Senior Videographer/Photographer – SIDS 2026

Organizational Setting

The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific (SAP), established in 1996 in Samoa, serves as the technical hub for FAO’s work across 14 Pacific Island Countries. SAP supports agrifood systems transformation, food security, nutrition, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, rural development, and climate resilience initiatives in the Pacific region.
In 2026, FAO and the Government of Vanuatu will co-host the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Forum in Vanuatu. The Forum is FAO’s flagship Pacific platform under the Four Betters framework and will bring together Ministers, development partners, IFIs, private sector, youth and women leaders.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific and the direct supervision of the Nutrition and Food Systems Officer, the Senior Videographer/Photographer will perform following tasks.

Technical Focus

The Senior Videographer/Photographer will provide high-quality videography and photography support to capture the impact of FAO’s regional initiatives and deliver comprehensive media coverage for the 2026 Pacific SIDS Solutions Forum. The incumbent will be responsible for end-to-end video production, archival research, field-story capture, high-level event photography, rapid media delivery, and dedicated coverage of VIPs and senior leadership.

Tasks and responsibilities

In close collaboration with Office of Communications (OCC) branches and appropriate Communication focal points, the incumbent will:

Video Production, Concept Development and Storytelling

•     Prepare a detailed production workplan, including shot list, interview list, field filming plan, production calendar, approvals workflow, file-delivery schedule and coordination arrangements with FAO communications focal points.
•     Conceptualize, script and produce high-quality video products, normally 3-4 minutes each, aligned with FAO strategic frameworks and the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.
•     Produce videos for the Strategic Framework Series, anniversary/legacy media, flagship initiatives, forum promotional trailers, forum recap summaries and other agreed priority products.
•     Undertake archival research within institutional libraries, draft scripts, coordinate professional narration, manage music selection, secure required permissions and execute full post-production editing.
•     Capture short interviews and soundbites with FAO officials, government representatives, development partners, youth and women leaders, farmers, fishers, community members and other relevant stakeholders, subject to consent and communications clearance.
•     Produce short-form social media content, including horizontal and vertical formats, optimized for FAO digital channels and web platforms.
•     Coordinate closely with the Regional Communications Specialist and the FAO Office of Communications (OCC) for technical review, feedback, clearance and final approval of all video outputs to ensure strict adherence to corporate policies.
•     Videos should follow the FAO Video production guidelines:  https://www.fao.org/3/cc5308en/cc5308en.pdf 

High-Level Event Photography, Videography and VIP Coverage

•     Serve as dedicated photographer/videographer for senior leadership, international dignitaries and VIP delegations during high-level segments, including plenary sessions, bilateral meetings, site visits, media engagements, official ceremonies and protocol moments.
•     Maintain continuous presence at the Forum venue in Vanuatu to ensure complete, multi-faceted photographic and video coverage of the event from opening to conclusion.
•     Provide rapid same-day editing and delivery of priority photo selections to FAO SAP, RAP and OCC under tight deadlines for immediate press, digital and social media release.
•     Capture comprehensive event documentation, including arrivals, opening and closing ceremonies, plenaries, panels, roundtables, interventions, group photos, press briefings, side events, networking moments and audience engagement.
•     Coordinate with the event AV/livestream team to obtain clean audio feeds and ensure appropriate coverage of hybrid participation, official statements and media moments.
•     Photos should follow the FAO Photo Library Production Guidelines:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/pu6vckocxhlc7fc/FAO_Guidelines_for_Photo_Production_202206.pdf?dl=0   

Field Missions, Human-Interest Content and B-Roll

•     Undertake field missions in Vanuatu and other Pacific SIDS countries, as agreed with FAO, to capture human-interest stories, project results, beneficiary perspectives and thematic visuals.
•     Deliver organized b-roll packages, including clean footage of venues, delegates, FAO branding, host-country context, field visits, agrifood systems, climate resilience, fisheries, nutrition, innovation and SIDS priority themes.
•     Ensure content reflects regional diversity and balances host-country visibility with the broader Pacific SIDS and FAO regional narrative.

Consent, Metadata, Archiving and Compliance

•     Ensure informed consent is obtained for identifiable individuals, especially non-official participants, youth, community members, farmers, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups, in accordance with FAO communications and ethical standards.
•     Maintain a structured archive of all raw and edited photo/video assets, including filenames, captions, IPTC metadata, consent records, delivery logs and final approved products.
•     Deliver all raw and edited assets to the FAO regional office and/or OCC using agreed storage platforms and file-transfer arrangements.
•     Ensure all content complies with FAO technical, branding, captioning, naming, metadata, copyright, subject-release and archival requirements.

FAO Standards and guidelines:

•     Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes. 
•     All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including: 
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en   
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia    
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en   
FAOSTYLE https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en   
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm  
FAO Names of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en      
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).   
•     Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     University degree in Photography, Videography, Multimedia Production, Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Digital Media, or a related field
•     5 years of relevant professional experience in photography, videography, multimedia content production, and visual storytelling
•     Working knowledge of English (Level C)

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Efficiency, competence and integrity as well as negotiating skills, tact and diplomacy are essential.
•     Able to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural project partners at regional and international level
•     Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience liaising between diverse project stakeholders
•     Demonstrated effective writing and critical analysis skills