Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to defeating hunger and improving food security, nutrition and sustainable agricultural development. FAO supports governments worldwide in developing resilient agrifood systems and addressing emerging challenges affecting food security and livelihoods.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing the Pandemic Fund project ,”From Early Warning to Early Action: Building Zimbabwe’s One Health Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (ZIPOH)”, to strengthen integrated national systems for prevention, preparedness and response to health threats. The National One Health and AMR Coordinator will serve as the principal national focal point for coordination of One Health and antimicrobial resistance activities under the project.

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute directly to Zimbabwe’s national health security agenda by strengthening One Health coordination, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) governance, integrated disease surveillance, laboratory systems and multisectoral collaboration. The incumbent will play a key role in advancing national pandemic preparedness and response capacities while supporting implementation of Zimbabwe’s One Health and AMR priorities.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Zimbabwe and the functional supervision of the Assistant FAOR (Programme), with technical guidance from the SFS Livestock Development Officer/Lead Technical Officer and relevant regional and headquarters technical officers,  the incumbent will collaborate closely with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Environmental Management Agency, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, academic institutions, research organizations, AMR Technical Working Groups and development partners.

Technical Focus

• One Health coordination and governance
• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Antimicrobial Use (AMU)
• Integrated disease surveillance systems
• Veterinary and public health laboratory strengthening
• Zoonotic disease prevention and control
• Pandemic preparedness and health security
• Workforce development and capacity strengthening
• Multisectoral stakeholder engagement and partnerships

Tasks and responsibilities

• Coordinate implementation of Pandemic Fund activities in Zimbabwe.
• Support preparation and execution of annual work plans and implementation schedules.
• Facilitate collaboration between animal, human, wildlife and environmental health sectors.
• Support implementation of Zimbabwe’s National Action Plan on AMR.
• Support development and strengthening of integrated AMR surveillance systems.
• Strengthen laboratory quality systems, biosafety and biosecurity.
• Support strengthening of surveillance systems for zoonotic diseases and emerging threats.
• Organize and facilitate capacity-building activities on One Health, AMR, laboratory systems and pandemic preparedness.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and information-sharing among partners.
• Prepare technical reports, donor updates, progress reports and knowledge products.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Veterinary Medicine, Public Health, Epidemiology, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Microbiology, One Health, Animal Health, Biomedical Science, or related discipline
• Minimum seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in One Health, antimicrobial resistance, public health, veterinary public health, laboratory systems, zoonotic disease programmes or related fields.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English
• National of Zimbabwe

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong understanding of One Health concepts, principles and governance mechanisms.
• Knowledge of AMR surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship and National Action Plans on AMR.
• Experience with laboratory quality management systems, biosafety and biosecurity.
• Knowledge of zoonotic disease prevention, preparedness and response frameworks.
• Strong stakeholder coordination, facilitation and partnership-building skills.
• Experience in project implementation, monitoring and donor reporting.
• Excellent analytical, communication and technical report-writing skills.
• Familiarity with international standards and guidance from FAO, WHO and WOAH
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and multisectoral teams.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multisectoral programmes and stakeholder platforms
• Experience working with government institutions and development partners.
• Experience supporting implementation of donor-funded projects and programmes
• Experience in surveillance systems, laboratory strengthening, AMR initiatives or health security programmes is highly desirable

Selection Criteria

• Experience supporting implementation of National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance.
• Experience in One Health coordination mechanisms and multisectoral governance platforms.
• Experience in laboratory systems strengthening and AMR surveillance.
• Familiarity with Joint External Evaluation (JEE), SPAR, PVS Pathway, ATLASS, LMT or related assessment frameworks.
• Previous experience working with FAO, WHO, WOAH, UNEP, Africa CDC or similar international organizations.
• Experience supporting Pandemic Fund, health security or emergency preparedness programmes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION