Programme Officer, Food Security and Nutrition at the Economic Community of West African States

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Programme Officer, Food Security and Nutrition

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Status: Permanent
Grade: P3 / P4
Directorate: Agriculture And Rural Development
Department: Agriculture, Environment And Natural Resources
Division: Agriculture
Line Supervisor: Principal Programme Officer Agriculture

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Principal Programme Officer Agriculture, the incumbent shall monitor and coordinate the actions of ECOWAS Commission in the sector of food crisis prevention, plant pest and diseases and support the national agricultural early warning systems.

Role and Responsibilities

• Ensure the development, monitoring and implementation of agricultural policies, regulations and regional food and nutrition security strategies
• Support the Governance of Food and Nutritional Security in the ECOWAS Area
• Coordinate Development and monitor and evaluate / capitalize for ECOWAS response plans in connection with regional and international institutions such as UEMOA, WFP, FAO, UNICEF, NGOs, etc.
• Formulation, development and drafting of regulations, guidelines, conventions, etc. in agriculture;
• Organize the participation of ECOWAS and States in international standards bodies: in particular the CODEX and the WTO-SPS committees, etc.
• Support domestication within the ECOWAS Commission and member states of international conventions, guidelines and regulations on agriculture;
• Implement regional mechanisms for the Prevention and Management of Food Crises
• Monitor and coordinate agricultural Early Warning Systems
• Contribute to the popularization of innovations in food and nutritional security, knowledge sharing and skills transfer
• Serve as Focal Point of the PREGEC system and Harmonize Framework ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS-PAM-FAO
• Formulate and propose regional projects and actions on food and nutritional security to mobilize international funds.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Agro-economics, Agronomy, Nutrition, Phytosanitary Issues, Rural Development or related field or any similar field from a recognized University
• At least 5 years of professional experience in the fields of agronomic and Nutrition sciences, Research & Development and phytosanitary issues,
• Broad Experience as a program manager, project manager and programs,
• Demonstrated experiences on issues related to the adaptation of agriculture to climate change, biotechnology and biosecurity issues, nutrition.
• Good knowledge of the issues and problems of agriculture food and nutrition in the ECOWAS area;
• Skills in drafting projects / programs, in defining agricultural policies, in strategic planning or in institutional and regulatory frameworks;

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

Ecowas Key Competencies:

• Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices;
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instill a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval;
• Ability to utilize the Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information and resources;
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors, colleagues and the subordinates to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to timeline, quality and quantity;
• Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions;
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their need, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs;
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established  client service standards;
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion;
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy;
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply judgement, tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals;
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities;
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make recommendations;
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance and performance targets;
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals;
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency using appropriate tools;
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means, ;
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner;
• Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop, implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work goals;
• Identify, organize and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution;
• Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others to set and meet deadlines;
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators and risks;
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Annual Salary
UA49,106.81, USD77480.72 / UA56,591.37, USD89,289.87

Application Closing Date
10th November, 2020.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below, fill it out correctly; attach a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter and send to: b16foodsecnut@ecowas.int using the Job Title as the subject of the email.

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word)

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