Back National Livestock Methane Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the 2022-2031 FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life, leaving no one behind.
Through its Country Offices or FAO Representations, FAO assists governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to address hunger and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include design and implementation of country-tailored field programmes, liaison with local donor representatives, and active public awareness-raising and outreach activities related to FAO initiatives such as the World Food Day.

FAO Rwanda is implementing the project “UNUN/INT/1108/UEP: Foster Methane Mitigation in Agriculture and Livestock subsectors” aims to enhance methane mitigation interventions in livestock supply chains, with a focus on cattle and small ruminant systems in Rwanda. This project supports government priorities outlined in FAO Country Programme Framework, which is aligned with the Rwanda Vision 2050 and informed by nationally defined developmental priorities and objectives expressed in the 7 Years Government Programme: National Strategy for Transformation (NST 2 2024-2029): Priority 1: Modernized Agriculture: Rwanda’s agriculture sector will achieve over 6% annual growth under NST2, becoming more market-oriented and sustainable. Productivity will increase by more than 50%, driven by an 85% expansion in irrigated land (from 71,000 ha to 131,000 ha), increased access to fertilizers and seeds, improved animal breeds, and a boost in domestic production of animal feeds. These efforts will ensure food security, create jobs, and support rural development.

This project is funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), a coalition established under the United Nations Environment Programme and will develop a national methane strategy for the livestock sub-sector, complementing the ongoing CCAC supported methane roadmap project. Additionally, it will create a funding proposal to scale up anaerobic digestion of livestock manure, aligning with Rwanda’s climate goals and the Global Methane Pledge.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Rwanda, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programmes) and the technical guidance of the Livestock Policy Officer and Lead Technical Officer at the Animal Production and Health Division at FAO Headquarters in Rome. 

Technical Focus

Animal sciences, environmental or agricultural sciences, economics, natural resource management, biology science, environmental economics and policy.

Tasks and responsibilities

The National Livestock Methane Specialist will assume the following functions and responsibilities in collaboration with the FAO team:

•    Plan and implement the project's work plan in collaboration with national partners including the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Ministry of Environment (MoE), Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and others.
•    Plan and implement in-depth capacity building for developing a Tier 2 emissions inventory for the livestock sector, considering the advances in methodology and data science tools.
•    Contribute to the compilation of data and information on animal numbers, trends, herd structure, herd parameters, feed composition, and prices in collaboration with partners. 
•    Elaborate two technical manuals for sustainable feed strategies to reduce enteric methane emissions and for comprehensive manure management systems.
•    Contribute to the assessment of the methane mitigation potential and economic impacts of methane mitigation strategies and emission reduction targets within livestock.
•    Conduct the assessment of institutional arrangements for implementation and the potential for markets concerning various methane-inhibiting feed additives.
•    Contribute to the initial assessment of the existing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) capabilities and gaps related to short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) emissions to track and report emission-reduction in the livestock sub-sector.
•    Develop and support strategies to reduce livestock methane emissions. 
•    Identify pilot farms to collect key data sources, test measurement methodologies, and reporting mechanisms in collaboration with RAB.
•    Provide technical guidance and support to farmers and livestock stakeholders on implementing methane reduction practices. 
•    Organize the regular meeting of the technical committee of the project and prepare minutes and follow-up actions.
•    Contribute to the evaluation of the carbon markets' potential of the livestock sector in Rwanda.
•    Organize the different national events and workshops, prepare meeting discussion documents and reports as needed.
•    Perform any other duty as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced university degree in animal sciences, environmental or agricultural sciences, economics, natural resource management, biology science, environmental economics and policy, governance and laws or a related field as appropriate for the specific profile
•    At least 5 years of professional experience related to the development of multi-disciplinary policies, projects and programmes in agrifood systems, climate change, and sustainable livestock production
•    Working knowledge of English
•    National of Rwanda 

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Good analytical skills.
•    Understanding of international obligations and requirements on climate action, including United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
•    Understanding of requirements and objectives of the non-binding Global Methane Pledge initiative.
•    Experience working in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.
•    Good writing and communication skills.
•    Ability to work in a team, build and maintain constructive relationships with stakeholders, manage difficult situations and propose appropriate solutions.
•    Extent and relevance of experience and knowledge of intergovernmental and policy processes related to livestock and environment, in particular, climate change. 
•    Relevant experience in livestock systems and policy formulation, including environmental assessment methods. 
•    Experience in an international institution such as the United Nations System, NGOs, etc. is an asset.

Selection Criteria

•    In-depth knowledge of the socio-economic, political, cultural and environmental context related to the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector and climate change.
•    Good judgment, integrity, sense of initiative, high sense of responsibility and work organization.
•    Knowledge of the national institutions involved in policies related to livestock and environment. 
•    Ability to work independently with minimal direction and supervision.
•    Ability to work under pressure.
•    Be available immediately

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION