Statistician

Job Description

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri‑food systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

The Statistics Division (ESS) develops and advocates for the implementation of methodologies and standards for data collection, validation, processing and analysis in the food and agriculture statistics domains. In these statistical domains, it also plays a key role in the compilation, processing and dissemination of internationally comparable data, and provides essential capacity building in support of member countries. The Division also disseminates publications, working papers and statistical yearbooks, that cover agriculture and food security statistics, including prices, investments, production, trade and agri‑environmental statistical data. Finally, as the ESS Director also plays the role of FAO Chief Statistician, the Division supports the various functions of the Chief Statistician, that is to ensure stronger governance of FAO's data and statistical system, foster consistency of FAO's Data and Statistical programme within the Strategic Framework, ensure statistical excellence through the implementation of statistical standards and quality assurance mechanisms, and position FAO's presence in data and statistical discussions at global level.

The incumbent will work in the Food Security and Nutrition Statistics team within the Statistics Division and will contribute to the implementation of a project aimed at strengthening global and national capacities to monitor the Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet (CoAHD). The project seeks to establish national CoAHD monitoring systems in ten targeted countries, enabling national agencies to independently calculate, analyze, and disseminate these indicators on a regular basis.

The post is located in the Statistics Division (ESS) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

FAO Diversity and Inclusion 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 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director‑General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Responsibilities

• Collect key social, economic and environmental indicators using traditional statistical methods and data science methods to support economic and social development programs.
• Develop, improve, and maintain technical, statistical and analytical tools, systems, and databases.
• Conduct research, data collection, validation, analysis, and reporting to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, and innovative tools and methodologies.
• Produce technical reports and contribute to technical documents, publications, and web pages.
• Respond to requests and regional, sub‑regional, and country offices, including technical backstopping to field projects.
• Participate in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with other divisions and international technical networks.
• Provide capacity development services, including planning and organizing training workshops, seminars, and preparing related materials and online tools.
• Support meetings, consultations and conferences, develop required materials, and provide information and assistance to partners.
• Engage in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the Strategic Framework and divisional plans.
• Promote international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and technical expertise at international meetings and conferences.

Specific Functions

• Provide methodological guidance for the compilation, validation, and analysis of the CoAHD indicators at global and national levels, contributing to improvements in estimation methods.
• Coordinate the implementation of CoAHD monitoring systems at national level, engaging with national counterparts and supporting the development of country workplans and Letters of Agreement.
• Support partner countries by providing analytical strategies, trainings, technical assistance, and quality assurance of data collection and processing.
• Develop and maintain analytical tools, manuals and reproducible scripts for processing food price, expenditure and income data, ensuring alignment with FAO statistical standards, and prepare technical materials for research and global dissemination.
• Contribute to inter‑agency collaboration and methodological harmonization with key partners, including the World Bank, Tufts University, and other UN entities.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with senior officers from national governments, donors and project partner institutions.
• Prepare briefs, papers, and communication materials for ESS websites and deliver presentations in relevant international forums on environmental statistics.

Candidate Assessment

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in statistics, mathematics, economics, agricultural economics, data science, or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in compilation and analysis of food security, consumer price data and/or socio‑economic statistics in national or international organizations.
• Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.

Experience with capacity development programs and ability to conduct trainings and tailored technical assistance.

Strong command of statistical methods including: data presentation, analysis and descriptive statistics; continuous and discrete random variables (binomial, normal, standard normal, log‑normal) and their properties; probability distributions; conditional probability, probabilities of intersections of events, Bayes' theorem; correlation and rank correlation; sampling and sample size: simple, stratified, and multistage random sampling; inference, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and significance; linear regression (single and multiple); ANOVA; chi‑square and goodness‑of‑fit tests; nonlinear models: maximum likelihood estimation; elements of survey and questionnaire design.

Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in the use of quantitative statistical and econometric methods.

Extent and relevance of experience and knowledge of the main data sources used for the compilation of food security and/or socio‑economic statistics.

Extent and relevance of experience in the compilation, validation, and analysis of food security and/or socio‑economic statistics.

Demonstrated ability to work under minimal supervision, present statistics materials lucidly and effectively, and produce high quality papers in English.

Extent and relevance of experience in software used for processing and analysing data, such as R and Stata.

Extent and relevance of experience in designing and delivering capacity development programmes at country level.

Ability to analyse complex statistical‑related issues.

General Information

• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment.
• Extension of fixed‑term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds.
• The appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

Conditions of Service

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, visit:

• Dependency allowances
• Rental subsidy
• Education grant for children
• Home leave travel
• 30 working days of annual leave per year
• Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
• International health insurance; optional life insurance
• Disability protection

How to Apply

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications and language skills.

Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile. Once your profile is completed, please apply and submit your application. Your application will be screened based on the information provided on your online profile.

Information on qualification requirements: FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the WHED. Please ensure your qualifications align with the ISCED mappings. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Personal information may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered.

We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date. If you need help or have queries, contact FAO’s client support team for assistance at https://fao.service-now.com/csp.