Senior Animal Health Officer (ECTAD Regional Manager for Asia and the Pacific)

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with Divisions/Offices/Centres at headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. RAP also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies.

RAP develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). RAP supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

The post is located in the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Disease (ECTAD) in the RAP office in Bangkok, Thailand. ECTAD RAP is dedicated to working with the governments in the region in preventing and controlling emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases, minimizing risks and impacts of animal health threats and supporting the Sustainable Livestock Transformation initiative.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Animal Health Officer (ECTAD Regional Manager for Asia and the Pacific) reports to the Deputy Regional Representative (DRR) in RAP. The Senior Animal Health Officer works under the technical guidance of the Chief Veterinarian (CVO) and the Chief, One Health and Disease Control Branch (NSAH-CJW).

Technical Focus

Manage and oversee the regional portfolio of the ECTAD programme with a focus on regional capacity building for the management of animal health threats in Asia and the Pacific region, in collaboration with the Senior Animal Production and Health Officer in RAP, and with relevant officers and consultants at the global, regional, subregional and country levels.

Key Results

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

Key Functions

• Plans, manages, or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams, leads, coordinates, and/or participates on Organization-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, 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 of 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 Decentralized Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes.
• Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within Members such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning, on-line tools.
• Represents the Organization 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 mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Specific Functions

Management of ECTAD - Asia and the Pacific:

• Represents the Chief Veterinary Officer of FAO and the Senior Animal Health Officer (ECTAD Global Coordinator) in the Asia and the Pacific region where appropriate.
• Provides technical leadership and coordination for regional animal health portfolio which includes bilateral donors (US Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), multilateral donor (Pandemic Fund) and South-South Cooperation.
• Leads the regional and country ECTAD teams in Asia and the Pacific region in managing a significant shift of the programme primarily related to transboundary animal diseases (TADs) and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) to broader animal health threats contributing to Sustainable Livestock Transformation.
• Provides supervision and technical backstopping to all team leaders and chief technical advisers (CTAs) and other technical staff and consultants based in the ECTAD RAP office in Bangkok and various ECTAD Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific region.
• Manages, in consultation with the Budget Holder ECTAD, human resources matters at the regional and country levels.
• Prepares Terms of References (TORs) and participates in interviews for recruitment of senior technical staff (Team Leader, CTAs, consultants) for the ECTAD RAP and ECTAD Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific.
• Reviews and clears all the back-to-office reports (BTORs), ToRs, end-of-assignment reports (EOAs), consultant reports and all donor supported project reports from ECTAD RAP and all ECTAD Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific.

Coordination, delivery and establishing linkage to FAO's strategic framework at global, regional and country levels:

• Develops and produces strategic technical and policy position papers for FAO on animal health threats.
• Develops the FAO's regional strategy and policies on animal health threats and ensures synergy with the FAO' s Strategic Framework, NSA strategies and priorities, and aligned with relevant strategies of the REIOs, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Pacific Community, and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
• Integrates the regional ECTAD programme with the regular programme activities of FAO RAP with efficient coordination and collaboration with the Senior Animal Production and Health Officer based in Bangkok and the Secretary of Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and Pacific (APHCA).
• Plays a leading role in developing and implementing NSA's priorities and initiatives on animal health threats in Asia and the Pacific.
• Supports advocacy works in addressing the needs of the region related to animal health threats.
• Develops clear plans for engaging high-level policy makers in animal and human health sectors and other disciplines including environment, forestry and promoting the adoption of the One Health approach to support efficient management of animal health threats.

Coordination and support to regional organizations, regional commissions, and other international organizations:

• Organizes strategic partners' meetings and expert consultations related to animal health threats and support Sustainable Livestock Transformation.
• Ensures close collaboration, provision of technical guidance, and policy options for the REIOs, and key countries in South, Southeast and East Asia, and the Pacific.
• Maintains close cooperation and coordination of regional ECTAD programme with all the GF-TADs activities in Asia and the Pacific, as well as close collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional and Subregional Office as appropriate.
• Maintains close ties with the veterinary and public health sectors, academia and research institutes in the region in supporting and advising governments of the countries in Asia and the Pacific, the REIOs and FAO Decentralized Offices on policies related to animal health threats.
• Maintains close links with the key international technical agencies (WOAH, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)) to ensure harmonization and coordination of programmes related to animal health and One Health.

Resource mobilization:

• Leads resource mobilization efforts with bilateral and multilateral resource partners, financial institutions and the private sector for new programmatic support that fits within the mandate of the ECTAD programme, particularly in the formulation of concept notes and proposals.

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in animal science, veterinary science, veterinary medicine or a related field.
• Ten years of relevant experience in animal health, infectious disease management, including regulatory aspects, standard setting, and animal health strategy development.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO 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.
• Work experience in Asia and the Pacific region is a strong asset.
• Extent and relevance of knowledge or experience in infectious disease management and control at regional level, in multidisciplinary approaches (theoretical and practical) to disease prevention and management.
• Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of programmes related to animal health in development organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses.
• Ability to organize emergency and large-scale animal health strategies and campaigns.