Digital Agriculture and Innovation Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (“FAO” or “Organization”) is an intergovernmental organization with more than 194 member nations. Since its inception, FAO has worked to alleviate poverty and hunger by promoting agricultural development, improved nutrition, and the pursuit of food security - defined as the access of all people at all times to the food they need for an active and healthy life. To achieve its goals, FAO cooperates with thousands of partners worldwide, from farmers’ groups to traders, from non-governmental organizations to other UN agencies, from development banks to agribusiness firms (further and more detailed information on FAO can be found on the internet site\: http\://www.fao.org).
The main aim of FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments in developing policies, programs, and projects to achieve security and reduce hunger and malnutrition to help develop the agricultural, fisheries, and forest sectors, and use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines

Under the general oversight of the FAO Representative in Rwanda, working closely with Leaders and technical guidance from FAO Regional Office for Africa and for Easter Africa, Headquarters Office of Innovation (OIN) and Digitalization and Informatics Division (CSI), the incumbent will support various digital agriculture and innovation project in the FAO Rwanda and support the uptake of innovation in the Organization.

Technical Focus

• Leads digital innovation projects,
• Supports policy and technical advice on digital agriculture and innovations in agrifood systems,
• Support to the country-level digital agriculture initiatives on digital innovation inclusion

Tasks and responsibilities

• Facilitate the implementation of the digital village initiative in Rwanda
• Contribute to the implementation of digital agriculture and innovation projects,
• Lead implementation of digital innovation strategy for Rwanda’s agri-food systems,
• Coordinate the development process of the national land cover map based on the piloted phase in HIH intervention area.
• Development of knowledge products for digital agriculture and innovation.
• Document and publish success stories, share content and information related to Digital Agriculture and Innovation and related projects and initiatives on digital agriculture transformation within FAO, other UN agencies and partners.
• Engagement of the key players (Institutions) in maturing the existing digital solutions for use, development of the new ones in need and integrating matured one for reaching the high potential contribution to de-risking agricultural value chains though digitalisation (As per compendium),
• Contribute to the establishment of partnerships with actors (academia, civil society, and private sector) to support joint initiatives related to digital agriculture and innovation,
• Provide the technical backstopping to the government policy and strategies in relation to the digital agriculture and innovation.
• Undertake other related responsibilities provided by FAO management

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Information Technology, Information Systems, Computer science, Computer engineering, innovation, ICT for development, or any other relevant degree.
• At least 5 years working experience in digital agriculture, innovation methods and innovation strategies.
• Working knowledge of English, French and Kinyarwanda.
• National of Rwanda

FAO Core Competencies

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION