Animal Health Data Mining & Early Warning Expert

job Description

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Animal Health Data Mining & Early Warning Expert

Job Posting: 22/Apr/2025
Closure Date: 06/May/2025, 11:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit: SFS - Subregional Office for Southern Africa
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: Consultant
Grade Level: N/A
Primary Location: Zimbabwe-Harare
Duration: 11 months
Post 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 Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SFS) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Africa (RAF). The office provides technical assistance and support to governments and country offices in the sub-region developing policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition while using their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines:
Under the general supervision of the FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa (SFS) and the technical guidance and supervision of the FAO SFS Livestock Development Officer, the Animal Health Data Mining and Early Warning Specialist will work closely with staff members implementing the Data Mining and Early Warning for Animal Health Threats project at global level. The Animal Health Data Mining and Early Warning Expert will be in charge of project activities in Southern Africa at sub-regional and country level. The project at country level will be implemented in close collaboration with FAO country offices and Departments of Veterinary Services. The sub-regional activities will be implemented in close collaboration with the Coordination Unit for Animal Production and Health (CUFAPH) and its Thematic Groups.

Technical Focus:
Strengthening national capacities with gathering, mining and analysing data and generating information which assist in early detection of and rapid response to animal health threats is the main goal of the project. Hence, the incumbent is expected to enhance the capacity of national veterinary services in the use of innovative tools, and in developing policies to ensure effective and sustainable early warning systems. This will be achieved through trainings, workshops and linking field personnel with global project personnel for streamlining the use of innovative tools for data capturing, transmission, analysis and use. As a member of CUFAPH, the Animal Health Data Mining and Early Warning Expert will participate in activities of the Technical Coordination Unit related to disease surveillance, control, early warning and related matters.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate in global and regional discussions of the project to align activities and goals across all levels of the project – global, regional and national.
• Support the national project coordinator of Mozambique, a project pilot country under coordination of the sub-regional office.
• Liaise with regional authorities and stakeholders for the implementation of project activities to improve regional capacity for early warning (EW) of animal health threats.
• Coordinate all regional activities of the project, which include (but are not limited to): Organization of a workshop to engage stakeholders and discuss opportunities for collaboration, integration and interoperability of animal health systems
• Coordinate regional trainings in subjects of relevant for EW, including reporting of suspicions of animal diseases, use of electronic tools for reporting, and epidemiological intelligence
• Any other activities deemed relevant and valuable to the region, as framed within the FAO strategic framework for EW of Animal Health Threats.
• Participate in CUFAPH activities related to Disease control, Emergency and Resilience, as well as provide technical support to other CUFAPH thematic areas i.e. Virtual Learning Centre, Laboratory Group, etc.
• Develop capacities of SADC countries to collect and analyze disease data, generate and disseminate information for early warning, planning and decision making,

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements
•Advanced University degree in Veterinary medicine, Veterinary science, or animal health related fields.
•At least 10 years practical and active experience of working in disease surveillance and control
•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
•Extent and relevance of experience in animal health information management
•Extent and relevance of experience in early warning systems
•Familiarity with Event Mobile Application (EMAi),
•Work experience with international organizations is an advantage
•Computer literacy and knowledge of common animal health information management systems is a must

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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