Senior Fishery Officer (Inland Fisheries)

Senior Fishery Officer (Inland Fisheries)

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Overview

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations. The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for all FAO activities related to the environmental, economic, social, institutional, governance and policy issues in fisheries and aquaculture. This includes the collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best‑available and up‑to‑date global, regional and national statistics on production, consumption, trade and livelihoods. The Division also manages the conservation of living aquatic resources, biodiversity, ecosystem maintenance, and the development of fisheries technology, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels. The Division conducts analysis and promotes post‑harvest utilisation, marketing and use of fisheries products in the context of FAO’s mandate to eliminate hunger and poverty, and it develops normative guidelines and conducts a varied and extensive field programme worldwide.

This post is located in the Equitable Fisheries Livelihoods Team in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy and will help guide and contribute to NFI’s strategies and implementation of work to achieve FAO’s ‘Four Betters’.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Fishery Officer (Inland Fisheries) reports to the Deputy Director (Sustainable Fisheries), NFI.

Technical Focus

The Senior Fishery Officer (Inland Fisheries) leads NFI’s work on inland fisheries, developing and managing the related programme of work and staff. Responsibilities include raising the profile of inland fisheries both within and outside FAO, working with other relevant teams in NFI and FAO, and with external partners. The role involves developing tools and approaches to meet the specific needs of inland fisheries, developing field programmes and projects to support Members and partners in sustainable management and development of inland fisheries for food, nutrition and livelihood security, and ensuring that fisheries are included in the multiple uses of inland waters.

Key Results

Leadership and technical policy expertise for the planning, development and implementation of Divisional programmes of work, projects, products and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Plans, manages or leads highly specialised or multidisciplinary teams; leads, coordinates and/or participates in organisation‑wide, cross‑divisional committees, project teams and working groups, and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard‑setting bodies.
• Analyses global and country‑specific requirements and relevant technical issues to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work and Budget, work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
• Implements and monitors programmes of work involving the development of the approach, evidence‑based strategies and related tools, methodologies and the supporting system/database, monitoring and reporting frameworks.
• Conducts, designs and oversees research and analysis activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, technical reports, publications and/or on‑going programme development as well as the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services.
• Provides technical and policy advice to Members and technical support to Decentralised Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes.
• Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical back‑stopping to, and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge‑sharing activities within Members such as policy support, organisational development and individual learning events, including preparation of related information, learning and online tools.
• Represents the Organisation at international meetings and conferences, identifies and implements strategic partnerships, advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue, and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders.
• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilisation activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Specific Functions

• Leads and supervises the inland fisheries work programme within the NFI Equitable Fisheries Livelihoods Team, developing and coordinating the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division’s (NFI) strategy to support global inland fisheries.
• Promotes inland fisheries at the international, regional and national levels, especially with regard to attracting financial or other contributions to its work programme by providing communication, resource mobilisation and promotion strategies for inland fisheries.
• Leads, in collaboration with relevant NFI teams, FAO’s analysis and tracking of the status of global inland fisheries, including leading the preparation of the regular publication, "State of global inland fisheries", as well as national and regional assessments of inland fisheries and their publication in the appropriate FAO publication series.
• Manages FAO’s collaboration and partnerships related to inland fisheries outside FAO and with other NFI teams, FAO units and Divisions/Offices/Centres.
• Advocates within NFI and with other FAO Divisions/Offices/Centres and provides technical guidance and support as needed, to ensure that inland fisheries issues are properly addressed in their field projects and technical publications as appropriate.
• Develops and maintains external liaisons with organisations, institutions and partners relevant to inland fisheries and NFI’s work in this domain.
• Participates in and provides technical information and advice on inland fisheries to FAO task forces and statutory bodies (e.g. FAO Committee on Fisheries, FAO Sub‑Committee on Fisheries Management, Regional Fishery Bodies).
• Leads, co‑leads or contributes as appropriate to the development of tools (and capacity building for their use) for improved management of inland fisheries applying the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries.
• Contributes specific inland fisheries knowledge to NFI’s work on strengthening approaches for data‑poor assessment methods to inform management of inland fisheries (including Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Rapid Assessment approaches, etc).
• Develops and contributes technical advice and support to the implementation of regional and country‑level projects that are related to inland fisheries.

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in freshwater fishery management, natural resource conservation and management with specialisation in fisheries, international development, aquatic ecosystem management, or a related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience in inland fisheries assessment and management, aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration, transboundary water management, fishery statistics and data management, fisheries in development, supervising and/or developing inland fishery field projects.
• Working knowledge (full proficiency – level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering
• Communication
• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

Technical / Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is essential.
• Extent and relevance of experience in managing multicultural teams.
• Extent and relevance of experience or knowledge of inland fisheries and their linkage to international agreements.
• Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of programmes related to inland fisheries management and assessment.
• Demonstrated analytical and technical writing skills.
• Demonstrated results‑based management capabilities with an ability to manage programmes, budgets and human resources efficiently under shifting priorities.
• Ability to mobilise resources.
• Extent and relevance of experience in different countries and regions, especially in developing countries and countries in transition.
• Ability to build and maintain professional networks across different institutions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organising international meetings, seminars and training courses.

Job Posting

24/Nov/2025

Closure Date: 16/Dec/2025, 5:59:00 PM

Organisational Unit

NFI

Job Type: Staff position

Type of Requisition: Professional

Grade Level: P‑5

Primary Location: Italy‑Rome

Duration: Fixed‑term: two years with possibility of extension

Post Number: 0114650

CCOG Code: 1H05

EEO Statement

• 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 persons 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 specialised 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director‑General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organisation.