PROGRAMME OFFICER

The mandate of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region. The role of ESCAP as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy-oriented research and analysis and with normative, technical and capacity-building assistance to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of countries in Asia and the Pacific. The Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM), a regional institution of ESCAP, supports member States efforts towards sustainable agricultural mechanization for the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific. CSAM's work promotes policy dialogue, information exchange and cooperation among all pertinent stakeholders, setting of testing standards and protocols, facilitation of regional agro-business and trade, and related capacity building in the region. This position is located in the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM). The incumbent reports to the Head of CSAM.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of CSAM, the incumbent is required to perform the following functions:

• Assist the Head of CSAM in: (a) the formulation and implementation of the substantive work programme of the Centre, in accordance with the guidelines provided by the ESCAP Commission and CSAM's Governing Council, and ensure that programme activities are carried out effectively, and reported to the Executive Secretary of ESCAP and other relevant constituencies in a timely manner; (b) planning, developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of substantive projects, flagship activities, technical cooperation programmes and other core initiatives of CSAM, including related publications, reports, research, websites and other relevant outputs.
• Related tasks may include (i) formulating proposals for development strategies, policies and measures for presentation to intergovernmental bodies and others, (ii) attending international, regional, and national meetings to hold discussions with representatives of other institutions, (iii) organizing expert group meetings, seminars, etc. on development issues and CSAM's areas of work, (iv) preparation of speeches and other inputs for presentations by the Head of CSAM and ESCAP senior management.
• Serve as Programme Manager of (i) Regional Forum on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization & Regional Council of Agricultural Machinery Associations (ReCAMA) (ii) Asian and Pacific Network for Testing of Agricultural Machinery (ANTAM) (iii) Integrated Straw Management and other programmes of CSAM at the regional/subregional levels through South-South cooperation modality and assist the Head in developing and implementing programmes targeted at the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States in the region. Facilitate close integration across different programmes of the Centre, and support junior staff, reviewing their work and providing feedback.
• Related tasks may include (i) undertaking official missions to member states, either alone or as a participant in a diverse team, as part of the Organization’s technical cooperation activities, (ii) preparation of global, regional, national or sector analyses that provide a basis for advising national governments on economic development issues, (iii) conducting related training seminars and workshops for government officials and others, and (iv) assisting with the formulation of technical modalities for the evaluation of assigned individual technical cooperation projects.
• Assist the Head in coordination of mobilization of funding resources for the Centre's programmes and projects, including from the host country. Conduct suitable outreach activities amongst relevant constituencies, stakeholders/partners, both internal and external, in order to raise the profile and awareness of the Centre and its work.
• Plan and manage analytical and normative research studies on topics related to sustainable agricultural mechanization, including assessment, identification and sharing of good practices and link to capacity building programmes.
• Assist the Head in the preparation, organization and servicing of the Governing Council meetings of the Centre, the Committee on Environment and Development and the ESCAP Commission, including via contributing to the preparation of annual reports, official documentation and related submissions on CSAM for such intergovernmental forums.
• Assist the Head in maintaining close working relations with the host Government and Governments of ESCAP member states as well as with international organizations such as FAO, WFP, IFAD, UNIDO, UNDP and United Nations Country Team of China to foster partnership building and to promote and facilitate technical cooperation related to the Centre’s core programme on Agro-Technology Transfer and Innovation at the regional/sub-regional levels through South-South Cooperation modality.
• Assist the Head in building and enhancing the institutional and human resource capacities of the team, including by (i) serving as the Officer-in-Charge and/or representing the Head at external meetings, forums and other events during the Head's absence, (ii) organization of regular knowledge sharing sessions for/amongst the Centre's staff and (iii) providing continual guidance and supervision to relevant staff.
• Other duties assigned by the Head of the Centre.

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Agriculture, Engineering, Business administration, or related field is required. A relevant first-level university degree in the above fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Relevant training in Intergovernmental Meetings Management is desirable. Relevant training in ERP system, such as Umoja/SAP or similar, is desirable.

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in programme management in the field of agricultural mechanization is required. At least 5 years of work experience in managing agricultural engineering, climate change resilience and ecosystems programme in the Asia-Pacific region is required. At least 5 years of work experience, in the area of formulation of standards within the agricultural sector, in the United Nations Common System is required. At least 3 years of work experience in deputizing and maintaining close working relations with stakeholders in a regional level executive office or equivalent is desirable. Experience in project formulation related to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in food systems is desirable. Experience in promoting organizational visibility in local and international context is desirable.

Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. ESCAP is committed to promoting diversity and gender equality within the Secretariat. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. Pursuant to section 6.9 of ST/AI/2010/3/Rev. 1, interns, consultants, individual contractors and gratis personnel may not apply for or be appointed to any vacancy in the Professional or higher categories within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. This post is funded from extra budgetary resources. The initial appointment is for a period of one year. Extension of appointment is subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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