National Specialist – Epidemiologist Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations.  With presently 194 member states, and working in more than 130 countries worldwide, including Zambia where the Organization has operated since 1978. The main aim of the FAO country office, which is headed by the FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

The support is based on the guidelines as provided by the Country Programming Framework (CPF). The current Zambia CPF has four priority areas: (1) Improve production and productivity of crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry; (2) Sustainable management of the natural resource base and Increasing Resilience and Uptake of Climate Smart Agriculture; (3) Enhance food security and nutrition status; and (4) Improved market access and sanitary measures. The incumbent’s tasks will mainly contribute to the first priority area.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through its Emergence Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) is implementing a new project “Enhancing Animal Health and One Health capacities to mitigate zoonotic diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) risks and threats in Zambia”. This project is being supported by the USAID under the Global Health Security (GHS) programme. The project focuses on effectively supporting Zambia to build a sustainable animal health system and One Health capacities to mitigate risks and threats caused by emerging and re-emerging zoonosis, endemic zoonosis and AMR.

Minimum Requirements 

• A degree in the field of Veterinary Medicine. Master’s degree in the Veterinary Epidemiology desirable.
• Five years of relevant experience including data analysis, research and policy analysis and stakeholder engagements is cardinal.
• Working knowledge of the English language.
• Should be a Zambian National.