Yemen Food Security Specialist

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Introduction

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food security early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage through a mix of presence and remote monitoring. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several pillars by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center, Kimetrica, and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics houses FEWS NET’s Early Warning Team (EWT), a team charged with integrated emergency food insecurity analysis through a Washington-based technical office and more than 20 field offices.

Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, the EWT monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as weather conditions and climate, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET EWT produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and global weather hazards analyses. FEWS NET makes reports available at www.fews.net and distributes them globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.

The seventh phase of FEWS NET began in 2019. The work of FEWS NET EWT relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and technical capacity strengthening. FEWS NET supports local and regional food security networks to contribute to achieving the global objective of food security for all.

Position Description

The FEWS NET EWT maintains offices in several countries in Africa, Central America, Central Asia, and the Caribbean. As needed, food security specialists (FSSs) provide technical and administrative leadership in country offices, including supporting the collection of, directly collecting, and analyzing collected information relevant to acute food insecurity analysis and associated early warning and decision support. Where necessary, FSSs may also support remote monitoring in selected countries. FSSs are members of the national technical team in FEWS NET EWT field offices and support tasks in the following areas:

Efficient, focused acute food insecurity monitoring, data collection, assessment, and early warning analysis.
Effective communication of early warning analysis to partners and decision-makers and, when appropriate, participation in formal and informal meetings.
Close collaboration with key network partners, including host-government ministries, food security clusters, United Nations (UN) agencies (e.g., WFP, FAO, and UNICEF), and international, regional, and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), among others.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the Yemen FSS include, but are not limited to:

Developing and updating seasonal acute food security-relevant monitoring plans for select areas and conducting rapid assessments based on these plans.
Reporting on assessment findings related to the food security, markets and trade, nutrition, and livelihoods situations and preparing associated technical reports and briefing information.
Participating in joint humanitarian needs assessments, as necessary, and providing verbal and written briefings on the acute food insecurity situation of the area assessed.
Participating in and contributing to FEWS NET EWT’s scenario development processes, contingency planning, and other similar activities.
Contributing to the maintenance and updating of FEWS NET’s knowledge base, including livelihood zone profiles, commodity trade flow maps, sub-national seasonal monitoring calendars, a commodity price database, a nutrition database, and other technical databases covering rainfall, agricultural production, population, historical assistance flows, etc..
Providing high-quality and effective early warning of acute threats to food security and supporting efforts to mitigate acute food insecurity and prevent food crises through the effective communication of actionable food security and nutrition analysis.
Assisting field office leadership in developing and maintaining strong, collaborative, and professional relations, both formal and informal, with the UN agency technical contacts, government ministries, and key national and international NGOs to facilitate technical exchanges, promote consensus-building, and resolve potential conflicts.
Representing FEWS NET EWT as needed at relevant sectoral working groups, using them as an opportunity to also advance the network development strategy for the country.
Collaborating with local, national, and international partners in acute food insecurity monitoring and analysis, including through support to the implementation of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) protocols.
Contributing to efforts to collect, archive, analyze, and share acute food insecurity-relevant data and information.
Organizing the documentation and files of the project and updating all essential data used in acute food insecurity monitoring and assessment.
Contributing to the fulfillment of monthly reporting requirements, including Food Security Outlooks (FSOs), FSO Updates, and Key Messages, and providing up-to-date data and information for associated briefings.
Contributing to other FEWS NET information products as required locally and at all other levels.
Contributing to FEWS NET’s overall methods development and testing.

Qualifications

Proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required; local language skills relevant to the country are desirable.
Bachelor’s degree in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology, or social geography is required; advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) is desirable.
At least two years of relevant experience (with PhD), four years of relevant experience (with Master’s degree), or six years of relevant experience (with Bachelor’s degree) is required. Relevant experience includes working on food security information systems, food security analysis, early warning, or other related fields; experience working with UN agencies and/or NGOs is desirable.
Demonstrated leadership capacities and an ability to work independently, when necessary 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; the ability to effectively use statistical software packages and/or GIS applications is desirable.

Location and Reporting

The FSS is a full-time position based in Aden, Yemen at the FEWS NET EWT country office. The FSS will work under the technical direction and supervision of the Country Representative or their designee. The FSS will be required to travel frequently within the country and other international travel may also be required, security and health conditions permitting.