Fishing Technology And Operations Specialist

Fao; Lazio; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

FAO in Rome, Italy seeks a Fishing Technology and Operations Specialist to support NFIFP in implementing international guidelines on fishing operations, vessel design, gear technology and safety at sea. The role involves coordinating with FAO divisions, partners and field teams to deliver training, guidance materials and policy analyses.

The incumbent will participate in project formulation, data management and capacity building, contributing to disaster resilience and sustainable fisheries

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in fisheries, biology, or related field.
• Experience in fishing operations and vessel design.
• English proficiency at an advanced level; other languages welcome.

Responsibilities

• Support project formulation and implementation.
• Coordinate activities and donor compliance.
• Develop studies, guidelines, and capacity-building materials.
• Assist in training and data collection/analysis.
• Represent FAO in internal/external meetings.

Skills

Law of the Sea

Fishing gear technology

Gear marking

Waste management

Fisheries infrastructure

Fisheries safety OSH

Remote sensing GIS AI

Fisheries data analysis

Education

Advanced degree (Fisheries)

Bachelor’s degree + experience

Tools

GIS

Remote sensing

AI tools

Job description

The COF.REG/PSA.SBS will work under the overall supervision of a Senior Fishery Officer of NFIFP and the direct supervision of a technical officer of NFIFP.

NFIFP 's work is related to the implementation of Chapter 8 (Fishing Operations) of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, including: fishing operations and fishing vessel design and technology; fishing gear technology and selectivity; environmental impacts of fishing; pollution reduction in fisheries, infrastructure development, including harbours and landing sites for fishing vessels; fishing fleet economic performance; fisheries micro‑finance and credit, fisheries insurance; fisheries investments; small-scale fishing technology; emergency response; safety at sea; and programmes/projects formulation and implementation.

Technical Focus

NFIFP's work includes the implementation of the RegLitter, PRO-SEAS, REBYC III and other projects. The team is currently seeking consultants to assist in the implementation of a range of fishing operations related activities at national and regional level with the following technical expertise:

• Law of the Sea. Experts on fishing regulations and/or environmental law with a particular focus on prevention and reduction of pollution from ships.
• Fishing gear technology to support fishing gear modifications (incl. fish aggregating devices - FADs) experts.
• Gear marking experts with experience in prevention and reduction of gear loss and ghost fishing.
• Waste management experts with a particular focus on plastic litter produced by the fishing sector, including abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gears (ALDFG) and plastics recycling.
• Fisheries infrastructure engineers and architects.
• Naval architects and boat builders with experience in fishing vessel design and construction.
• Fishing safety, including occupational safety and health (OSH) in fisheries, with demonstrated experience in training development and implementation.
• Remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools specialists.
• Fisheries economists with experience in financial and economic analyses of fishing operations, or fisheries credit and insurance programme development.
• Fisheries emergencies, disaster risk management and climate resilience specialists, including expertise in emergency preparedness and response, recovery and rehabilitation, early warning and anticipatory action, and post-disaster damage and needs assessments for fisheries.
• Data analysts with experience in fisheries management related data.

Tasks and responsibilities

The tasks and responsibilities of each selected COF.REG or PSA.SBS will be defined in the Terms of Reference for the specific assignment. In general, depending on the specific assignment, designated tasks and responsibilities will normally include a number of the following elements:

Consultants (COF.REG) and Subscribers (PSAs)

