USA funds an Associate Professional Officer (APO) position

in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat.

Closing date for applications is 15 August 2009.

Please share this announcement with others who may have an interest.

The IPPC is an international treaty with currently 170 contracting parties whose mission is to secure common and effective actions to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products.

Belowis the post descriptionfor the Associate Professional Officer (APO) positionin the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, housed inthe Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. This position will be based at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

The position is: APOStandard Setting

This position is funded by the United States of America and is open to U.S. citizens.

The emphasis of this position will be on the development of international standards for more information please visit the web ional Phytosanitary Portal (

The selected candidate will work in the IPPC Secretariat for a period of two years (of which the first year is a probationary period).

Salary:
Salary will be around $63,800 (US) per year plus benefits. FAO salaries carry a variable element for post adjustment (cost of living) and dependents.

Living conditions at the post:

Adequate housing, medical and social services are readily available.

Applications:

Please note that the ability to follow these instructions accurately will be part of the selection process.Interested persons must submit their applications by e-mail to the attention of Brent Larson () and Julie Aliaga ()no later than August 15, 2009. Before submitting an application, please read the guidelines to applicants. Complete a Personal History Form, available in MS Word (A4 and letter formats), and e-mail it along with the following quoting the vacancy announcement number and the title of the position you are applying for:

1) Cover letter;

2) A short resume addressing your qualifications and outlining your experience;
If you need more information on the APO positions, please visit:
For general information regarding FAO, please refer to
For information on the IPPC visit:

Julie E. Aliaga
International Phytosanitary Standards Program Director
USDA APHIS PPQ
4700 River Road, Riverdale MD 20737
(301) 734-0763



Vacancy Announcement No: HQ/AGPP/8122

1.General Information

  • Title: APO Plant Health - IPPC (Standards Setting)
  • Field of competence: Plant Health
  • Technical Division/Service: Plant Protection Service (AGPP)
  • Duty station: FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy
  • Languages required: English - French or Spanish would be an advantage
  • Duration: one year, renewable to two years

2.Supervision

  • Title of supervisor(s): Standards Officer, Plant Protection Service (AGPP)
  • Description of supervisory role:

Depending on the prior knowledge and experience of the APO, assignments will be made in terms of the delivery of the work programme of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM); guidance will be provided on FAO policies and procedures. Activities will be implemented through daily/weekly informal contacts and regular formal sessions with the APO, the supervisor and other technical staff, if applicable. The formal, periodic evaluation of the APO’s tasks, performance and achieved training & learning experience will be an integral part of this process.

3.Duties, Responsibilities and Expected Achievements

Key tasks:

  • Assist in the implementation of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat Work Programme;
  • Assist in the activities to facilitate the development and implementation of international standards;
  • Assist in the overall development, organization and implementation of relevant meetings on international standard setting under the IPPC;
  • Assist in the documentation development and participate in the organization of sessions of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM);
  • Participate in the development of IT systems and the selection and use of Web based communication tools as well as monitoring and adjusting content of the IPPC Web site;
  • Help in creating linkages and strengthening synergies between standard setting and other work areas within the IPPC Secretariat;
  • Liaison with relevant organizations on international standard setting;
  • Develop and edit discussion papers, reports and other meeting documents for the Secretariat;
  • Undertake other related duties as required and assigned.

4.Essential Qualifications and Experience

  • Educational background: University degree in plant protection, or a related field.
  • Work experience: Up to four years professional experience in plant protection.
  • Computer and language skills: Working knowledge of English;ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; demonstrated computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).

5.Desirable Qualifications and Competencies (including interpersonal skills)

Demonstrated capacity to prepare, review and evaluate technical proposals;

capacity to address phytosanitary issues from a multidisciplinary perspective;

ability to plan and organize work fairly independently;

ability to work with persons of different cultural backgrounds;

ability to work as part of a team;

good personal work organization; meeting objectives;

initiative;

flexibility;

ability to maintain high quality output under tight time constraints;

ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;

knowledge of French or Spanish would be an advantage.

6.Training and Learning Elements

The APO will gain experience in the area governed by the IPPC and its multiple disciplines. The APO will also gain experience in preparing technical reports, preparing and reviewing project proposals, drafting projects budgets according to FAO standards; reviewing technical papers and providing comments; monitoring progress in improving phytosanitary activities at country and regional level. Experience will also be gained from organizing such activities as national/regional workshops and undertaking technical backstopping missions.

7.Background Information

Overview of the mandate/objective and structure of the service/office and/or project and brief description of core activities:

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an international treaty with 170 members. These members collaborate to protect plant resources, including both cultivated and wild plants, from plant pests that could be moved in international trade. The IPPC is governed by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) which meets annually to adopt International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and agree to a work programme.

The Secretariat for the commission, the IPPC Secretariat, is looking for talented and energetic individuals to help deliver the mandate of the IPPC. This junior level position is targeted at individuals with limited experience in order to give them exposure at the international level that would prove useful for future similar work at a national level.

A significant part of the work of the Secretariat is to support the development of ISPMs and provide guidance to prevent the spread of plant pests. Secretariat staff organizes and facilitates many international meetings of technical experts and meetings of member or regional representatives. The resulting output from these meetings goes through a consultative process and agreement is reached through consensus at each stage. These processes require detailed oriented individuals to manage inputs and outputs of meetings (i.e., tracking, editing, formatting and posting documents).

Working for a Secretariat for an international commission can be extremely interesting and rewarding as you will be exposed to various cultural interfaces and a variety of some of the top experts in the world.

The work environment is fast paced and demanding. As a result, Secretariat staff must be innovators, able to work under pressure while remaining flexible. Individuals interested in working for the Secretariat require a focused approach, positive perspective, recognition of the constraints of an international system working to achieve great things with limited resources and the ability to work well in a diverse team environment.

For general information regarding FAO, please refer to:

For information regarding the IPPC, please refer to:

Living conditions at duty station: adequate housing, medical and social services are readily available.

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