Innovation and Digital Agriculture Specialist, Apia, Samoa

## Innovation and Digital Agriculture Specialist, Apia, Samoa - Organization:FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Office:FAO Apia, Samoa CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT:2602007 Innovation and Digital Agriculture Specialist Job Posting: 24/Sep/2026 Closure Date: 08/Oct/2026, 9:59:00 PM Organizational Unit : SAP - Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands Job Type: Non-staff opportunities Type of Requisition : Consultant Primary Location: Samoa-Apia Duration : 11 months (up to 230 working days), with possibility of extension - 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 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) advances the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. This effort promotes better production, improved nutrition, a healthier environment, and enhanced livelihoods, ensuring no one is left behind. The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate FAO's work in 13 member countries in the Pacific subregion - Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Naoero, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu; and one Associate Member, Tokelau. SAP is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions and entities. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO'sRegional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok, Thailand. Under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator and the direct supervision of the Innovation and Digital Agriculture Officer at the FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP), and in close coordination with colleagues in the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), government counterparts in Pacific Island countries, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), and FAO headquarters (HQ). Strengthen digital agriculture systems, data infrastructure, and digital public goods in Pacific Island countries. Support subregional and national digital agriculture readiness assessments, e-agriculture strategy implementation, digital farmer registry deployment, capacity-building, and technical advisory services across a portfolio of regional and national projects. Tasks and responsibilities Digital Agriculture and Innovation - Support the design and implementation of national and subregional digital agriculture readiness assessments and investment roadmaps across Pacific Island countries. - Support the implementation of national e-agriculture strategies, including the identification and adaptation of emerging, human-centered digital tools and innovations relevant to smallholder agriculture in Pacific SIDS. - Support the deployment, configuration, and continued development of Digital Farmer Registries (DFR) and related digital public infrastructure. - Apply a product-management approach to digital public goods and digital solutions. - Establish and support mechanisms to elicit user feedback (from farmers, extension staff, and government counterparts) to inform continuous improvement of digital products and services. - Support the assessment of the maturity of certified and candidate digital public goods (DPG) and the readiness of national governments, and help identify appropriate adoption and scaling pathways for Pacific Island contexts. - Deliver training and capacity-building workshops for government extension staff and counterparts on digital agriculture tools and platforms. - Provide technical guidance on interoperability, data governance, and the responsible use of agricultural data. - Support the identification and adaptation of digital solutions for market linkages, climate resilience and agricultural finance, including tools for climate information services, digital advisory, and access to financial services for smallholders. - Support the preparation of technical briefs, policy notes, and recommendations to inform national and subregional digital agriculture strategies and investment priorities. - Contribute to discussions on the responsible, ethical, and human-centered application of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in agriculture. - Plan project activities, procurement and staffing over the project timeframe. - Facilitate and support all aspects of project implementation. - Ensure the preparation, monitoring and updating of workplans. - Contribute to the preparation of Terms of Reference and Letters of Agreement for project affiliate personnel and service providers. - Liaise, and maintain positive working relations with stakeholders. - Support the establishment of a Project Task Force (PTF) and liaise with, provide reports to and receive guidance from the PTF. - Support the identification and mitigation of potential risks, and report and escalate issues when necessary. - Monitor the progress and quality of deliverables from contracted experts. - Identify resource mobilization opportunities and draft concept notes, project proposals, and funding applications. - Complete other digital agriculture-relevant tasks as assigned. CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING - Advanced University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Smart Agriculture, Agriculture Engineering, or a related field. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience. - At least 3 years of relevant experience in digital agriculture, agricultural information systems, ICT for development including demonstrated experience in the planning, implementation and support of technical projects. - Working knowledge (Level C) of English. FAO Core Competencies - Building Effective Relationships - Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement Technical/Functional Skills - Familiarity with digital public infrastructure for agriculture, including the Digital Farmer Registries (DFR). - Familiarity with product-management principles for digital solutions. - Understanding of the maturity of digital public goods and of the factors affecting government readiness to adopt and sustain them. - Familiarity with human-centered design of digital products and services for rural and agricultural users. - Working knowledge of agricultural data standards, data interoperability and data governance, including the responsible use of agricultural data. - Ability to support the design and delivery of training and capacity-building activities for government counterparts and extension staff. - Able to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural project partners at regional and international level. - Good communication and interpersonal abilities, with some experience liaising between diverse project stakeholders. - Effective writin