South Sudan: Head of Field Office

Oct 3, 2021 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
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The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO representatives, is to assistant 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.

The FAO Representation in South Sudan is organizes in three main units: programme, Operations and administration. The current portfolio of projects in South Sudan includes activities related to agriculture (crop), livestock, Fisheries, Natural Resource management, food information systems is implemented with humanitarian, transitional and development funding. The incumbent will contribute to the country’s programme and portfolio as foreseen in the project he/she will coordinate and be assigned. Head of Field Office (HoFO) is a senior managerial position will represent FAO mandates, country operations strategic objectives. The incumbent carries the full delegated authority of the FAO Representative of the country, who will exercise entire supervisory managerial responsibility over the position


Reporting Lines

The HoFo will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for South Sudan and the direct supervision of the Deputy FAO Representative. The HoFo will collaborate with the Programme, Operations and Administrative/Finance Units and work closely with the state Government, sister UN organizations, None Governmental Organization and beneficiaries communities.

Technical Focus

  • Oversee the implementation of the overall projects interventions in assigned Field Office
  • Overall leadership, management and prompt services delivery to the stakeholders.

Tasks and responsibilities


The HoFO will be based in field office with travel to field locations as required. Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following tasks :

  • Coordination and Representation at State Level;
  • Establish, develop and maintain effective working relations with key stakeholders on behalf of the FAOR at the state level including sister UN agencies, programs and funds, government institutions, traditional leadership, beneficiary populations and their representatives;
  • Coordinate the day-to-day field level activities in close consultation and cooperation with FAO’s program unit and the relevant program support units while providing continuous support to implementing partners;
  • Foster program coordination, collaborations and colocation with relevant development partners and Support preparation and implementation of events and donor visits;
  • Lead coordination of the Food Security and Livelihood Cluster activities in respective State.

Facilitate and Support to FAO Operations:

  • Ensure health, safety and security protocols are followed at all times, and in consultation with the FAO Security Officer, UNDSS and or other ASMT members take timely corrective actions as required;
  • Lead, manage, oversee all aspects of supply chain support, including low cost procurement, stock management, asset management, vehicle and equipment renewal, maintenance and repair (including communications and computer equipment);Participate in the design, of the monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability system for CBIs;
  • Perform any other related duties as demanded by the project manage or FSTS director or the European Union;
  • Control under the auspices of the Finance Officer and budget holder, utilization of funds at the field office including proper management of petty cash and operation advances;
  • Ensure compliance with FAO and donor finance and logistics policies, including all aspects of low cost procurement and asset management;
  • Ensure efficient utilization of allocated financial resources in compliance with FAO policies for achievement of set objectives.
  • Support field staff in the implementation of personnel policies including coaching, performance evaluation, staff development, and disciplinary measures;
  • Effectively manage the Field Office to ensure transparent and efficient people management and the continued development of a cohesive and high performing team.
  • Assist in developing national staff capacity by providing training, opportunities for job shadowing and close follow-up of tasks and Management of both long and short-term NSHR assigned for duty in the state.

Programme/Project implementation

  • Map all FAO intervention the state and ensure synergy and complementarity in the implementation of the programme/Projects for increased impact;
  • Prepare detailed Area annual work plans in line with the budget and in collaboration with stakeholders, and make necessary arrangements for their successful implementation in a timely manner;
  • Provide programmatic and technical support and advice to enhance effective project delivery and complies with both FAO’s rules/regulations and the donor standards as defined in the respective project documents;
  • Conduct regular field visits and on-site mentoring for ongoing project activities and develop knowledge products;
  • Monitor progress of project implementation in relation to annual work plan (timeliness, achievement of project objectives and impact), and implement corrective measures when needed in consultation with the Project Managers;
  • Engage with beneficiaries and ensure gender and protection perspectives are incorporated in all areas of work.
  • Ensure that FAO interventions within area of operation take into account gender aspects especially those related to women and youths, conflict sensitivity and Accountability to Affected Population (AAP);
  • Prepare ad hoc and bi-annual/ yearly plans and reports/updates and inform the PMs and technical team in a timely manner;
  • Review and comment on technical documents as required; Prepare technical specifications of the required project inputs (equipment, supplies) and draft tender documents for local or international procurement
  • Organize briefing and debriefing meetings for donor’s missions;
  • Conduct emergency needs assessments in response to any humanitarian crises at State level
  • Identify possible bottlenecks and challenges within the changing humanitarian and operational works within, propose solutions to these challenges, and plan for contingency planning actions;
  • Perform other duties as requested by the supervisor


Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following


Minimum Requirements

  • University Degree in Project Management, Development Studies, International Development, Rural Development, Social Science or other related field.
  • At least five years (5) of relevant experience in project management of complex projects on livelihood diversification, food security preferably in Fragile or conflict affected states.
  • Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian).

Technical/Functional Skills

  • Ability to plan, organize, implement and reports on work.
  • Good knowledge of UN system, procedures and operation activities is an advantage
  • Experience with emergencies and development initiatives in the Horn of Africa preferably in South Sudan
  • Demonstrated experience in the implementation of activities in collaboration with public and private sectors
  • Experience in providing technical assistance to development strategies, policy and national governments and regional bodies
  • Experience in project formulation, operation, implementation, budget execution and monitoring
  • Committed to building and coaching teams and partners to deliver programmes in a complex and challenging context.
  • Experience in Office and Administration Management.
  • Demonstrated experience in dealing with senior government officials, development partners and other country stakeholders.
  • Experience in community based development and participatory approaches and in particular with grassroots associations and farmers groups

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 any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
  • Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
  • 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 more information, visit the FAO employment website

How To Apply

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.

We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline.

If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org