CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2600627
ECOSYSTEM BASED ADAPTATION (EBA) GEOSPATIAL EXPERT / MELBA
Job Posting: 23/Mar/2026
Closure Date: 06/Apr/2026, 9:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit : FRMLW
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition : Consultant
Grade Level : N/A
Primary Location: Malawi-Lilongwe
Duration : 11 months with possibility of extension
Post Number : N/A
- 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
The Government of Norway has recently approved funding for the project “Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for ecosystem-based adaptation in forests and agriculture” (MELBA Malawi). Between 2026-29, the project will operationalize a national monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the agriculture, forestry and land use (AFOLU) sectors to inform climate change adaptation planning and report against international commitments. The project is designed to run in parallel, and in close coordination, with the project “Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi” (EbAM), funded through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by FAO between 2024-30. To support the implementation of the MELBA Malawi project, FAO Malawi is seeking to recruit the project's Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). The CTA will be the overall technical lead of the project in Malawi, responsible for leading all technical activities. In addition, the CTA will work as the Geospatial Expert for the EbAM Project and will lead in the designing and deploying of a Spatial Information Management System (SIMS) customized for the EbAM Project.
Reporting Lines
The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Malawi, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) within the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa and the guidance of the HQ-based Forestry Officer - Adaptation.
Technical Focus
The incumbent will provide direct technical supervision to the National Project Coordinator (NPC), and the District Coordinators and will coordinate closely with the HQ-based and Subregional MELBA team members and stakeholders. She/he will also work closely with the EbAM CTA and the EbAM Monitoring & Evaluation Team.
Tasks and responsibilities
- Provide overall technical leadership and quality assurance for the MELBA project in Malawi, ensuring coherence and complementarity across the Project outputs and alignment with the EbAM project and FAO's normative work.
- Provide direct technical supervision to the NPC and the District Coordinators, ensuring the quality of their technical deliverables and their alignment with project objectives.
- Lead technical stakeholder engagement with government counterparts, research institutions, UN agencies, and international partners located in Malawi and in the subregion, including facilitating inter-ministerial coordination and technical working groups
- Lead the design and operationalize a SIMS tailored to the EbAM Project and with MELBA Project contributions, enabling systematic collection, geo-referencing, and integration of biophysical, socio-economic, and ecosystem service data for MEL efforts, including adaptation, resilience and vulnerability reduction, and adaptive project management.
- participating in interview panels for affiliate workforce
- Lead country-level efforts on MEL architecture, tools and indicators, including updating climate impact, risk and vulnerability assessments.
- Contribute to the HQ-led regional and international collaboration and knowledge exchange on the global goal on adaptation (GGA), and EbA MEL approaches for the AFOLU sector.
- Lead technical activities on capacity development, knowledge and communications, including designing and institutionalizing a capacity building programme for the national MEL framework; ensuring documentation and dissemination of good practices and lessons learned
- Lead technical activities on policy integration, finance and reporting, including coordination of FAO's technical support for national reporting content to the Rio Conventions; designing feedback loops to the NAP cycle and NDC enhancements; and facilitating resource mobilization as part of the project exit and sustainability strategy.
- Lead the preparation of annual project reports, providing technical content and quality review of all deliverables, and lead the technical content of donor consultations and updates.
- Ensure implementation of environmental and social safeguards, grievance mechanisms, and gender-responsive approaches across all project activities.
- Develop geo-locational profiles and produce thematic maps of EbA as agreed with the technical team and identified during project implementation.
- Lead catchment delineation and conduct spatially explicit vulnerability and ecosystem risk hotspot assessments, generating high-resolution maps of priority micro-catchments to inform site-specific, ecosystem-based adaptation EbA and integrated landscape management strategies
- Perform other duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in geography, GIS/Remote Sensing, environmental science, climate change, ecology, forestry, natural resources management or any other discipline relevant to the work of the organization.
- At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in project cycle management in the fields of EbA, and nature-based solutions
- At least 5 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on geospatial analysis
- Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English, French, Spanish Arabic, Chinese or Russian. (A second FAO language can be inserted if needed for the assignment)
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Substantive expertise in EbA, nature-based solutions, and MEL system design in the AFOLU sectors, including climate vulnerability and risk assessment, indicator development, and monitoring tool design.
- Demonstrated experience in leading the design and implementation of national MEL frameworks for climate change adaptation or environmental monitoring, preferably in least developed countries.
- Extensive experience in managing multi-stakeholder technical processes, including inter-ministerial coordination, capacity building programme design, and stakeholder consultations at national and subnational levels.
- In-depth knowledge of international adaptation and other multilateral environmental conventions and initiatives' frameworks and reporting.
- Experience with digital monitoring tools (such as KoBoToolbox, ODK), GIS and remote sensing, data management systems, and online reporting dashboards.
- Track record of scientific publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products on EbA, adaptation monitoring, or related topics.
- Demonstrated experience in team leadership and supervision of technical staff in complex, multi-partner project environments
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
- 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
- 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/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.
- 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
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
Tags
capacity development
climate change adaptation
environmental monitoring
geospatial
monitoring and evaluation
Skills
Geography
GIS/Remote Sensing
Environmental Science
Climate Change
English
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