Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the 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. FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The Secretariat of the Joint FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which is the executive organ of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, is located in the Joint FAO/WHO Centre (Codex Food Standards and One Health). The Secretariat is under the programmatic responsibility of the relevant Deputy Director-General and Assistant Director-General of FAO and WHO respectively, while administratively under the supervision of the FAO Deputy Director-General of the Natural Resources and Sustainable Production Stream.
The Secretariat is administered in accordance with the rules and regulations of FAO. It services the sessions of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies and acts as liaison between the Commission and interested sectors of FAO and WHO as well as the World Trade Organization (WTO), United Nations and other international governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with the safety, quality and trade aspects of food standards.

The Secretariat is establishing a roster of various specialists that can provide short term support to the implementation of specific tasks critical to the work of CAC. 
The location of the position may vary according to the specific tasks. The Objective of this Call is to attract suitable individuals to undertake consultancies and/or personal service agreement (PSA) contracts within the Codex Secretariat to support implementation of Codex work in line with the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2031.  

 

Reporting Lines

Under the overall managerial supervision of the Secretary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the incumbent will report to the relevant Food Standards Officers in accordance with the subsidiary bodies/Codex activities, which they are supporting.

Technical Focus

Incumbents endorsed on the Codex Secretariat Roster (CJW) will provide specialized support in one or more of the following areas of work of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme within the Codex Secretariat in line with the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2030. 
•     Development, updating and finalization of Codex food safety and quality standards
•     Monitoring and communication of Codex work
•     Digital infrastructure review, development and support

Tasks and responsibilities

Depending on the specific assignment, level of expertise, and functional area selected by the candidate, consultants may be requested to carry out tasks under one or more of the following workstreams:

Development, updating and finalization of Codex food safety and quality standards

•     Support and facilitate the preparatory activities for Codex sessions such as webinars, online discussions, virtual meetings of working groups and other activities aimed at progressing Codex work; the implementation of Codex meetings, and the follow-up actions; 
•     Prepare or contribute to the production of background papers, meeting documents, briefing notes, Conference Room Documents and/or concept notes, as well as undertaking data collection and analysis on specific topics relevant to the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
•     Provide technical input and expertise to support the update of complex Codex standards such as those related to maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides and the revised pesticides classification;
•     Support the assessment of technical data/information in working documents for the preparation of tailor-made circular letters; 
•     Support the compilation, review and analysis of comments received on standards under development for strategic-based briefing notes.

Monitoring of and communication of Codex work

•     Contribute to monitoring of the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2030, through: data collection, compilation, review, analysis, presentation and development of tools to facilitate and streamline the data collection and analysis aspects; 
•     Support the monitoring of the use and impact of Codex texts, including the identification of and studies on specific examples on the use of Codex texts;
•     Support the publication and dissemination of Codex texts and related communication materials.

Digital infrastructure review and support

•     Support the review of Codex IT systems, including the design of new applications, using Sitefinity Content Management System (CSM);
•     Support the review and update of the infrastructure for existing Codex databases; 
•     Support the infrastructure design and development of new databases including the definition of user requirements and facilitate dialogue between users and developers;
•     Participate in the development and monitoring of assigned projects, and provide technical, identify issues to be addressed and propose corrective actions, liaise with relevant parties, identify and track follow-up actions;
•     Provide project oversight and management of specific digital infrastructure projects ensuring clear communication, full engagement of team members, timely and efficient delivery;
•     Support the updating of Codex webpages and related digital tools.
 

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     An advanced university degree  from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO   in food science / food technology (food safety/quality bio/agro chemistry, biology, microbiology, toxicology), human or veterinary medicine, animal or plant health (with focus on food safety), nutrition, biological or chemical sciences, data science, and analysis, food law,  information technology, communication, food trade economics,  or other discipline relevant  to the workstream (for PSA contracts, a university degree in the same areas is sufficient).
•     At least 1 year of relevant experience for junior professionals (Category C); at least 5 years for mid-level professionals (Category B); or at least 10 years for senior professionals (Category A) in one of more of the following areas:
            1) Development, updating and finalization of Codex food safety and quality standards; 
            2) Monitoring of and communication of Codex work; and 
            3) Digital infrastructure review and support
•     Working knowledge (level C) of English. 
•     Knowledge of a second official FAO language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) will be considered an asset.
•     Work experience from an international setting will be considered an asset.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Demonstrated experience aligned with the candidate’s functional area(s) of interest and level of responsibility (junior, mid-level, or senior), particularly in one or more of the following
        o    Standards development, updating and finalization: Knowledge and familiarity with the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (i.e. procedures and food safety and quality issues addressed by Codex in general or specific to certain committees) is a strong asset; good technical understanding of food safety and quality; strong technical and analytical skills; 
        o    Monitoring and communication of Codex work: Data collection, compilation and analysis; coordination and results tracking; science communication through different media; 
        o    Digital infrastructure review and support; ability to review, improve, and support digital systems and databases; ability to coordinate between stakeholders and developers to meet user needs; project management experience; strong understanding of evolving technologies and their application
•     Strong organizational, coordination, and multitasking skills, with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. 
•     Strong writing and oral skills in English.
•     Good presentation and facilitation skills.
•     Demonstrated capacity to adapt to new fields, situations and different cultural settings.
•     Ability to solve problems, use initiative, and work strategically and independently.

Selection Criteria

•     Extent and relevance of experience in the selected functional area(s) of work – 1) Development, updating and finalization of Codex food safety and quality standards 2) Monitoring and communication of Codex work and 3) Digital infrastructure review and support;
•     Extent of experience in a standard setting organization, a national or regional regulatory authority, a national governmental or private standards setting bodies, or an international governmental or non-governmental organization contributing to standard setting;
•     Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines and shifting priorities;
•     Proven capacity to manage multiple responsibilities, coordinate with diverse stakeholders, and work independently with minimal supervision;
•     Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment;
•     Proficiency in English.