Senior Expert on Farm-Level Sustainability Indicators

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; United States; Remote; USD 92,000 - 166,000; Part time

Job summary

FAO Azerbaijan, Home-Based, seeks a Senior Expert on Farm-Level Sustainability Indicators to develop and implement a robust set of farm-level sustainability indicators across environmental, economic, and governance dimensions. The consultant will guide national experts, review indicators, and ensure alignment with the project’s framework.

The role requires strong technical ability, regional collaboration, and the capacity to work remotely on an international assignment, with a 10-day WAE

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in agricultural or environmental sciences (or related field).
• At least 5 years’ experience in farm-level sustainability assessments.
• Working knowledge of English.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to national experts in developing farm-level sustainability indicators.
• Review draft indicators for methodological soundness and alignment with the system.
• Advise on scoring and weighting schemes for indicators.
• Conduct final technical review of fisheries and pasture-management indicators.
• Provide guidance through online meetings, email exchanges, and consultations with national experts and project team.
• Participate in online meetings and offer consultations on indicator development and FDMS database improvements.
• Conduct missions to Azerbaijan as required.
• Prepare an End of Assignment Report with results and recommendations.

Job description

Job Description - Senior Expert on Farm-Level Sustainability Indicators (2602231)

Job Description

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2602231

Senior Expert on Farm-Level Sustainability Indicators

Job Posting

28/Oct/2026

Closure Date

11/Nov/2026, 10:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : FEAZE - FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in the Republic of Azerbaijan

Job Type

Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : Consultant

Primary Location

Home-Based

Duration : 10 days on When Actually Employed (WAE) basis

Post Number : N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

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

Organizational Setting

FAO Azerbaijan is implementing TCP/AZE/4004 “Technical support to the MoA in developing a comprehensive farm sustainability measurement system” with the objective of creating a robust set of farm-level sustainability indicators (environmental, economic, and governance). This system aims to facilitate the green transition at farm level and strengthen evidence-based policymaking for food systems transformation in Azerbaijan.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and REU Policy Officer and the direct operational supervision of the FAOR Azerbaijan, the incumbent will work in close coordination with the AI Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant national experts.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for creating a robust set of farm-level sustainability indicators (environmental, economic, and governance), contributing to a system to facilitate the green transition at farm level and strengthen evidence-based policymaking for food systems transformation in Azerbaijan.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to national experts during the development of new farm-level sustainability indicators, including indicators on fisheries and pasture - management.
• Review the draft indicators prepared by the national experts and provide technical comments and recommendations to ensure their methodological soundness, consistency and alignment with the overall farm sustainability measurement system.
• Advise on scoring system/weighting scheme developed for every indicator.
• Conduct a final technical review of the indicators developed for fisheries and pasture - management.
• Advise national consultants and provide technical guidance through online meetings, email exchanges and consultations with the project team, the AI Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant national experts, as required.
• Participate in online project and task force meetings and provide individual consultations to the national experts on the development and refinement of new indicators, as well as the team working with FDMS database and its improvements, as required.
• Conduct mission to Azerbaijan to undertake tasks mentioned above.
• Prepare an End of Assignment Report summarizing the activities undertaken, key results and recommendations.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

• Advanced university degree in agricultural or environmental sciences (e.g., agronomy, natural resource management, sustainability, environmental science) or related field. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years’ experience in developing or applying farm-level sustainability assessments
• Working knowledge of English

Selection Criteria

• Proven experience in developing or applying farm-level sustainability assessment frameworks, including environmental, economic, and social/governance indicators.
• Demonstrated experience in designing or adapting indicator-based methodologies and providing guidance to national teams during implementation.
• Experience in the analysis of EU member state farm level data from FSDN (farm sustainability data network) or development of sustainability indicators.
• Strong understanding of agricultural production systems, farm management practices, and sustainability challenges.
• Experience adapting international methodologies to national contexts and available data.
• Familiarity with data sources relevant to sustainability measurement (farm records, soil and climate data, remote sensing, administrative datasets).
• Experience supporting piloting activities, field validation, data collection protocols, and technical troubleshooting.
• Ability to mentor national experts and deliver practical capacity-building.
• Strong analytical, writing, facilitation, and stakeholder communication skills.

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 http://www.whed.net/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp