Senior Economist

Organizational Setting

FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
The Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) conducts economic research and policy analysis and provides evidence-based support to national, regional and global policy processes and initiatives related to monitoring and analysing food and agricultural policies, agribusiness and value chain development, rural transformation, food security and nutrition, information and analysis, resilience, bioeconomy and climate-smart agriculture. The Division also leads the production of two FAO flagship publications: The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) and the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI). It also leads the technical work on the Roadmap to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) without breaching the 1.5C threshold.

The post of Senior Economist is located in the Food Security and Nutrition and Resilience (FSN-R) Pillar of the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Senior Economist reports to the Director, ESA.

Technical Focus
This position will lead the division work related to food security and nutrition and resilience (FSN-R), with primary responsibility for overseeing the editorial process of the SOFI report and guiding the work on resilience. It will involve managing and contributing to technical analysis in support of the FSN-R pillar, ensuring the integration of evidence-based insights into the report and related outputs. The role will also foster collaboration with other UN agencies, research centres, and academic institutions to strengthen the analytical foundation of the work. In addition, the position will provide policy advice grounded in robust evidence to support national and international efforts to enhance FSN and resilience.

Key Results
Leadership and conceptual thinking for the development and implementation of comprehensive technical, statistical and/or analytical frameworks to support the programme of work and related products, projects and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
•     Manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams and provides technical leadership in high-level policy analysis missions or projects, policy networks and/or international policy setting bodies.
•     Leads the work carried out by Technical or Policy Officers in the Regional Office in collaboration with colleagues from Subregional Offices and headquarters in relation to policy and governance work under the FAO Strategic Framework.
•     Advocates strategic partnerships, best practices and policy dialogue in support of enhanced policies and governance for food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture and food systems.
•     Interacts with UN Regional and Country Teams to improve cross-sectoral policies and strategies concerning agriculture, food security, nutrition and sustainable development.
•     Engages with development partners, including international financial institutions, to advocate and strengthen the linkages between knowledge and policy work with investments in food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture and food systems.
•     Analyses regional and country-level issues to provide input into the identification of country and regional priorities and requirements.
•     Designs, implements and monitors regional and subregional policy work programmes supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
•     Plans, organizes and participates in capacity development activities involving the provision of technical advice and assistance, and oversees the development of related materials, on-line tools and information kits.
•     Represents the Organization at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences.

Specific Functions
•     Leads the preparation of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, as well as other analytical studies, technical reports, policy briefs, and knowledge products related to food security and nutrition, and resilience (FSN-R).
•     Oversees the development and application of innovative methodologies and analytical tools to assess food security and nutrition and resilience outcomes at individual, household and country levels.
•     Guides the integration of evidence-based analysis into FSN-R-related workstreams, ensuring consistency, rigor, and relevance to policy priorities.
•     Provides technical leadership and mentoring to staff, supporting the design and use of advanced economic techniques, including econometric modeling, impact evaluation, and quantitative policy analysis.
•     Collaborates with other UN agencies, UN Country Teams, development partners, and national governments to strengthen cross-sectoral policy approaches to agriculture, food security, nutrition, and sustainable development.
•     Builds and maintains partnerships with academic institutions, research centres, and think tanks to enhance the scientific and analytical foundation of FSN-R-related work.
•     Contributes to the formulation of policy advice and technical assistance based on rigorous evidence, supporting Member countries in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of FSN and resilience-related policies and programmes.

Minimum Requirements
•     Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, agricultural economics or a related field.
•   Ten years of relevant experience in using various economic analysis methods across a wide range of topics, including food security and nutrition.
•   Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies
•     Results Focus
•     Leading, Engaging and Empowering
•     Communication
•     Partnering and Advocating
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
•     Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills
•     Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
•     Extent and relevance of experience in drafting and coordinating high-level analytical and flagship reports in a multilateral or intergovernmental context.
•     Extent and relevance of experience in performing multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral economic analysis across various thematic areas.
•     Strong understanding of policy processes at global, regional, and national levels, particularly those related to food security and nutrition, sustainable development, resilience and agrifood systems.
•     Excellent capacity to assess the quality of scientific evidence and translate them into actionable recommendations for decision makers.
•     Extent and relevance of experience in policy analysis and the provision of policy advice on FSN and resilience, including at the individual, household, community, and agrifood systems levels.
•     Knowledge of resilience concepts, metrics, and measurement approaches as they relate to agrifood systems, livelihoods, and shocks.
•     Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, building consensus and fostering partnerships across sectors and institutions.