National AMR Specialist at Food and Agriculture Organization Of the United Nations

Reporting Lines

• Under the overall supervision of the Senior Animal Health Officer/ ECTAD Global Programme Coordinator (NSAH), the functional and administrative supervision of the FAO Representative in Nigeria, the direct supervision of the ECTAD Country Team Leader in Nigeria, and technical backstopping of the ECTAD regional team for West & Central Africa, the National AMR Specialist will undertake the following tasks.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Coordinate implementation of the AMR component of the GHS Programme 
• Facilitate implementation of the national action plan (NAP) on AMR to reduce the threat of AMR in the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors;
• Collaborate with relevant national authorities to support implementation of existing surveillance systems and capacity building of existing laboratories for the diagnosis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), based on identified gaps;
• Facilitate the operationalization of One Health coordination platforms such as the National and sub-national AMR Committees by supporting routine meetings and other technical matters of importance to AMR Coordination Committees (AMRCC);
• Support generation of evidence to support AMR National policies;
• Support implementation of good practices to reduce AMR;
• Support development of legal frameworks, guidelines, and manuals to support antimicrobial prudent use, farm biosecurity, and good animal source food processing practices that reduce AMR;
• Adapt existing advocacy tools to the country’s situation and support AMR awareness campaigns through the One Health approach;
• Support resource mobilization efforts on OH, food safety and Anti-Microbial Resistance/Antimicrobial Use;
• Support the implementation of the FAO AMR action plan (2021-2025) including FAO tools (FAO Progressive Management Pathway, FAO Assessment Tool for Laboratories and Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Systems) and flagship initiatives (FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) System and the Reduce the Need Initiative (RENOFARM).
• Engage and collaborate with relevant national authorities, institutions, organizations and stakeholders including the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and UNEP to promote Quadripartite collaboration in support of the implementation of the GAP on AMR;
• Produce periodic reports on project implementation status;
• Any other activity requested per the supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

• National of Nigeria
• Advanced University degree (Master’s or PhD) in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Sciences, Agriculture Sciences, or any other related field; preferably with specialization in microbiology or AMR
• Five (5) years of relevant experience in animal health project implementation, multisectoral coordination and research in Nigeria, with at least one year of AMR/AMU surveillance and awareness experience.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English 

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

• Demonstrated understanding of the purpose and functions of the technical programme, operational guidelines and project/programme management procedures, guiding the GHS programme
• Familiarity and proficiency in animal disease management and AMR activities.
• Experience with team or project management.
• Relevant experience with internationally funded projects.
• Experience with standard MS Office software, especially Word and Excel.
• Experience in organizing and facilitating stakeholder consultative meetings and preparation of reports/ proceedings
• Demonstrated skill in writing/ and editing of technical/scientific papers and manuscripts, Systematic reviews and technical reports 
• Good interpersonal skills 
• Relevant experience in all aspects of proposal development and project management 
• Relevant experience in the data collection and policy analysis relating to AMR & AMU in food & agriculture systems
• Experience in stakeholder engagements in One Health approach for combatting AMR is an asset.
• Knowledge and experience in a veterinary laboratory would be an asset.
• Relevant experience with UN agencies, especially FAO.