Organizational Setting

The Government of Norway has recently approved funding for the project “Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for ecosystem-based adaptation in forests and agriculture” (MELBA Malawi). Between 2026-29, the project will operationalize a national monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the agriculture, forestry and land use (AFOLU) sectors to inform climate change adaptation planning and report against international commitments. The project is designed to run in parallel, and in close coordination, with the project “Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi” (EbAM), funded through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by FAO between 2024–30.
To support the implementation of the MELBA Malawi project, FAO Malawi is seeking to recruit the project’s Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). The CTA will be the overall technical lead of the project in Malawi, responsible for leading all technical activities. In addition, the CTA will work as the Geospatial Expert for the EbAM Project and will lead in the designing and deploying of a Spatial Information Management System (SIMS) customized for the EbAM Project.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Malawi, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) within the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa and the guidance of the HQ-based Forestry Officer – Adaptation.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide direct technical supervision to the National Project Coordinator (NPC), and the District Coordinators and will coordinate closely with the HQ-based and Subregional MELBA team members and stakeholders. She/he will also work closely with the EbAM CTA and the EbAM Monitoring & Evaluation Team.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Provide overall technical leadership and quality assurance for the MELBA project in Malawi, ensuring coherence and complementarity across the Project outputs and alignment with the EbAM project and FAO's normative work.
•     Provide direct technical supervision to the NPC and the District Coordinators, ensuring the quality of their technical deliverables and their alignment with project objectives.
•     Lead technical stakeholder engagement with government counterparts, research institutions, UN agencies, and international partners located in Malawi and in the subregion, including facilitating inter-ministerial coordination and technical working groups
•     Lead the design and operationalize a SIMS tailored to the EbAM Project and with MELBA Project contributions, enabling systematic collection, geo-referencing, and integration of biophysical, socio-economic, and ecosystem service data for MEL efforts, including adaptation, resilience and vulnerability reduction, and adaptive project management.
•     participating in interview panels for affiliate workforce
•     Lead country-level efforts on MEL architecture, tools and indicators, including updating climate impact, risk and vulnerability assessments. 
•     Contribute to the HQ-led regional and international collaboration and knowledge exchange on the global goal on adaptation (GGA), and EbA MEL approaches for the AFOLU sector.
•     Lead technical activities on capacity development, knowledge and communications, including designing and institutionalizing a capacity building programme for the national MEL framework; ensuring documentation and dissemination of good practices and lessons learned
•     Lead technical activities on policy integration, finance and reporting, including coordination of FAO’s technical support for national reporting content to the Rio Conventions; designing feedback loops to the NAP cycle and NDC enhancements; and facilitating resource mobilization as part of the project exit and sustainability strategy.
•     Lead the preparation of annual project reports, providing technical content and quality review of all deliverables, and lead the technical content of donor consultations and updates.
•     Ensure implementation of environmental and social safeguards, grievance mechanisms, and gender-responsive approaches across all project activities.
•     Develop geo-locational profiles and produce thematic maps of EbA as agreed with the technical team and identified during project implementation.
•     Lead catchment delineation and conduct spatially explicit vulnerability and ecosystem risk hotspot assessments, generating high-resolution maps of priority micro-catchments to inform site-specific, ecosystem-based adaptation EbA and integrated landscape management strategies
•     Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in geography, GIS/Remote Sensing, environmental science, climate change, ecology, forestry, natural resources management or any other discipline relevant to the work of the organization. 
•     At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in project cycle management in the fields of EbA, and nature-based solutions 
•     At least 5 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on geospatial analysis
•     Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English, French, Spanish Arabic, Chinese or Russian. (A second FAO language can be inserted if needed for the assignment)

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Substantive expertise in EbA, nature-based solutions, and MEL system design in the AFOLU sectors, including climate vulnerability and risk assessment, indicator development, and monitoring tool design.
•     Demonstrated experience in leading the design and implementation of national MEL frameworks for climate change adaptation or environmental monitoring, preferably in least developed countries.
•     Extensive experience in managing multi-stakeholder technical processes, including inter-ministerial coordination, capacity building programme design, and stakeholder consultations at national and subnational levels.
•     In-depth knowledge of international adaptation and other multilateral environmental conventions and initiatives’ frameworks and reporting.
•     Experience with digital monitoring tools (such as KoBoToolbox, ODK), GIS and remote sensing, data management systems, and online reporting dashboards.
•     Track record of scientific publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products on EbA, adaptation monitoring, or related topics.
•     Demonstrated experience in team leadership and supervision of technical staff in complex, multi-partner project environments