National Project Coordinator for Agriculture Value chain & Trade Development

job Description

National Project Coordinator for Agriculture Value chain & Trade Development
Job Posting: 31/Jul/2025
Closure Date: 14/Aug/2025, 11:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit: FRZIM - FAO Representation in Zimbabwe
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)
Grade Level: N/A
Primary Location: Zimbabwe-Harare
Duration: 12 months, renewable
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;
The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes, and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. For the period 2022-2026, the FAO Office in Zimbabwe is supporting Government efforts through the Country Programme Framework (CPF) which is based on three pillars: (i) Promotion of inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems to address food security and nutrition. (ii) Building resilience to climate change, agricultural threats, and crisis; (iii) Sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protection.

The Zim-Moza Agricultural Trade and Value Chain Development Project aims to strengthen agricultural trade between Zimbabwe and Mozambique by identifying and supporting key value chains with high cross-border trade potential. In Zimbabwe, activities focus on improving value chain efficiency, enhancing market access for smallholder farmers, and aligning trade-related policies and standards. The project supports institutional coordination and stakeholder engagement while fostering regional integration through practical trade facilitation measures.

Reporting Lines;
The National Project Coordinator will work under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator, the direct supervision and guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and in close coordination with the International Project Coordinator who oversees activities in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Technical Focus
The National Project Coordinator will play a crucial role in defining and aligning public and private investment capacities to enhance trade and investment opportunities. This position involves providing strategic leadership and technical and operational support to key stakeholders in agribusiness and market development, spanning both the public and private sectors. The coordinator will convert identified market opportunities into actionable strategies for the private sector while ensuring that policy frameworks foster sustainable market growth.

Duties and Responsibilities

The National Project Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the successful implementation of project activities in line with the proposed budget to reach defined objectives. S/he will also provide overall guidance, technical support and coordination of the project, including the following:
1.Plan, organize and ensure the general coherence of the projects’ activities implemented under the project components.
2.Serve as the main contact point between project partners, the Budget Holder and Lead Technical Officer from FAO SFS.
3.Provide technical support and strengthen capacities of government partners involved and ensure that the latest and best international practices and approaches are incorporated in the planning and implementation of project activities.
4.Ensure that the project’s monitoring system is set-up and operational.
5.Ensure timely reporting

In particular, the incumbent will lead and coordinate the following:
1.Project Coordination:
• Coordinate all project activities, ensuring alignment with project goals and timelines.
• Facilitate communication and cooperation between stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector entities, and international partners.
• Manage up to four agribusiness technicians.
2. Trade Policy Support.
•Support Government in improving the policy environment for trade enhancement through diagnostics and policy framework analysis.
•Provide technical assistance in the operationalization of trade agreements and measures to address tariff or non-tariff related barriers, including phytosanitary trade protocols.
•Enhance multi-sectoral policy dialogue between Mozambique, Zimbabwe and other relevant markets to align policy and legal frameworks.
3.Trade and Investment Facilitation.
•Provide trade support to the private sector, and especially micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) to cope with trade regulations and compliance requirements.
•Promote agricultural trade export facilitation through (national, regional and international) business matchmaking, market days, and high-level investment forums.
•Ensure that the value chain actors, including farmers, are capable of meeting quality requirements for high demanding off-taker markets.
4.Value Chain Development.
• Support the dentification and prioritization of relevant agricultural value chains for trade facilitation in agreement with stakeholders.
• Conduct diagnostics of critical enabling infrastructure and policies for trade promotion.
• Map the barriers, opportunities and develop dedicated investment proposals to attract private investors and align public private partnerships and their investment capacities.
5.International Dialogue.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, including analytical work and practical tools, related to trade and investment facilitation.
6.Lead public-private workshops and designs strategies to strengthen the enabling environment for scaling up investments along the value chain.

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements
•Advanced Degree in Business Management, Agribusiness, Agriculture Economics or related field.
•7 years of relevant experience in project management.
•Working knowledge (level C) of English,
•National of Zimbabwe

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

Technical/Functional Skills:
•Relevant experience in project management
•Relevance and extent of experience on agriculture value chain development and analysis.
•Relevant experience in sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for trade.
•Proven experience in project management
•Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
•Relevance and extent of experience in working with government institutions, inter-governmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing bilateral and multi-stakeholder meetings and workshops.

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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