The Government of the United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the Zimbabwe Livelihoods and Food Security Programme (LFSP), which aims to contribute to poverty reduction through increased incomes for a minimum number of 200,000 beneficiaries’ households from 2014 to 2020. The programme is being implemented in four provinces covering ten districts as follows: Mutasa, Mutare, and Makoni in Manicaland province; Guruve, Bindura and Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central province; and Kwekwe, Gokwe North, Gokwe South and Shurugwi in Midlands province and two additional districts reached with biofortification component only; Mazowe and Zvimba in Mashonaland Central and West provinces. The programme is being implemented by a multiple of partners and the components in the extension phase are structured around the following with gender mainstreaming cutting across on all components;

Extension and Nutrition (EN)
Rural Finance (RF)
Policy Support (PS)
Biofortification (BF)
Market Development (MD)
Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation (MEAL)

Reporting Lines

Working under the direct supervision of the LFSP Chief Technical Advisor and overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Zimbabwe (FAOR).

Technical Focus

The technical areas/profiles covered will be as follows:

Contracts management
Grants management
Financial management
Procurement

Tasks and responsibilities

Establish a Contract Management system that would ensure compliance with contractual terms and conditions of Execution Agreements, Operational Partners Agreements, Letters of Agreement and Service Contracts, in collaboration with the operations team.
Certify delivery of services against contractual requirements by narrative and financial reports
Manage and update the programme Traffic Light System and prepare quarterly reports,
Plan and initiate the sourcing of audits and spot checks at given intervals, as per contractual schedules
Set up and implement a sound asset management system and update asset register regularly,
Monitor contract delivery and compliance with rules and regulations by individual projects in the field.
Check invoices submitted for payment by Implementing Partners (IPs) and Operational Partners OPs), make recommendations for payments upon review of reports and comments by the Responsible Officers and initiate requests for Purchase Order ( PO) amendments with the procurement unit.
Maintain contract file containing all agreements, contracts, proposals, correspondence, inventories, and other documents relating to the contract.
Check and maintain an inventory of project goods/equipment/vehicles, as applicable, including insurance documents where applicable.
Assist the Procurement unit in negotiating, within the terms and conditions of the contract, solutions to conflicts/problems arising in case of poor performance or non-compliance with contractual obligations.
Liaise with the members of the project team on activities required by the contract, including logistical support, accreditation, licensing, verification of goods, monitoring of activities and performance of the SPs.
Take the lead in bringing fraud cases that may arise to a closure, in liaison with the Chief Technical Advisor and deputy team leader,
Develop a system for monitoring Implementing Partners’ compliance with the safeguard rules and regulations,
Provide technical backstopping to partners on compliance issues including fraud control and safeguard.
Perform any other related duties

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
Advanced University degree in Accountancy, Economics, Business Administration, Commerce, Law or related discipline;
A minimum of 10 years of experience in Operations, Contract Management or Procurement;
Willingness to travel extensively within Zimbabwe.
National of Zimbabwe

FAO Core Competencies
Results Focus
Teamwork
Communication
Building Effective Relationships
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org

Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.
We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org