Economist
Con Esperienza

Descrizione della Posizione Lavorativa

Organizational setting

The Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) carries out economic research and policy analysis to support the transition to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for improved production, nutrition and environment, leaving no one behind. ESA delivers evidence-based assistance to national, regional and global policy processes on topics such as food and agricultural policy monitoring and analysis, agribusiness and value chain development, rural transformation and poverty, food security and nutrition analysis, resilience, bioeconomy and climate-smart agriculture. The Division also produces two FAO flagship reports: The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) and The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI), and provides technical support for FAO's Roadmap on achieving SDG2 while respecting the 1.5 °C threshold.

Reporting lines

The selected candidate will work under the direct supervision of the ESA Director, collaborating as needed with other FAO divisions, country offices and external partners.

Technical focus

The Economist will assist the ESA Director with quantitative analysis, data collection, implementation of research and policy activities, economic modelling and related tasks. The post is focused on quantitative work that supports the transformation of agrifood systems towards sustainable pathways.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Carry out qualitative research to complement quantitative analysis.
• Perform quantitative analyses including data handling, visualisation, statistical analysis, econometric estimation, economic modelling and forecasting.
• Contribute to developing and reviewing technical products, particularly economic and environmental analyses, and prepare evidence-based policy guidance.
• Support collection, processing, management and analysis of social, economic and environmental data from diverse sources.
• Draft reports and deliverables that clearly communicate main messages from the analysis.
• Validate and interpret results using appropriate econometric and modelling methods consistent with economic theory, recent literature and available data.
• Prepare technical documents and draft technical notes; provide technical and analytical support to projects under the Office of the Director.
• Liaise and coordinate with partners, members and other FAO units as relevant.

Minimum requirements

For Consultants: Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) from an institution recognized by the IAU/UNESCO in economics, agricultural economics, international trade, environmental sciences, public policy, data sciences, statistics or related fields. Candidates with only a bachelor's degree require two additional years of relevant professional experience.

For PSAs: University degree from an institution recognized by the IAU/UNESCO in the fields listed above.

Relevant professional experience: a minimum of 1 year (category C), 5 years (category B) or 10 years (category A) in economics, agricultural economics, international trade, public policy, statistics or related areas. Working knowledge (level C) of English is required.

FAO core competencies

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

Technical / functional skills

• Experience managing large datasets and applying statistics.
• Applied economic modelling and system-wide thinking; econometric or economic modelling and forecasting.
• Ability to present analytical results concisely to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis and statistical models; general or partial equilibrium analysis is an asset.
• Experience in modelling multidimensional sustainability of agrifood systems, data collection and processing, socioeconomic research, applied statistics, data science, big data and novel data sources.
• Familiarity with numerical computing languages such as Python, R, GAMS.
• Knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Job details

Job posting: 26 May 2026
Closure date: 05 June 2026 (2:59 PM)
Organizational unit: ESA - Agrifood Economics and Policy Division
Job type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Primary location: Various locations (listed also as Rome, RM, Italy)
Duration: Up to 11 months (renewable)

Additional information

FAO is committed to workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture. Qualified female applicants, nationals of under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All staff must adhere to high standards of integrity and professional conduct; FAO has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct incompatible with its mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and applications will be treated confidentially.

Requisiti

Advanced university degree (consultant) or university degree (PSA) in economics, agricultural economics, international trade, environmental sciences, public policy, data sciences, statistics or related fields; 1/5/10 years relevant experience depending on category (C/B/A). Working knowledge (level C) of English. Consultants with only a bachelor's degree require two additional years' experience.