Land Resources Management Specialist

Organizational Setting 

The key mission of the FAO Representation in Somalia, which is led by FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist and support the national government to develop policies, strategies and programme aimed at accelerating the Implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in FAO’s global mandate and Strategic Objectives. More specifically, FAO’s response aims to address national needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, and ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources and respond to recurrent emergencies. The current portfolio of activities of the FAO Representation in Somalia includes a wide scope of technical support interventions ranging from policy support through livestock and crop production, to natural resource management, Nutrition, value chain, food security analysis and water and land information management. FAO is also implementing several emergency, resilience-building, and development interventions, with the support of its five field offices and close to 400 staff in partnership with the Federal and State line ministries.

This position’s grade level is SC-8

Reporting Lines 

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Somalia, and the direct supervision of the supervision of the SWALIM Technical Advisor.

Technical Focus 

The incumbent will support implementation of activities under various projects falling under the Land Unit of SWALIM project. Specifically, the Land Resources Management (LRM) Specialist, in consultation with Land Resources Specialist.

Tasks and responsibilities 

•    Lead the development and implementation of strategies to manage land resources sustainably, focusing on soil conservation, agroforestry, nature-based solution and land rehabilitation in degraded areas.
•    Provide technical guidance to ensure sustainable land-use planning and land management in Somalia’s arid and semi-arid regions, contributing to enhanced land productivity and environmental resilience.
•    Assist in watershed management projects, including data collection and analysis on water resources, erosion control, and soil moisture conservation.
•    Guide erosion prevention efforts in critical watersheds and degraded landscapes to restore land productivity.
•    Support organizing and delivery of capacity-building workshops for government staff, local communities, and stakeholders on sustainable land management and water resource conservation.
•    Develop training manuals and practical guides for land and water management practices, ensuring the effective transfer of knowledge to local technicians and decision-makers, and Information management centers for Water and Land Resources management (IMCs).
•    Lead field assessments to monitor land degradation, water resources, and other environmental factors, providing regular reports on land resource conditions and trends.
•    Utilize GIS and remote sensing tools to support land cover mapping, vegetation health monitoring (e.g., NDVI analysis), and reporting on land resource status.
•    Contribute to SWALIM and FAO’s climate change adaptation initiatives by integrating land and water management practices that increase resilience to drought and other climate-related challenges.
•    Provide technical support to SWALIM and FAO Somalia’s land and water resource management programs, ensuring the integration of land resource data in decision-making processes.
•    Collaborate with local government agencies, NGOs, and international partners on land resource conservation and management initiatives.
•    Prepare technical briefs, manuals, case studies and best practices.
•    Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING 
 
 
Minimum Requirements  

•    Master’s degree in environmental science, Land Resource Management, Water Resources, or a related field.
•    Minimum of Four years of work experience related to sustainable land and water management, with a background watershed management, land cover monitoring and land-use planning.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English.
•    National of Somalia.
FAO Core Competencies 

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills  

•    Ability to Supervise, manage and support to field activities of the project.
•    Proficiency in GIS and remote sensing applications for land and water resource management.
•    Ability to manage trainings and capacity building programme of the project.
•    Ability to prepare technical reports.
•    Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships/partnerships, both within and outside the organization.
•    Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
•    Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION