Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Fiji is dedicated to working with the government to prevent and control emerging, transboundary, and zoonotic infectious diseases by closely collaborating with national stakeholders in the animal production and health sector. The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate the work of FAO in the Pacific region. The Members are the Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Tokelau is an Associate Member. SAP is a technical hub that supports 13 Members and one Associate Member in the Pacific. It is responsible for developing, overseeing and implementing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture and rural development priorities. SAP works with national and regional assistance. The position is located in Suva, Fiji and the tasks envisaged for this position are to be carried out through the FAO in Fiji.
Reporting Lines
The National Animal Health Assistant shall work under the overall guidance of the FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for the Pacific, direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative in Fiji, technical guidance of the ECTAD Regional Manager based at FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), and in close coordination with other FAO team members at RAP, Subregional Office for Asia and the Pacific (SAP) and in Fiji.
Technical Focus
The position holder is intended to provide overall support, technical, operational, and administrative assistance to the implementation of the Strengthening Animal Health Systems in Southeast Asia and the Pacific for a Healthy and Resilient Region Project (OSRO/RAS/412/AUL) and other relevant ECTAD RAP projects, as required, for which Fiji is a beneficiary country. These projects aim to strengthen animal health systems to reduce the risks and impacts of zoonoses, emerging disease threats, and biothreats through a One Health and inclusive approach
Tasks and responsibilities
• Support senior colleagues in coordination and liaison activities with National Governments, development partners, multilateral agencies, national or international non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in all matters related to the prevention and control of high-impact transboundary animal diseases (TADs) and emerging and re-emerging diseases (EIDs), including zoonoses, and One Health.
• Assist the Project Coordinator / Team Leader on day-to-day implementation, including activity planning, follow up, monitoring of progress against workplans, and reporting of activities for the Project.
• Contribute to organizing meetings, workshops, and other events for the project (e.g. drafting concept notes, preparing presentations, providing facilitation, drafting meeting notes and reports, etc.).
• Provide support to project initiatives, including One Health and multi-sectoral coordination, capacity development, prevention, and control of priority zoonoses.
• Assist in the preparation of timely reports as required by the government, FAO, and donors.
• Provide administrative and operational support for the implementation of the project and other related activities as required, including assistance with procurement processes, preparation and follow up of letters of agreement (LOAs), monitoring of the implementation of the LOA and coordination of delivery of project inputs
• Support the preparation of briefs upon request from the FAO Sub-regional representative, RAP, and the Animal Health Service of the Animal Health and Production Division.
• Participate in field mission, as required, to support monitoring, coordination, and implementation of project activities and to facilitate communication with local counterparts.
• Follow-up on the execution of studies commissioned by the Project.
• Support FAO participation in the relevant fora, meetings, and technical discussions related to emerging and priority zoonotic diseases and health threats in Fiji.
• Facilitate knowledge management activities and information sharing among FAO team members and partners.
• Assist in the preparation of communication materials, including briefs, speeches, presentations, reports, and public information materials related to the Project.
• Contribute to the development and production of outreach communication materials, including social media, to promote and enhance the visibility of the Project, FAO, and its donors
FAO Standards and guidelines:
· Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
· All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names Of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).
· Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.
• Assist in drafting correspondence and/or official letters according to the instructions provided for the validation of heads of office and/or the Project.
• Perform other duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• University degree in Veterinary Science, Animal Health, Animal Production, Biological Sciences, Public Health, One Health, Management, International Relations, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience in project management, or related project support, preferably related to animal health, veterinary public health, zoonoses, transboundary animal diseases (TADs), and One Health initiatives
• Working knowledge of English.
• Working knowledge of the official language(s) of Fiji is an asset.
• National of Fiji or resident of Fiji with a valid work permit.
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 supporting animal health or One Health–related projects, including coordination with government counterparts, development partners, and other stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience working with government agencies, international organizations, or development partners, with exposure to multi-stakeholder coordination and implementation environments preferred.
• Extent and relevance of experience in project implementation support, including activity planning, monitoring against workplans, and preparation of technical or progress reports.
• Extend and relevance of experience in supporting meetings, workshops, and field activities, including drafting concept notes, presentations, meeting notes, and reports.
• Ability to support knowledge management and information sharing, including maintaining shared document repositories and contributing to communication and outreach materials.
• Familiarity with administrative and operational processes, such as procurement support, Letters of Agreement (LOAs), and coordination of delivery of project inputs.
• Basic understanding of FAO, UN, or donor-funded project environments, particularly in the animal health or emergency response context, is an advantage