National Botany Specialist

Organizational SettingGCP/PNG/017/EC_EU FCCB Nexus NFIThe Forestry Climate Change Biodiversity (FCCB) Nexus is one of the priority areas identified within the European Union’s new Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2021 to 2027. It underpins the EU’s commitment to enhance its strategic relations with Papua New Guinea and support PNG’s climate ambitions, biodiversity policies and long-term decarbonization strategies. FCCB Nexus will pursue three specific objectives:SO1: Effective implementation of evidence-based FCCB policies, governance and institutional frameworks.SO2: Increased knowledge and awareness on FCCB issues among PNG’s population.SO3: Increased inclusive and gender responsive green public and private sector investments and deforestation-free livelihoods.NFI is identified as one of the most important activities under SO1 in the FCCB Nexus. This Description of the Action is prepared specifically on the NFI activities under SO1 in the FCCB. EU FCCB NFI project will play a central role in managing all NFI implementation supported by other projects as part of their biodiversity conservation activities. This project will contribute to FCCB Nexus pursuing its objectives by achieving the Project Purpose, Outcomes, and Outputs defined below.The Project Purpose: The capacity for collecting and disseminating fundamental forest information is built, and the platform that enables stakeholders to access the information for sustainable forest management and transparent climate finance is established.Reporting LinesThe incumbent will be based in PNGFRI in Lae while the FAO Project Management Unit (PMU) is based in PNGFA HQ in Port Moresby. The Incumbent will be under the overall supervision of the Head of Office, FAO Papua New Guinea, and the direct technical supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), and under the programme guidance of the National Project Coordinator.Technical FocusBotanical assessment and species identification in support of the National Forest Inventory (NFI), strengthening national herbarium and plant taxonomy capacity, updating plant species databases, and contributing botanical data analysis for forest monitoring, biodiversity conservation and climate reporting.Tasks and responsibilities

• Conduct a gap assessment on the capacity on national botanical assessment and prepare an action plan.
• Conduct training and the herbarium facility upgrade in accordance with the botany capacity enhancement action plan.
• Coordinate the PNGFRI’s NFI implementation.
• Conduct botanical species determination and verification on the botanical specimens collected in the NFI and other FRI collections.
• Support and guide PNGFRI in the completion and publication of PNG Vascular plant species checklist.
• Monitor and supervise partner institution PNG Forest Research Institute for timely implementation based on the Letter of Agreement (LoA) between the partner institution based in Lae and FAO.
• Prepare progress monitoring reports as and when required by the PMU.
• Monitor and report financial status of funding under the LoA.
• Promote local and international collaboration on botanical studies and capacity building.
• Manage NFI assets and equipment stored in PNGFRI.
• Assist and coordinate NFI events such as workshops and conferences held in Lae.
• Assist the National Project Coordinator and the Communications Specialist on NFI Awareness.
• Monitor, assist and evaluate the activities of field inventory teams to ensure that protocols are adhered to and quality of data and specimens is collected.
• Conduct data analysis and produce reports for specific audiences such as the general public, the government and produce research papers.
• Perform any other duties as required.CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWINGMinimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Botany, Plant Taxonomy, Forestry, Plant Sciences, Biodiversity Conservation or a related field. A first-level university degree with additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in botanical assessment, plant taxonomy, herbarium management, forest inventory or biodiversity-related research and analysis.
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Papua New GuineaFAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous ImprovementTechnical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field-based forest inventory, herbarium management, and institutional capacity development.
• Extent and relevance of experience in botanical species identification, plant taxonomy, herbarium curation and management of plant specimen collections.
• Extent and relevance of experience in forest inventory data collection, botanical database development and management, and analysis of biodiversity-related data.
• Familiarity with National Forest Inventory (NFI) methodologies, biodiversity assessment protocols, forest monitoring systems, and relevant climate reporting frameworks (e.g. NDC, Biennial Transparency Reports, ART-TREES or similar). ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONFAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)Applications received after the closing date will not be acceptedPlease 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 additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/ Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.