• Support project formulation and implementation in accordance with FAO’s Strategic Framework and the FAO project cycle.
• Carry out coordination, implementation and administration of assigned activities in accordance with FAO rules, procedures and systems, and donor requirements.
• Support implementation of the above-mentioned projects (RegLitter, PRO-SEAS and REBYC III) and other projects.
• Assist in the development of studies, publications and analyses, knowledge products and dissemination materials related to NFIFP’s areas of work, including guidelines, manuals, research papers, capacity building and training materials, and related websites.
• Support the development and delivery of training programmes, training materials and capacity‑building activities related to fishing safety, and occupational safety and health (OSH) in fisheries, taking into account relevant international instruments, standards and good practices.
• Collect, manage and analyze data to be used to inform and guide the teams’ technical and policy work.
• Perform outreach and communication-related activities.
• Any other duties related to NFIFP’s areas of work.
• Carry out organization of and participate in external events (including field missions) in support of the delivery of NFIFP’s programme of work, including consultation, training, capacity building and technical assistance.
• Collaborate with other FAO divisions, UN agencies (e.g. IMO, ILO, UN Environment Programme, World Bank), intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and other external partners in the areas of NFIFPs programme of work, as well as areas of mutually beneficial interest to FAO Member countries.
• Contribute to NFIFP’s work related to resource mobilization, monitoring of regular programme expenses and organization of international meetings.
• Assist beneficiary countries in undertaking the necessary policy and legislative revisions for the adoption and effective implementation of the provisions of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear, FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and complementary international instruments.
• Develop, and deliver training, training‑of‑trainers and capacity‑building activities fishing safety and occupational safety and health (OSH), including the preparation of curricula, training packages, guidance materials, practical exercises and other learning resources, as appropriate.
• Represent NFIFP at internal and external meetings, particularly those related to the development and implementation of NFIFP’s activities.
• Prepare and organize consultations, workshops and technical meetings.
• Collaborate with relevant institutions, networks and platforms that could help FAO leverage its messages and advance global dialogue on various issues related to NFIFP’s programme of work, helping the Organization specifically to implement its Programme Priority Area (PPA) on Blue Transformation, as well as FAO’s PPAs on Bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture, Scaling up Investment and Resilient agri‑food systems.

FAO Standards and guidelines

Liaison with the OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, appropriate review and clearance processes.

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:

• FAO Strategic Framework -31:
• FAO social media policy and guidelines:
• Social Media Branding Guidelines:
• FAOSTYLE:
• FAO terminology:
• FAO Names Of Countries
• Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

• University degree for:
  • COF.REG: Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in in Fisheries / Biology/ Veterinary/ Environmental Studies, Marine engineering, Architecture, Development Studies, Economics, Occupational Health and Safety, Political Sciences, Law, Business Administration, International Relations, or any other discipline relevant to the work of the Organization. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
  • PSAs: University degree in the above areas. A technical diploma plus demonstrated and relevant professional experience of at least 5 years can be accepted in lieu of a university degree.
• Relevant experience in one or more areas in the field of fishing operations and vessel design and technology; fishing technology, gear selectivity and environmental impacts of fishing; pollution reduction in fisheries, waste management, data and information management, fisheries infrastructure development, including harbours and landing sites for fishing vessels; fishing fleet economic performance; fisheries micro‑finance and credit, fisheries insurance; fisheries investments; sustainable business model development, small‑scale fishing technology; emergency response; safety at sea; and programmes/ projects formulation and implementation.
• Years of relevant experience:
  • For COF.REG level C: two to four years of relevant experience.
  • For PSAs level C: one to four years of relevant experience.
  • For COF.REG/PSAs level B: at least five years of relevant experience.
  • For COF.REG/PSAs level A: at least 10 years of relevant experience.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other languages of the Organization (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian). For PSA it can be required only one language level C.

FAO Core Competencies

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or above mentioned areas of work, particularly in developing countries is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of field experience in a technical area of assignment.
• Extent and relevance of experience in providing technical advice at local, national, regional and global levels.
• Extent and relevance of knowledge in the implementation of international instruments, standards and guidelines, related to above fields of expertise. Particularly knowledge of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and related guidelines is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in project/programme formulation and implementation of projects, programmes and studies in the pertinent field of expertise.
• Extent and relevance of knowledge and understanding of the work of international organizations, regional entities and national governments.
• Extent of experience with working in a team of professional staff from diverse technical and cultural backgrounds and expertise.
• Extent of experience in monitoring, knowledge management and information dissemination.
• Extent of experience with capacity development and knowledge sharing activities.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at
• For more information, visit the FAO employment website
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

Fishing Technology and Operations Specialist Italy-Rome