National Programme Specialist

Organizational Setting

The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate the FAO work in 13 member countries in the Pacific subregion - Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and one Associate Member, Tokelau. SAP is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion wide institutions and entities. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.

In line with FAO’s Country Office Network transformation and the evolving decentralized operating model, the SAP subregional office is strengthening its country-level engagement through enhanced coordination mechanisms, resource pooling, and targeted technical support. In this context, the Specialist will play a key role in operationalizing FAO’s presence in Kiribati, ensuring effective delivery of programmes and alignment with country needs and regional priorities. The objective of the assignment is to contribute to FAO’s support to the national agrifood systems transformation in Kiribati while strengthening FAO’s decentralized country office network through effective programme coordination, portfolio management, and strategic engagement with governments, UN partners, and donors.

Reporting Lines

Under direct supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands (SRC), National Programme Specialist and hereinafter referred to as “the Specialist”, will work with close collaboration with the Administrative Officer and Technical Officers in SAP.

Technical Focus

In line with FAO’s evolving decentralized operating model, the Specialist will contribute to strengthening FAO’s country-level presence in Kiribati by enhancing coordination across countries, supporting adaptive programme delivery, and ensuring alignment with the UNSDCF, CPF priorities, and FAO’s Strategic Framework. The Specialist will also support the integration of programme, operations, and resource mobilization functions to ensure efficient and scalable delivery of FAO’s growing portfolio.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Serve as a focal point for programme coordination and implementation in Kiribati, ensuring alignment with national priorities, FAO Strategic Framework, CPF and UNSDCF. 
•     Provide technical support in engaging  with government counterparts, UN agencies, regional organizations and partners to facilitate effective programme delivery and coordination. 
•     Contribute to consultations with national stakeholders to identify priority areas for FAO support, including TCP pipeline development and partner-funded initiatives.
•     Coordinate and support the implementation of ongoing agriculture, food security, and emergency projects in Kiribati, ensuring alignment with national priorities, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF), and FAO Strategic Framework.
•     Ensure adaptive and portfolio-based programme implementation in line with evolving country needs, project pipeline, and available resources, in coordination with SAP and RAP.
•     Coordinate resource mobilization and partnerships supporting the development of project pipelines and strengthening FAO’s capacity to respond to partner needs.
•     Participate in the preparation and presentation of project concept notes, proposals and other programme documents for donor funding, in close collaboration with SAP multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and relevant Lead Technical Officers (LTOs).
•     Liaise with FAO LTOs, technical units, Operations and Administrative teams to ensure technical quality, operational efficiency, and compliance in project implementation in Kiribati.
•     Support efficient utilization and coordination of technical, operational, and financial resources to enhance delivery and impact across multiple countries.
•     Provided technical support thecoordination and organization of World Food Day and other visibility events, contributing to FAO’s advocacy and strategic positioning in the sub-region.
•     Provide inputs to communication and visibility materials (newsletters, press releases, etc.) in coordination with FAO HQ, regional and subregional communication teams.
•     Ensure timely provision of information required for monitoring and reporting tools (UN Info, PAID, FPMIS, iMIS, PIRES, COIN, etc.), in coordination with the subregional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, ensuring data accuracy and timeliness.
•     Support the management and oversight of a growing and increasingly complex project portfolio, ensuring compliance with FAO operational standards and effective risk management.
•     Support the conduct of assessments and provide technical and operational inputs to monitoring and evaluation of FAO’s interventions in Kiribati.
•     Support senior colleagues in strengthening  coordination with national counterparts and partners to support effective project implementation and capacity development at country level.
•     Perform other functions as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Rural Development, Food Security / Nutrition, Forestry / Fisheries, Environmental or Natural Resource Management, Business Administration, project management or related areas
•     Three years of relevant experience in programme /project management, policy analysis (agriculture, food security, rural development), monitoring & evaluation 
•     Working knowledge of English
•     National of Kiribati

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Knowledge of climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.
•     Climate risk and vulnerability assessment skills.
•     Policy and strategic planning expertise.
•     Strong analytical and report writing skills.
•     Strong writing skills and language proficiency. 
•     Strong skills in developing capacity building materials; conducting health vulnerability and adaptation assessments; and working with communities to build resilience to climate-related health risks.

Selection Criteria

•     Experience working with governments, NGOs, or UN agencies