilization. CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in agricultural economics, natural resources management, climate finance, public policy, program management, international development, veterinary/public health, agrifood systems, environmental sciences or related field. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience. • At least 10 years of progressively senior international experience in program/portfolio management, strategic advisory services, resource mobilization, donor relations, climate finance, agrifood systems or emergency/development coordination. • Working knowledge of French and English is required. FAO Core Competencies • Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement Technical/Functional Skills • Work experience in more than one location or area of work • Extent and relevance of experience in development and humanitarian programmes management • Extent and relevance of experience in resource moblisation and donor relations • Very good organizational skills and ability to meet tight deadlines. • Ability to prioritize tasks. • Ability to work in a harmonious and efficient manner in a multidisciplinary team. • Excellent writing and analytical skills. • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective working relationships with the project team. • Relevance of experience in writing high-quality written materials for a wide variety of audiences. • Experience working with GCF and or UN agencies is an advantage. Selection Criteria • Demonstrated experience with FAO, the UN system, international financial institutions or major development partners, including coordination of multi-stakeholder programs and preparation of donor-facing analytical products. • Strong knowledge of climate finance mechanisms, GCF/GEF programming, results-based management, risk management, project cycle management and partnership engagement. • Excellent analytical, drafting, facilitation and representation skills; ability to operate autonomously and deliver high-quality outputs under tight timelines. • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in vertical funds, Technical Cooperation Program and other donor funded project design, monitoring or implementation and reporting processes; • Good understanding of results-based projects management, reporting, and evaluation; • Experience in developing and implementing capacity building activities for multiple stakeholders; • Experience working in developing countries and advising government and non-government stakeholders; and ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing) • Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list • Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ • For more information, visit the FAO employment website • Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. HOW TO APPLY • To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills • Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile • Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application • Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings. • Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications • Incomplete applications will not be considered • Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application • Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered • Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile • We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date. If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT