Plant Production and Protection Assistant
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Job Posting
Closure Date
Primary Location
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- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
Organizational Setting
FAO Afghanistan is investing across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan in resilience reinforcing actions that focus on protecting agriculture livelihoods and local ecosystems, boosting local production of nutritious foods and cash-incomes, and safeguarding critical agriculture sectoral development gains achieved over the past couple of decades through revitalizing rural markets and economy. In particular, FAO provides a combination of humanitarian and basic needs/non-humanitarian assistance to female and male farmers and herders across Afghanistan in the agriculture, livestock, irrigation and natural resources sub-sectors through its projects and programs, as described in the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) and the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA) 2023-2027, specifically under UNSFA Priority 2 Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods.
In total 3 position for one for each location, Bamyan, Gardez, and Kandahar – Afghanistan.
Reporting Lines
The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) or Deputy FAO Representative (DFAOR) in Afghanistan. S/he will work under the guidance of the Emergency and Rehabilitation Officer (Head of Programme Unit) and the National Professional Officer (Programme), Plant Protection and Production (PPP) Team Leader. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the National Professional Officer (Programme), Head of the Regional Office, who will also provide day-to-day technical/functional guidance, assign and monitor the daily tasks and be responsible for the performance evaluation in discussion with the PPP Team Leader.
Technical Focus
The incumbent will be providing support on seed production and variety development, plant production and protection, with practical application of climate-smart agriculture approaches.
Tasks and responsibilities
- Provide technical and scientific assistance on the day-to-day management of national variety trials and ensure the best performance for the conduction of the variety maintenance program.
- Assist with the development of a work plan in consultation with the Seed Certification Directorate on daily and weekly data collection pertaining to procurement, processing and seed quality assurance from private Seed Companies.
- Assist the Agriculture Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA) on Variety for Cultivation and Use (VCU) test, variety screening and prepare data to present to variety release committee for the release of new variety for cultivation.
- Assist ARIA on Distinctness Uniformity and Stability (DUS) test to collect morphological data for development of catalogues.
- Assist with the selection of appropriate sites for optimum production of Breeder, Foundation, and Certified Seeds.
- Assist Improved seed Enterprise (ISE) and PSEs on production of sufficient quantity of foundation and certified seeds.
- Coordinate and organize Seed Production Planning Workshops with the support of Seed Certification Directorate in the respective regions or at national level.
- Ensure adoption and implementation of the best agronomic practices in the field and post-harvest handling operations, including ensuring that processing and packaging of Breeder, Foundation, Certified Seeds.
- Assist in conducting internal quality assurance measures for different class and type of seeds, as appropriate.
- Support the supervisor to work in close coordination with the Seed Certification Directorate to ensure timely and appropriate field inspection, collection of seed sampling, seed testing and availability of test results.
- Support private Seed enterprise on production of sufficient quantities of certified seeds of different crops.
- Ensure appropriate management of the seed storage to avoid quality deterioration and effective seed delivery to relative locations, when necessary.
- Coordinate the distribution of machinery to relevant stakeholders.
- Lead training of field-level personnel in essential technical aspects of seed production and provides updates to the Team leader.
- Assist in the formation of Common Interest Groups (CIGs) – ensuring that the size of each CIG and its composition is as per the norms, and thereafter, assists farmers (member of the CIGs) on the seed production training.
- Collaborates with the Enterprise & CIGs (Common Interest Groups) Development Specialist, prepares and conducts training for the CIGs on financial management, revolving fund management and business plan development.
- Facilitate the registration of CIGs and ensures they meet the required standards for recognition.
- Perform any other tasks as maybe required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or related field
- 4 years of relevant experience in the field in implementing agricultural or related programs of which at least 2 years of UN or INGO experience in agriculture research or related programmes.
- Working knowledge (level C) of English and local languages (Pashto and/or Dari).
- National of Afghanistan
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Experience of working with the United Nations or other international organizations (especially those working in the field of agriculture) will be preferred.
- Ability to work independently is preferred.
- Excellent knowledge of agriculture research is preferred.
- Excellent organization and coordination skills are required.
- Ability to write clearly and conduct trainings in required languages are highly preferred.
- Experience of working in emergency conditions is preferred.
- Experience organizing stakeholder meetings or workshops with various partners.
- Strong professional command of Microsoft Office, in particular Word and Excel.
- Experience working with research trials.
- Experience in preparation of training and holding meetings with research staff, CIGs and local authorities.
- Technical knowledge of Seeds production and how to enhance variety development.
- Liaison skills with the local authorities.
- Knowledge of climate change and the effect on agriculture.
- Technical knowledge of plant protection and production processes.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ [link removed]
- For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
HOW TO APPLY
- To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO [link removed] and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ [link removed]. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings [link removed].
- Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
- Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
- Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
- Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
- We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp [link removed]
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
