National Project Coordinator (One Health)

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 of agrifood systems to be MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The main aim of FAO Country Offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments in developing policies, programmes, and projects to achieve food security and reduce hunger and malnutrition, to support the agricultural, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to promote the sustainable management of natural resources.

FAO Angola is implementing an expanding portfolio of projects across food security, animal health, climate resilience, natural resources management, and sustainable agrifood systems development. The Country Programming Framework (CPF) for Angola is structured around four priority areas: (i) Food Systems Transformation, Food Security and Nutrition; (ii) Family Farming, Agro-industry and Value Chain Development; (iii) Natural Resources Management, Environment and Climate Change; and (iv) Resilience. These priorities are currently operationalised through multiple ongoing projects financed through the Unilateral Trust Fund (UTF), Government Cooperation Programme (GCP), Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), and other development partner mechanisms. Within this framework, FAO Angola seeks to recruit a National Project Coordinator (One Health Specialist) to coordinate the “Prevention, Preparedness, and Response to Health Emergencies - Strengthening the National Surveillance Systems and Community Engagement” project (GCP/ANG/076/PAF) Project.

The initiative is anchored in Angola’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and National Action Plan for Health Security, and it aligns with the Pandemic Fund Mid-Term Strategic Plan. The programme supports national efforts to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities through integrated surveillance systems, laboratory strengthening, workforce development, and multisectoral coordination mechanisms under the One Health approach.

The project will support the operationalization and scale-up of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) systems across all municipalities, strengthening real-time surveillance, digital reporting systems interoperability, community-based surveillance, event-based monitoring, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) tracking.

The project will strengthen Angola’s One Health and health security system by scaling Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) across all municipalities and 21 provinces, enhancing real-time surveillance, community-based monitoring, antimicrobial resistance tracking, and early warning systems. It will also reinforce laboratory networks, biosafety and biosecurity, and outbreak preparedness and response. The initiative promotes multisectoral coordination across human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors under the Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) framework, while strengthening resilience, inclusivity, and community engagement.

The National Project Coordinator (One Health) will be based within the Resilience Thematic Unit of the FAO Representation in Angola.

Reporting Lines

The National Project Coordinator (One Health) will work under the overall supervision of the Assistant FAOR-Programme. The incumbent will also work in consultation with other relevant Technical Units at the FAO country office, Headquarters, RAF and SFS, and with Lead Technical Officers, and in close collaboration with international donors and the line government ministries in Angola.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will support the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of FAO’s One Health projects, ensuring compliance with FAO procedures and alignment with national priorities. The role will focus on strengthening integrated surveillance, zoonotic disease prevention and response, antimicrobial resistance control, and multisectoral collaboration across human, animal, plant, and environmental health. The incumbent will also provide technical and operational support, facilitate capacity development, monitor project performance, and contribute to technical documentation, reporting, knowledge sharing, and effective resource management.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Support the day-to-day management, coordination, and implementation of One Health projects (UTF, GCP, TCP), ensuring compliance with FAO rules and procedures, adherence to work plans, and alignment with national One Health and health security priorities;
• Provide comprehensive technical, operational, and administrative support to ensure the timely delivery of outputs, effective implementation of activities, and efficient and accountable use of project resources;
• Contribute to detailed planning, coordination, and monitoring of One Health interventions, including work plan development, progress tracking, identification of implementation bottlenecks, and the proposal of corrective measures;
• Support the design, review, and implementation of integrated One Health strategies and action plans addressing zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety, and environmental and climate-related health risks.
• Strengthening integrated surveillance systems, including IDSR implementation, community-based surveillance, event-based surveillance, and interoperability of digital health information systems for real-time data reporting and decision-making;
• Support preparedness, prevention, and response mechanisms for zoonotic and epidemic-prone diseases, working closely with national authorities and relevant technical institutions to strengthen outbreak detection and rapid response capacity;
• Promote climate-resilient, ecosystem-based, and cross-sectoral One Health approaches that strengthen linkages among human, animal, plant, and environmental health systems and resilience-building;
• Facilitate effective multisectoral coordination and collaboration among government institutions, UN agencies, research institutions, civil society, and development partners to ensure coherent One Health implementation.
• Ensure close technical collaboration with FAO technical teams (Country Office, RAF, SFS, Lead Technical Officers) and support quality assurance, technical backstopping, and performance monitoring for implementing partners and consultants;
• Support the preparation, review, and quality assurance of technical and operational documents, including project proposals, concept notes, work plans, budgets, procurement plans, technical specifications, and progress reports.
• Facilitate capacity development initiatives, including training sessions, workshops, simulation exercises, field missions, and awareness campaigns for surveillance officers, health professionals, and community actors;
• Promote inclusive, gender-responsive, and community-based approaches, ensuring the active participation of women, young people, vulnerable groups, and hard-to-reach populations in One Health interventions;
• Support collection, validation, analysis, and dissemination of One Health data and information to inform surveillance systems, programmatic decision-making, and national reporting frameworks;
• Contribute to the development of technical guidelines, manuals, training materials, and knowledge products, while documenting lessons learned, best practices, and innovative approaches for scaling up;
• Support reporting, visibility, and communication of project achievements, including preparation of donor reports, FAO internal reporting, success stories, and knowledge-sharing products.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

• Advanced university degrees in Veterinary Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Animal Sciences, One Health, Integrated Pests Management, Natural Resources Management, or a related field;
• At least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in One Health, public health, veterinary public health, epidemiology, zoonotic disease surveillance, Integrated Pests Management or related fields, including proven experience in project coordination, multisectoral collaboration, capacity development, and implementation of integrated human, animal, and environmental health programmes.
• Working knowledge of English and Portuguese (Level C).
• Angolan nationality or resident of the country with a valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

• Solid background in One Health systems, including public health surveillance, veterinary public health, zoonotic disease prevention, environmental health, and integrated human–animal–environment approaches;
• Proven experience working with government institutions, development partners, UN agencies, research institutions, and/or international organizations in One Health, public health, or health security programmes, including collaboration with community-level structures and multisectoral platforms.
• Previous working experience with UN programmes/ projects (familiarity with UN procedures) will be considered an advantage

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION