National Specialist in Food and Nutritional Security Policies Agri-Food Systems Vacancy-Job Ref: BJGTFAO/1905/2025808

National Specialist in Food and Nutritional Security Policies Agri-Food Systems Vacancy-Job Ref: BJGTFAO/1905/2025808

Guatemala City (Guatemala)

FAO strives to ensure gender, geographic, and linguistic diversity among its staff and international consultants in order to best serve the Organization’s Member States in all regions.

FAO is committed to achieving diversity in its workforce in terms of gender, nationality, origin, and culture.
Women, nationals of underrepresented or unrepresented Member States, and persons with disabilities who possess the necessary qualifications are encouraged to apply.
All individuals working for FAO must adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and uphold FAO’s values.

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, FAO maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward conduct inconsistent with its statute, 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.
Organizational framework

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Guatemala signed the Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2022-2025, which defines the national priorities that FAO will address through country-level actions within the scope of their respective strategic frameworks. These priorities aim to guarantee FAO’s comparative advantages in contributing to the achievement of the goals established in State policy instruments such as the National Development Plan K’atún Nuestra Guatemala 2032 (CONADUR-SEGEPLAN, 2014), the National Development Priorities (SEGEPLAN, 2016), the General Government Policy 2020-2024, as well as the United Nations Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development of Guatemala and the 2030 Agenda.

Guatemala’s MPP establishes three government priority areas that FAO will address: 1) More productive, prosperous, and inclusive territories for a better life; 2) Food security and improved nutrition; and 3) Resilience and a better environment. The outcomes contemplated in these three program areas will be achieved through the development of the Organization’s normative instruments and projects implemented by FAO, together with its partners, in the country.

The project “Support for post-crisis actions for the recovery and rehabilitation of livelihoods and assets of households in rural areas most affected by COVID-19” is aligned with the institutional efforts of the Government of Guatemala, especially with SESAN, MAGA and MINECO, to serve family farmers, agricultural producer organizations, and micro and small agricultural businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 15 municipalities in the departments of Huehuetenango, Quiché, and Alta Verapaz. These municipalities are estimated to have a higher percentage of indigenous population than the national average.

Through component four of this project, we seek to support public institutions in institutionalizing processes that support rural producers, organizations, and micro and small businesses in quickly recovering their livelihoods and promoting long-term resilience, as well as generating opportunities to boost the local economy.

It is proposed that this component contribute to political dialogue, the strengthening of strategic planning, and the design and implementation of policy instruments to position agri-food systems and food and nutritional security on the public agenda.

Currently, various forums for dialogue are opening in the country, where the gaps, constraints, and challenges of agrifood systems and their interconnection with socioeconomic and environmental systems are being analyzed and discussed. Opportunities for international support are also being generated to support planning for the transformation of these systems, harnessing the transformative potential of the agricultural sector.

Hierarchical dependence

The Specialist will work under the supervision of the Assistant Representative (Program).

Field of specialization

The Specialist must coordinate processes of political dialogue, technical assistance and training in which government institutions, academia, the private sector and civil society participate, with the objective of designing policy instruments, analyzing data, evidence and information, and formulating technical documents and communication materials related to the positioning of food and nutritional security within the political agenda under an agri-food systems approach and its interconnection with socioeconomic and environmental systems.

Tasks and responsibilities

Promote and maintain communication and spaces for dialogue with strategic stakeholders within the framework of agri-food systems.
Support the strengthening of political dialogue between SESAN, MAGA, MINECO, MARN, and other key actors to position food and nutritional security and agri-food systems on the public agenda.
Support government actors at the central level in strategic planning processes, in strengthening complementarity between sectors, and in the implementation of policy instruments linked to food and nutritional security and agri-food systems.

Promote processes that strengthen institutional capacities, primarily those of SESAN, MAGA, and MINECO, to manage information and data related to agriculture and nutrition.
Promote processes that generate evidence that allows for replication and scaling up of Project interventions
Promote spaces that facilitate joint and coordinated work between MAGA and MINECO in addressing agricultural ventures, generating local employment, promoting youth entrepreneurship, and boosting the rural economy.

Coordinate national and international events and forums for dialogue to discuss topics related to the transformation of agri-food systems and their interconnection with socioeconomic and environmental systems.
Promote processes that promote the complementarity of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food and their coordinated work,
Participate in the coordination and management of processes linked to FAO’s global initiatives that promote the transformation of agri-food systems.
Prepare the terms of reference for technical personnel and monitor the contracting processes for consulting or technical services necessary to achieve the objectives, results, and goals proposed in component four of the Project.

Guide specialists and consultants in the implementation of actions that enable the achievement of the objectives, results, and goals of Component Four of the Project.
Maintain constant dialogue with the project manager and the team of other project components.
Coordinate and foster synergies with other FAO projects in processes that strengthen the capacities of public institutions.
CANDIDATES WILL BE EVALUATED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

Minimum requirements

Professional with a university degree and postgraduate studies specializing in public policy.
At least 15 years of experience in management positions in the field of different development issues and in issues related to food and nutritional security and the construction of public policies eus4dsA BOCpsI
Working knowledge of Spanish
Guatemalan nationality
FAO Core Competencies

Results-based approach
Teamwork
Communication
Establishing effective relationships
Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
Technical/functional skills

Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, strategic planning and inter-institutional work
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Skill in preparing and writing reports and technical documents.
Selection criteria

Desirable command of the English language (level B – Intermediate)
Scope and relevance of experience in public institutional strengthening processes
Extensive knowledge of the country, particularly its socioeconomic, agricultural, and food security sectors.
Knowledge of the functioning of national and territorial institutions
Preferably with experience working in the public sector and with international organizations, especially the United Nations.

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