Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Vacancy for Crop Technician 2025
About Vacancy:
Position: Crop Technician
Deadline: 23/Dec/2025, 4:44:00 AM
Organizational Unit: FANEP – FAO Representation in Nepal
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)
Duration: 12 months
About Organization:
FAO is strongly committed to promoting workforce diversity across gender, nationality, background, and culture. The organization encourages qualified women, nationals from non-represented or under-represented Member States, and persons with disabilities to apply. All individuals working with FAO are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and adherence to FAO’s core values. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, FAO maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any conduct incompatible with its mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. Selected candidates will undergo thorough reference and background checks, and all applications will be treated with strict confidentiality. FAO’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability remains central to its strategic objectives and day-to-day operations.
As a leading UN agency dedicated to defeating hunger, FAO works toward the goals of the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework, supporting the global transformation toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. The organization aims to ensure better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life—leaving no one behind. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO operates in over 130 countries worldwide. Country Offices, guided by FAO’s corporate framework, provide policy advice, capacity development, technical assistance, and essential services, all while maintaining international standards of accountability. These offices help countries implement programmatic priorities identified in their Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs), aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), ensuring effective operations supported by appropriate human and financial resources.
Specifically, FAO Country Offices:
- Advocate for, inform, and support the development of policies and investments aligned with FAO’s mandate.
- Provide technical assistance and deliver essential core services.
- Facilitate and strengthen partnerships and resource mobilization efforts to advance agrifood systems transformation.
- Position FAO as the leading specialized and authoritative technical agency in food, agriculture, and agrifood systems transformation.
- Ensure accountable, risk-aware, and efficient operations and management practices.
Additionally, three positions are available in the following districts: Dolakha (Melung Rural Municipality), Dhanusha (Janaknandini Rural Municipality), and Sindhupalchowk (Sunkoshi Rural Municipality). Applicants must specify their preferred Rural Municipality (RM) in their motivation letter.
Reporting Lines
Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Nepal, the direct supervision of the Project Team Leader, and with technical guidance from the Cluster Crop Value Chain Specialist, and in coordination with the Crop Production Specialist, the Crop Technician will perform the following tasks:
Technical Focus
The Crop Technician will support the planning and implementation of field operations, including planting, cultivation, and harvesting. The incumbent will apply appropriate crop management practices to optimize growth conditions (fertilization, irrigation, pest and disease management) and conduct regular field inspections and data collection..
Key Responsibilities:
- Form and identify producer groups for the implementation of crop-related project interventions.
- Conduct group-level orientations and meetings to inform and sensitize members about project activities as guided by the PCU.
- Mobilize crop FFS groups for Farmer Field Schools and other trainings according to the FANSEP/FAO-TA work plan.
- Identify lead farmers from FFS groups and facilitate their participation in refresher trainings.
- Support producer groups in their formation and registration at the respective rural municipalities, and provide group-strengthening assistance.
- Assist producer groups in preparing proposals or business plans to access matching grant support from the project.
- Mobilize crop producer groups for demonstrations, seed production, productivity improvement trainings, and other activities as per the approved annual work plan.
- Prepare and submit trimester and monthly work plans and progress reports in the prescribed project formats.
- Identify demonstration sites and coordinate with PCUs to ensure timely distribution of quality inputs to producer groups.
- Assist the PCU in seed multiplication, crop-cutting data collection, and small-scale irrigation activities, including deep boring installation.
- Support baseline data collection, field assessments, and surveys as required by the project.
- Provide technical assistance to producer groups on crop production practices.
- Monitor crop-related interventions implemented by producer groups and regularly prepare progress reports.
- Collect and report field-level data required for PMIS to the Cluster-based Crop Value Chain Specialist on a monthly basis.
- Support on-farm demonstrations and collect crop productivity data using the prescribed templates.
- Report on the utilization of matching grant funds disbursed to producer groups by the PCU.
- Assist PCUs in mobilizing multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms and productive alliances to strengthen market linkages.
- Monitor ESMF compliance for crop-related activities and prepare periodic environmental and social safeguard reports.
- Implement awareness-raising activities on environmental and social issues and collect related information as required.
- Perform any other project-related tasks assigned by the PCU Chief, PCU staff, or the FAO TA Team.
Required Qualification:
Minimum Requirements
- High School Diploma or Technical Diploma (equivalent to SLC/TSLC) in Agriculture relevant to JTA.
- Minimum of two years’ experience in assisting field operations, crop management, pest and disease management, irrigation and water management, post-harvest handling, and agriculture development project activities.
- Working knowledge of both English and Nepali; knowledge of the local language is an added advantage.
- Must be a national of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
- Demonstrated adherence to FAO Core Competencies.
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work.
- Experience in forming and mobilizing farmer groups.
- Strong knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices that promote environmental health and long-term productivity.
- Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
- Good understanding of the organizational structure.
Selection Criteria:
- Demonstrated technical and practical experience in crop production, especially in biological control research, extension, and development, including day-to-day operational activities of projects or programmes.
- Good knowledge of MS Office applications, internet use, and office technology equipment.
- Strong practical experience in handling operational activities of projects or programmes.
- Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills in both English and Nepali.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary and multicultural team.
- Prior work experience with UN agencies, development partners, banks, or the Government of Nepal.
- High level of work ethics, well-organized, result-oriented, and dynamic personality.
Additional Information:
- FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, or processing).
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
- FAO only considers higher educational qualifications from institutions accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), updated by IAU/UNESCO. (Accessible at: whed.net)
- For additional employment opportunities, visit the FAO employment website.
Appointment is subject to:
- Medical fitness certification
- Accreditation
- Residency or visa requirements
- Security clearances
- FAO seeks gender, geographical, and linguistic diversity among its staff and international consultants to better serve FAO Members worldwide.
Application Process:
- To apply, visit the FAO recruitment website (jobs.fao.org) and complete your online profile.
- Ensure your profile is accurate, complete, and includes:
- Employment records
- Academic qualifications
- Language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to their online profile.
- Only applications submitted through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered.
- FAO considers higher educational qualifications only from institutions recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), aligned with ISCED mappings http://www.whed.net
- Candidates may be asked to provide:
- Performance assessments
- Authorization for verification checks of past/present work, character, education, military, and police records.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Personal information may be shared within FAO or with partner companies for employment support (e.g., pre-screening, assessment tests, background checks). Consent is required and can be withdrawn anytime by withdrawing your application.
- Applications are screened based on the information in your online profile.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit applications well before the deadline.
https://fao.service-now.com/csp
FAO is a non-smoking environment.
