Regional Technical Sr. Specialist - Markets and Trade at FEWS NET

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the Middle East and Europe RTSS–M&T include, but are not limited to:  

• Contribute to the identification of priority M&T activities in line with the strategic orientation of FEWS NET’s work.
• Provide regional leadership for the identification, review, and compilation of appropriate market data, including but not limited to, staple food prices, exchange rates, consumer price indices, trade flows (formal and informal), crop production, and commodity balance sheet estimates in countries monitored by FEWS NET within the region and relevant trade partners.
• Monitor and analyze market and policy developments concerning staple food commodities, livestock, cash crops, and other commodities relevant to livelihoods and food security analysis within the region. Identify emerging regional market issues and provide input into the analysis of regional and local food security conditions.
• Prepare regional analysis in support of FEWS NETs integrated food security analysis, which may include but are not limited to: commodity balance sheets and supply updates, monthly Price Watch reports, and regional market assumptions.
• Provide training and technical support to regional staff in market and trade analysis including but not limited to, the analysis of agricultural production, trade flow, and supply trends, price trends, economic indicators, and how to carry out price projections following the FEWS NET methodology.
• Collaborate with regional technical specialists to ensure alignment between conflict, livelihoods, agroclimatology and M&T assumptions.
• Support the M&T advisor in meeting USAID’s expectations on timely delivery of decision support products, which include, but are not limited to: responding to urgent questions within one day; providing briefings within one week of request; and contributing M&T analysis to requests for acute food insecurity analysis in countries that fall within region of coverage that will be delivered within one week of USAID request.
• Design and execute activities within the region to build and maintain an up-to-date evidence base and market monitoring plan for markets and trade related information relevant to acute food insecurity analysis, including but not limited to: food and cash crop commodities, labor, and livestock markets in the region. Evidence base components may include commodity balance sheets, production and price databases, seasonal monitoring plans, and other products as required. As part of this responsibility, closely collaborate with the FEWS NET Knowledge Base mechanisms to support development of Market Fundamentals reports for countries that fall within the region of coverage.
• Provide consistent technical assistance and guidance to FEWS NET country offices within the region on how to gather and analyze M&T-related information as it pertains to food security analysis, early warning, and food assistance decision support. This may include assistance with the design and implementation of market assessments, market studies, and with the improvement of monitoring methods. The RTSS-M&T may also be asked to lead or engage in market assessments in the region, including partner assessments.
• Lead capacity building activities to build the skills of colleagues at the home, regional, and country offices on M&T analysis, including processes for the review and use of M&T data. Capacity development initiatives include conducting regular onboarding trainings, as well as refresher trainings.
• Organize and lead monthly technical coordination and work planning conference calls between the home office and regional office to provide an update on emerging market issues within the region and coordinate on key ongoing or planned activities.
• In collaboration with the home office, support the development and implementation of M&T related guidance and training modules to strength the capacity of the FEWS NET DST on M&T dynamics and integration into acute food insecurity early warning.

Under the direction of the M&T Advisor, help establish and/or maintain systematic, timely, high-quality, and efficient M&T data collection and management processes among country, regional, and home office staff. Support the collection, organization, and storage of primary and secondary data and information for submission to the FEWS NET Hub and the USG. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Liaising with FEWS NET DS project staff and partners to facilitate timely data flows.
• Working closely with the regional data coordinator to ensure that M&T data is available in our databases.
• Providing support to field teams, the FEWS NET DS Data sector, and the broader M&T team to oversee, maintain, and continually improve M&T data quality and integrity.
• Liaising with other technical sectors of FEWS NET, including the Quality Assurance and Methods sector and Data sector, as well as the Hub, to relay the needs of the technical team regarding the functionality of various M&T data domains in the FDW, including but not limited to online and offline M&T analytical tools in the FEWS NET Data Explorer (FDE).
• Under the supervision of the MT Advisor, and in collaboration with the RTL, support the design, execution, and monitoring of annual work plan activities that relate to the M&T sector.
• As needed, the RTSS-M&T will be expected to contribute to the FEWS NET DST’s decision support efforts to identify as early as possible potential or emerging M&T crises. The RTSS-M&T will be expected to demonstrate the ability to respond quickly to sudden increases and decreases in analysis needs globally by, under the direction of the M&T Advisor, re-orienting work plans and initiating new lines of monitoring and reporting outside of traditional areas of coverage.
• In regions with existing regional informal cross-border trade data collection activities, provide leadership in collaboration with partners to ensure the technical quality of the system, suggest and oversee design adjustments as needed to ensure systems meet data needs, and where relevant, management, training, and/or technical guidance for enumerators and data analysts.   
• Assist the RTL in carrying out a predetermined set of technical, management, and representational functions of the regional office, upon request and in coordination with the M&T Advisor.
• As needed, for limited time periods of time, and with the agreement of the RTL, the M&T Advisor and the senior management team (SMT), the RTSS-M&T may be expected to serve as acting-RTL.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of experience relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, trade analysis, or social geography is required.
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, or social geography is required. An advanced university degree (Master's degree or higher) in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, statistics, or social geography is preferred.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic are required; other local language skills relevant to the region are desirable.
• Significant experience in agricultural market analysis in developing countries and experience in commodity market, trade, and economic analysis (including developing projections of economic data) are preferred
• Previous experience with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in field or market assessments, such as focus group discussions, key informant interviews, survey or data collection tool design, and analysis of information using both qualitative and quantitative methods is required.
• Data analysis skills are required, such as analysis of large data sets in Excel, SPSS, STATA, R, Python or other relevant data packages.
• Demonstrated leadership capacities and an ability to work independently, when necessary is required, as are strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated analytical and report-writing skills are required.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, including demonstrated ability to coordinate productively with diverse partner stakeholders (e.g., UN, non-governmental organizations, host government entities) and multidisciplinary, multicultural teams, and to work effectively with remote-based colleagues.
• Excellent computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are required; ability to effectively use statistical software packages and/or GIS applications is desirable.