Soil Information and Data Specialist

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: 2500958 Soil Information and Data Specialist 

Job Posting

: 03/Apr/2025

Closure Date

: 18/Apr/2025, 9:59:00 PMOrganizational Unit: NSL - Land and Water

Job Type

: Non-staff opportunitiesType of Requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location

: Home-BasedDuration: 11 MonthsPost Number: N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

 

• 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

FAO's Land and Water Division (NSL) foresees a future whereby governments, development partners, civil society, academic institutions as well as the private sector and farmers, all work together to ensure that land, soil and water resources are wisely used, conserved and restored for sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that support food security, nutrition and human wellbeing. NSL provides policy guidance, technical and financial assistance to Member Nations in developing policies, programmes, best practices and management tools for ensuring productive and efficient use of land, soil and water resources to meet present and future demands for agricultural products, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of these resources. It promotes equitable access to and sustainable management of these natural resources with a view to enhancing productivity, livelihoods, equity, health and ecosystem services.
Under the new FAO Conceptual Framework for Integrated Land and Water Resources Management, NSL will work towards a core set of five outcomes that have been elaborated to cut across the thematic areas of land, water, soils and geospatial areas of work of the Division: (1) Good governance; (2) Wise use and restoration; (3) Mitigation and resilience; (4) Integrated solutions; (5) Data, digitalization, technology and innovation.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Director of the Land and Water Division, the specialist will report and work under the day-to-day supervision of the Soil Information and Data Team Lead.

Technical Focus 

The role focuses on supporting the implementation of the relevant activities within Soil Information and Data Area of Work of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP-SID) and SoilFER-VACS Project.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Assist in the development of relevant tools and soil information systems within the GloSIS and SoilFER-VACS frameworks.
•    Support the ongoing work on the development of the National and Regional Soil Information Systems, as well as the Global Soil Information System (GloSIS) and its components (Discovery Hub and Map Service).
•    Assist in the development of software bundles for the National Soil Information Systems within GloSIS and SoilFER-VACS Framework.
•    Contribute to the development of capacity-building activities within the GloSIS framework.
•    Work closely with relevant experts at the Soil Information and Data (SID) Team, FAO’s Digitalization and Informatics Division (CSI), and within FAO's Hand in Hand Initiative (HiH) to make existing soil data and information available via GloSIS services.
•    Harmonize existing soil data and metadata (Global, Regional, and National).
•    Support the Global Soil Partnership activities in integrating national soil information systems into the GloSIS Federation.
•    Optimize existing soil data and information for GloSIS web services.
•    Support the adaptation and refinement of the GLOSIS data model to ensure it meets GloSIS requirements.
•    Assist in organizing relevant events and training.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced university degree in Remote Sensing, GIS, Cartography, soil science, agronomy or related fields
•    5 years of relevant experience in managing, analyzing, and interpreting soil, environmental, or geospatial data, including hands-on work with soil information systems.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English 

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work 
•    Proven expertise in projects involving soil data collection, analysis, and system development.
•    Familiarity with soil data management protocols, including QA/QC processes

Selection Criteria

•    Limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian) is an asset.

 

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
• 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

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