The Local Digital Agriculture Specialist reports to the Local Team Leader and will work in close collaboration with the Digital Agriculture Team Leader and International Digital Agriculture Specialist.

Technical Focus

Familiarity with digital agriculture, digitalization policies and strategies, agriculture and rural development, information and communication technologies applied to food system transformation, digital services, e-government, technical assistance, and project implementation.

Tasks and responsibilities

In accordance with FAO’s corporate communications policies and practices, the Local Digital Agriculture Specialist will perform the following duties:

•    Support the coordination of all local stakeholders to ensure that the Programme for the Digitalization of Kosovo’s Agriculture and Rural Areas will result in a comprehensive, actionable, smallholder-centric and gender-responsive programme;
•    Support the effective communication with all stakeholders (public bodies, research and academia, NGOs, women’s organizations, farmers’ organizations, farmers, etc.), ensuring that their needs and requirements are well reflected in the Programme for the Digitalization of Kosovo’s Agriculture and coherently integrated within the broader landscape of Kosovo’s policies, as well as EU pre-accession;
•    Facilitate the creation of a working group or similar suitable structure for Programme development;
•    Support the organisation of and facilitate a series of workshops and technical meetings to co-design the Programme together with stakeholders;
•    Contribute to drafting of the Programme for the Digitalization of Kosovo’s Agriculture and Rural Areas by supporting FAO international consultant(s) in working closely with relevant stakeholders;
•    Ensure that the Programme adheres to gender-equality, human-rights, and EU pre-accession standards throughout the elaboration of the Programme for the Digitalization of Kosovo’s Agriculture and Rural Areas;
•    Support the effective communication with the programme partners (UNDP, UNICEF) to ensure the effective integration and coherence between agreed programme components;
•    Revise the situational analysis of Kosovo’s digital agriculture as new insights and perspectives emerge;
•    Provide support and undertake additional tasks, as may arise within the scope of the project, to ensure successful completion of the expected outcomes.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    A university degree in the fields of public policy, development studies, international relations, agriculture, economics, computer science and engineering, environmental sciences, communications, or related studies
•    At least 5 years of work experience in strategy development, digital agriculture, stakeholder engagement and policy integration, or related fields,
•    Excellent command of local language(s) and working knowledge of English language (C)
•    National of the country with residency or valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria 

•    Proven track record in developing strategic plans or documents, preferably in the context of digital transformation
within agriculture or rural development;
•    Solid understanding of current trends and innovations in digital agriculture, including familiarity with different aspects
of digital agriculture landscape in Kosovo;
•    Understanding of relevant policies, regulations, and standards related to digitalization and agriculture;
•    Ability to effectively communicate with and engage multi-stakeholders;
•    Strong analytical skills to assess data, identify key insights, and integrate findings into strategic recommendations;
•    Excellent writing skills to produce clear and comprehensive documents and reports.