National Expert on Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity

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

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Technical Focus

Within the context of project TCP/GEO/4002 entitled “Strengthening food safety in the context of aquaculture under ENPARD IV”, provide in-country technical support for aquatic animal health and aquaculture biosecurity through capacity building, disease surveillance, and early-warning systems.

Reporting Lines

The National Expert on Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Georgia, the supervision of the ENPARD Programme Manager, the technical guidance of the Project Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and alternate LTO, and in close coordination with the ENPARD IV Extension Specialists.

Tasks And Responsibilities

•    Develop training modules on aquatic animal health and biosecurity to fish farmers, laboratory staff and relevant competent authorities.
•    Support the International Fishery Products Food Safety Expert in delivering training modules on aquatic animal health and biosecurity to fish farmers, laboratory staff and relevant competent authorities
•    Develop manuals, brochures and pamphlets and other written training materials for distribution to fish farmers, laboratory staff and personnel of relevant competent authorities.
•    Support the International Fishery Products Food Safety Expert in the delivery of practical trainings for fish farmers on the use of aquaculture testing equipment (water testing kits, bacteria test kits, incubators, etc.) related to the matching grant support packages under ENPARD IV.   
•    Support surveillance activities, risk assessments, and sampling for aquatic disease monitoring.
•    Contribute to the design and pilot implementation of a national-level Early Warning System (EWS).
•    Draft guidelines on farm-level biosecurity policies aligned with EU, OIE/WOAH, and international best practices.
•    Contribute to the planning and implementation of field activities related to the dissemination of information on biosecurity and food safety to fish farmers.
•    Collaborate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) staff to plan and organize monitoring activities.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements  
 
•    Advanced university degree in Aquaculture, Veterinary Science, Food Safety, Biosecurity or related disciplines
•    Minimum five years of relevant experience in working with fish farmers and/or competent authorities on aquaculture, aquatic animal health and biosecurity
•    Working knowledge of English and Georgian
•    National of Georgia or resident of the country with valid work permit

Fao Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Practical experience on training fish farmers is considered an asset
•    Understanding of Georgian regulations about aquatic animal health and biosecurity
•    Demonstrated understanding of aquaculture, biosecurity, food safety and related veterinary topics
•    Proven capacity to establish working relationships with fish farmers, competent authorities and laboratory staff and build their technical capacities
•    Proven experience in the preparation of technical documents for training purposes
•    Excellent communication skills, proven ability to convey complex ideas through clear and effective oral presentations
•    Good skills in community mobilization as well as inter-personal relations
•    Computer literacy 
 

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

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/ 
• For other issues, 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. 

How To Apply

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO 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
• 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

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