FAO is Hiring: Explore 9 Impactful Home-Based Roles in Global Food Security and Agriculture.Discover a curated list of home-based jobs at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. We are advertising a range of remote international development careers for professionals in policy, nutrition, fisheries, climate resilience, and more. These full-time and part-time remote roles offer the unique opportunity to contribute to FAO’s mission of achieving food security for all from the comfort of your home office. If you are an expert in agricultural development, food security, or natural resource management, explore these high-impact, home-based opportunities with a leading UN agency.
Background & Organization Description
This article profiles current home-based career opportunities with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Our platform is an independent job board and is not affiliated with the FAO or the United Nations. This information is compiled from public vacancy announcements to inform our audience of potential career paths; all applications must be submitted through the official FAO employment website.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide, providing critical support in areas including sustainable agricultural practices, fisheries, forestry, climate change adaptation, nutrition, and food system resilience.
FAO’s work is more critical than ever in the face of global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic shocks. The organization develops and promotes policies and investment frameworks that support sustainable agriculture, improves the efficiency of food production and distribution, and protects the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and fishers. In recent years, FAO, like many global institutions, has expanded its use of home-based and remote work arrangements. This allows them to tap into a global talent pool of specialists, consultants, and professionals who can deliver high-impact work without the need for relocation. The roles listed below represent a snapshot of the diverse, home-based opportunities currently available to contribute to this vital mission.
FAO is Hiring: Explore 9 Impactful Home-Based Roles in Global Food Security and Agriculture
Overview of Home-Based Roles
The following positions represent a sample of the home-based opportunities frequently advertised by FAO. They span various technical areas, contract types (typically PSA – Personal Service Agreements, or Consultancies), and experience levels.
1. Home-Based Policy Specialist (Food Systems)
- Focus Area: Analyzing national and regional food systems policies, identifying gaps, and developing evidence-based recommendations for transformation towards sustainability and equity.
- Typical Tasks: Conducting policy reviews, stakeholder mapping, drafting policy briefs, and facilitating virtual multi-stakeholder consultations.
- Ideal Candidate: An individual with a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Public Policy, or a related field, and 7+ years of experience in policy analysis.
2. Home-Based Nutrition and Food Safety Officer
- Focus Area: Providing technical expertise on improving dietary diversity, food fortification, and food safety standards across value chains.
- Typical Tasks: Developing nutrition-sensitive agriculture guidelines, creating food safety training materials for virtual delivery, and analyzing food consumption data.
- Ideal Candidate: A professional with an advanced degree in Nutrition, Food Science, or Public Health and experience working in developing contexts.
3. Home-Based GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist
- Focus Area: Using geospatial technology to monitor agricultural land use, predict crop yields, assess drought impact, and map natural resources.
- Typical Tasks: Analyzing satellite imagery, creating spatial databases, developing web maps, and producing reports on land cover change.
- Ideal Candidate: An expert with a degree in Geomatics, Geography, or Environmental Science and proven skills in GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) and remote sensing analysis.
4. Home-Based Climate Resilience Advisor
- Focus Area: Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation practices into agricultural and fishery development projects.
- Typical Tasks: Conducting climate vulnerability assessments, designing climate-smart agriculture interventions, and contributing to project proposals for climate finance.
- Ideal Candidate: A specialist with a background in Environmental Science, Climatology, or Agroecology and experience with climate risk management.
5. Home-Based Project Formulation Consultant
- Focus Area: Supporting country offices in the design and development of full-scale project documents for submission to donors like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF).
- Typical Tasks: Writing project concepts and proposals, developing logical frameworks, preparing budgets, and ensuring alignment with donor requirements.
- Ideal Candidate: A detail-oriented professional with exceptional writing skills and a strong understanding of results-based management and donor reporting.
6. Home-Based Forestry Officer
- Focus Area: Providing technical advice on sustainable forest management, forest restoration, and community-based forestry initiatives.
- Typical Tasks: Developing forestry guidelines, reviewing national forest policies, and supporting the implementation of initiatives like REDD+.
- Ideal Candidate: A forestry expert with field experience and knowledge of international forestry conventions and sustainable wood value chains.
7. Home-Based Animal Production and Health Specialist
- Focus Area: Advising on livestock management, animal disease prevention, and sustainable animal production systems.
- Typical Tasks: Developing animal health protocols, creating training materials on feed formulation, and analyzing livestock sector value chains.
- Ideal Candidate: A veterinarian or animal scientist with extensive experience in livestock development.
8. Home-Based Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officer
- Focus Area: Identifying and engaging with potential partners (governments, private sector, NGOs) and developing strategies to secure funding for FAO’s programs.
- Typical Tasks: Donor mapping, preparing funding proposals, and maintaining partner relationship management databases.
- Ideal Candidate: A strategic thinker with excellent communication skills and experience in international development fundraising.
9. Home-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist
- Focus Area: Designing and implementing M&E frameworks for FAO projects, tracking progress, and measuring impact.
- Typical Tasks: Developing M&E plans, designing data collection tools, analyzing project performance data, and writing evaluation reports.
- Ideal Candidate: An M&E professional proficient in both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods and results-based management principles.
Qualifications
Education and Certification
- For most specialist and officer-level roles, an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a field relevant to the specific position (e.g., Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Economics, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Nutrition) is typically required.
- For more junior consultancy roles (e.g., PSA level 1-3), a first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field, combined with additional years of experience, may be sufficient.
- Specific technical certifications (e.g., Project Management – PRINCE2, M&E certifications, specific software credentials) are highly desirable and should be highlighted in applications.
Experience
Required Experience:
- The required number of years of professional experience varies by the grade level of the position but generally ranges from 1 to 12 years.
- Proven experience in the specific technical area of the job (e.g., for a forestry role, direct experience in forest management or policy).
- Experience working in an international context, particularly in developing countries, is highly valued.
- For home-based roles, a demonstrated ability to work autonomously, manage time effectively, and deliver high-quality outputs with minimal supervision is essential.
Desired Experience:
- Prior experience with the United Nations system, FAO, or other international organizations is a significant advantage.
- Experience in project cycle management, from formulation to evaluation.
- A strong publication or report-writing record that demonstrates expertise.
- Experience with virtual collaboration tools and remote teamwork.
Additional Information
Language Requirements:
- Proficiency in English is mandatory for most roles, as it is the primary working language of FAO.
- Proficiency in another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is a highly sought-after asset and can significantly strengthen an application, depending on the region of focus.
Contract & Compensation Details:
- Contract Type: Most home-based positions are hired under a Personal Service Agreement (PSA) or Consultancy contract. These are typically short-term assignments but may be renewable.
- Work Location: These are 100% home-based roles. The applicant can typically work from their country of residence.
- Compensation: Remuneration is determined by the specific grade level of the PSA contract (e.g., PSA Level 1 through 5) and is based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience, as well as the level of responsibility of the role.
Equal Opportunity Statement:
FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture. Qualified female applicants and individuals from non- and under-represented member nations are strongly encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status as a UN agency, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination.
How to Apply:
All applications for these and other FAO vacancies must be submitted through the official FAO employment website: FAO Employment. Our platform only advertises these opportunities; we do not handle applications.
Scam Alert:
FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process. You should never provide personal or banking details, or send any money, in connection with an application.
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