Forest Landscape Restoration Specialist

:13/May/2026

:03/Jun/2026, 9:59:00 PMOrganizational Unit:REU - Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (Budapest)

:Serbia-BelgradeDuration:Up to 11 months when actually employed basis Post Number:N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• 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’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to its strategic objectives and operations. The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. FAO REU oversees the FAO Project Office in Serbia, which is responsible for planning, implementation and monitoring of the country programme as well in close consultation with the respective technical support from the Regional Office or Headquarter units. The FAO Project Office in Serbia also monitors the policy development in the Serbia related to the agri-food system sector in close collaboration with the other national and international stakeholders including the United Nations Country Team (UNCT).

A new project funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), entitled “Enhancing the resilience of Serbian forests to ensure energy security of the most vulnerable while contributing to their livelihoods and carbon sequestration (FOREST Invest)”, was approved and became operational in February 2025. The total project financing, including co-financing, amounts to USD 83.8 million.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) serves as the Executing Entity (EE) for the Project and is responsible for the implementation of all GCF-funded activities, as well as for the management of GCF proceeds. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MoAFWM), Public Enterprise “Srbijašume” (PES), and Public Enterprise “Vojvodinašume” (PEV) act as co-executing partners for activities financed through their respective co-financing contributions.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia (REU), in close coordination with the GCF Project Manager, and the FAO Programme Coordinator, and in close liaison with FAO Serbia personnel and national counterparts, The Specialist will report and will be under the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO).

Technical Focus

Support the technical implementation of the below listed project activities, under the leadership of FAO as the Executing Entity (EE), in line with the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP/B), and in close cooperation with national counterparts and project partners

The incumbent will be responsible for supporting the effective technical implementation and execution of project activities in the target project areas, particularly in relation to forest restoration interventions under Outcomes 2 and 3, as well as contributing to the enabling conditions for the implementation of Serbia’s Law on Forests (2010).

Tasks and responsibilities

• Increase nursery capacities for the production of climate-adaptive container seedlings at the two national public nurseries and seed centers in Serbia, including developing the capacities of nursery staff in post-collection seed handling (cleaning, extraction, testing, treatment, and storage); 
  
• Select seed stands and trees, establish seed plantations, and collect, store, and treat seeds to support the production of up to 35 million one-year-old seedlings of target species, ready for planting within the same year and in accordance with established plant production protocols; 
  
• Manage logistics related to the handling and transfer of planting material from nurseries to restoration sites, and oversee planting on selected lands for forest and agroforestry investments, applying sustainable and climate-adaptive approaches and practices; 
  
• Prepare sites, carry out planting, and maintain selected public and private lands for forest and agroforestry investments, ensuring alignment with sustainable and climate-adaptive forest restoration practices; 
  
• Develop the capacities of public- and private-sector stakeholders in sustainable and climate-adaptive approaches and practices in forest restoration; 
  
• Assess and monitor forest restoration interventions and their impacts; 
  
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of project communication and knowledge management activities; 
  
• Prepare technical inputs for progress reports and all monitoring reports required under the FAO-GCF project; 
  
• Ensure that technical experts from national stakeholders clearly understand their roles and responsibilities, and provide guidance to support the delivery of high-quality outputs.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• For Consultants: Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in forestry, agronomy, or related fields; Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
  For PSAs: University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in forestry, agronomy, or related fields.
  
• At least five years of relevant experience in project/programme implementation in the natural resources management sector.
  
• Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work 
  
• Work experience in the implementation of projects in the natural resources management sector;
  
• Extent and relevance of experience and skills in project management at field level. 
  
• Quality of both oral and written communication skills.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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]. 

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• 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]

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