Title: Project Assistant

​Requisition ID: 3568
Grade: G5
Country: Austria
Duty Station: Vienna
Category: Project-funded GS
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Staff-Full-time
Appointment Type: Fixed Term - 100 series
Indicative Minimum Annual Salary: 56,137 EUR
Application Deadline: 07-May-2024, 11:59 PM (CEST)

Vacancy Announcement
This post is for local recruitment only.
THE APPOINTMENT IS LIMITED TO THE SPECIFIED PROJECT(S) ONLY AND DOES NOT CARRY ANY EXPECTATION OF RENEWAL.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all organizational entities within UNIDO, in particular the Office of Change Management (ODG/CHM), the Office of Legal Affairs and Compliance (ODG/LEG), the Strategic Planning and UN Engagement Division (ODG/SPU), and the Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate-relevant or climate-improving technologies. It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative technical cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders.

The Directorate houses the Divisions of Coordination and Integration Support (IET/CIS), Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

The position is located under the Food Security and Food Systems Unit (IET/AGR/FSS) of the Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR).

Under the supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR) supports Member States in their efforts to pave the way to sustainable rural development and a structurally transformed and modernized agribusiness sector. Capitalizing on the experience gained by UNIDO in this field over decades and on tried-and-tested and to-be-developed service modules, the Division will explore innovative approaches to maximise the potential that exists in agribusiness development, addressing emerging global trends, in particular food security, poverty alleviation and climate change. It will explore new ways to contribute to global efforts to reduce hunger, accelerate food systems transition, and generate income and employment, especially among women and youth.

The Division provides technical cooperation services to assist the modernization of agriculture and agro-industry, especially in less-developed countries, ensuring that enterprises add value to primary agricultural production, substitute the imports of food and other value-added agricultural products, and participate effectively in local, regional and global value chains. Where needed, it will develop infrastructure and agro-industrial parks and capacities for agro-industrialization, value addition, quality assurance and food safety. It will also bring innovative approaches to Member States to fully benefit from carbon-neutral and biodiversity-enhancing agricultural and agro-industrial production and development opportunities in the green and blue bioeconomy.

The Food Security and Food Systems Unit (IET/AGR/FSS) promotes the development of food industries and food value chains and the production of local food products in less-developed countries to end hunger and ensure food and nutrition security while generating income and employment adhering to principles of sustainable industrial development. It provides a range of technical assistance services that allow food enterprises – including in the informal sector and especially SMEs – to extend their production, improve their products, comply with quality and other standards, become more competitive and deliver adequate and nutritious food to local populations and for export. Where opportune, it also promotes the development of food safety compliance infrastructure and building related food safety systems capacities.

PROJECT CONTEXT

More than ever food security, food supply shortages, related distribution challenges and required transformation of food systems towards enhanced resilience and sustainability are on the spotlight of the global development agenda. Due to the global poly-crisis that the world is facing – the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of climate change, conflicts and economic downturn – the prospect for food security is gloomy.

With the underlying principle of the interdependence of food security and food safety, and in response to the challenge, the EU has identified ‘enhancing and preserving natural resources for sustainable growth’ and ‘promoting decent jobs and economic growth’ as priority area #1 and #2, respectively, in its multi-annual indicative programme for Liberia for the period 2021 – 2027.

Against the above, this food safety project has been designed within the framework of the progamme ‘From productivity to product, linking peers to peers (P2P)’, which aims at boosting safe and sustainable food systems growth for enhanced food and nutrition security, a programme that was signed between the EU and the GoL in June 2023 within the EU-Liberia Development Partnership for 2021-2027.

In line with the priorities as reflected in relevant national primary legislation, this project aims at boosting trade in and safe consumption of locally produced food by enhancing food safety practices and compliance along selected value chains (i.e. rice, fish, cassava, cocoa & coffee). It comprises a holistic range of food safety related interventions at macro, meso and micro level with a strong demand-driven approach.

Below outcomes and outputs were reconfirmed in intensive national stakeholder consultations that included representatives of relevant line Ministries, Consumer and Producer Associations, staff from the Liberian Standards Authority and its National Standards Lab, relevant UN Agencies, other complementary ongoing UNIDO projects and the EU.

Outcome 1 (MACRO level) – Enhanced efficiency of the national food control system based on an upgrade of the country’s regulatory framework and its food standard-setting functions, including through reinforcement with a voluntary national third-party food safety assurance programme.

Output 1.1 – Recommendations towards enhanced food safety regulatory oversight submitted for the selected value chains in the form of an actionable upgrading roadmap to all concerned Ministries, Authorities and Committees for endorsement and implementation.

Output 1.2 – Strengthened regulatory framework and operations, in particular in regard to food risk-based inspection services being rendered in the country, and enhanced food standard-setting functions as relevant for the selected value chains.

Outcome 2 (MESO level) – In line with the requirements of a voluntary national third-party food safety assurance scheme, the enabling institutional environment of Liberia`s food system is conducive to boost the competitiveness of primary producers and processors and to enhance overall consumer protection along the selected value and supply chains.

Output 2.1. – Based on relevant CODEX standards (e.g. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Principles), a basic, modular and voluntary national third-party food safety assurance scheme is developed, along with customised add-ons for the selected value chains and local ownership secured.