Technical Project Assistant

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq supports the Government of Iraq in strengthening food security, sustainable agriculture, resilient livelihoods and rural development. FAO works in close collaboration with national and local authorities, farming communities and other relevant stakeholders to implement programmes responding to the priorities of the agriculture sector.
The position is based in Karbala and will support the field-level implementation of FAO agricultural activities in the governorate, with particular focus on date palm production systems and support to farmers. The incumbent will work closely with the FAO technical team, relevant government counterparts, local stakeholders and beneficiaries to facilitate the effective implementation and monitoring of project activities at field level.

Reporting Lines

The Technical Project Assistant will work under the direct supervision of the FAO representative in Iraq and in close coordination with FAO technical teams.

Technical Focus

Support implementation of agricultural activities including crop management, integrated pest management (IPM), post-harvest practices, farmer field schools (FFS), and project data management, with a focus on date palm and related value chains.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Support the technical team in meetings, workshops, and conferences
• Assist in crop management and application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in farmers’ orchards
• Support crop protection and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) activities
• Assist in post-harvest treatments, processing, and marketing activities
• Contribute to the preparation of technical documents and training materials
• Organize logistical arrangements for trainings, events, and field visits
• Handle travel arrangements for project teams and counterparts
• Maintain and organize office files, records, and documentation
• Liaise with Farmer Field School (FFS) facilitators and support field implementation
• Collect, organize, and monitor field data
• Consolidate reports from FFS facilitators and Survey123 platform
• Analyze field data and prepare assessment reports
• Maintain records of equipment distribution and warehouse inventories
• Support preparation of communication materials
• Prepare periodic activity reports

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

• University degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Plant Protection, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in agricultural field projects
• Working knowledge of Arabic
• National of Iraq 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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in crop management, IPM, and GAP practices
• Experience in supporting Farmer Field Schools (FFS) or similar agricultural extension activities
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting (e.g., Survey123 or similar tools)
• Familiarity with logistics coordination and field operations
• Knowledge of post-harvest handling and agricultural value chains is an asset
• Working knowledge of English is desirable

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION