Deputy Director, Markets and Trade Division

Organizational Setting

The Markets and Trade Division (EST) monitors and analyses developments and trends in international, regional and national agricultural commodity markets and the factors affecting them, collecting and disseminating up-to-date and comprehensive market and policy information for the major traded commodities and those important to food security. It also undertakes forward-looking outlook studies. The Division analyses issues that affect global food and agricultural markets and trade, including analysis of trade policies and agreements, and provides technical support and capacity development to FAO Members in all these areas. Through its Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS), the Division is responsible for FAO’s early warnings on food shortfalls and food security problems. The Division is responsible for FAO’s flagship publication The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO). The Division also hosts the secretariats of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and its subsidiary Intergovernmental Groups (IGGs), the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) and the World Banana Forum (WBF).

The position is located in the Markets and Trade Division (EST) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Deputy Director reports to the Director, EST. 

Summary of Duties and Functions

Under the overall guidance of the Director, EST and as a member of the Management Team of the Economic and Social Development (ES) Stream, the Deputy Director will:

Support the Director, EST, in exercising overall management responsibility for the Division, including strategic vision, advice, planning and implementation of the Division’s programme of work in line with the FAO Strategic Framework; 

Support the Director in the efficient management of the human and financial resources, 

Serve as Officer-in-Charge for day-to-day matters in the absence of the Director, EST; 

Ensure effective linkages between the work plans and activities of the Division and the FAO Strategic Framework from planning to implementation, monitoring and reporting; 

Provide technical leadership and quality assurance for the Division’s outputs in the areas of commodity markets, early warning, agricultural trade, and trade policy and agreements; 

Lead and contribute to the divisional analytical outputs, market assessments and projections, trade policy analysis, and capacity development activities; 

Lead the divisional Editorial Committee for publications; 

Support the planning, production and dissemination of the Division’s publications, including Food Outlook, the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, and The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO); 

Support the work of the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and its subsidiary bodies;  

Support the Director in enhancing programmatic collaboration with FAO technical divisions, regional offices, and country offices to ensure synergy and coherence in commodity market and trade related work; 

Identify, assess and make recommendations regarding opportunities to support FAO Members; 

Foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with governments and relevant organizations and institutions in support of the work programme of the Division; 

Support the development of projects and the mobilization of resources consistent with the Division’s work programme and mandate as well as the FAO Strategic Framework; 

Coordinate cross-team activities and initiatives and promote collaboration to ensure coherence and synergy across the various work streams of the Division and across divisions; 

Represent the Organization in high-level intergovernmental processes, conferences, meetings and events relevant to the mandate and activities of the Division; 

Promote the visibility and impact of FAO’s market and trade work through outreach activities, publications, and media engagement; 

Support the preparation of keynote speeches, technical presentations, and policy briefs for senior management; 

Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Advanced university degree (Master's Degree or equivalent) in agricultural economics, economics or a related field. Additional qualifications related to agricultural trade and commodity markets and/or a relevant Ph.D. would be an asset;

Minimum twelve years of relevant experience in the analysis of commodity markets and agricultural trade, price and policy analysis, and food security issues, including a relevant publication record; 

Demonstrated technical leadership and experience in agricultural market and trade policy issues, with particular emphasis on issues of concern to developing countries; 

Demonstrated skills and experience in managing for results, supervising and networking, including possible relevant working experience in a developing country context;

International experience in providing policy advice to high-level decision-makers, including in intergovernmental settings; 

Proven analytical abilities and excellent drafting skills as demonstrated in past work products (quantitative analysis, analytical and policy papers, interagency reports, and flagship publications); 

Excellent communication skills and diplomacy; 

Ability to lead and work effectively with a diverse team of people of different national and cultural backgrounds in an international setting; 

Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).