COUNTRY/REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM NETWORK (FEWS NET) – LAC REGION
ARD, Inc. (http://www.ardinc.com) is currently accepting expressions of interest from potential Country and Regional Representative candidates for the upcoming USAID-funded global Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) program. FEWS NET uses remote sensing technology and accurate/timely data collection to provide USG, host country governments, donors and others with information pertaining to potential food insecurity to facilitate decision making and response. Anticipated countries in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region include Guatemala and Haiti. Qualified candidates must be nationals of these countries/regions.

Responsibilities include:
--Data and information gathering and analysis for the purposes of identifying factors that may influence and affect food security in target countries and regions.
--Work closely with individual USAID Missions and other US and foreign government agencies, private donor agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Work closely with the USAID Mission personnel most involved with food security, agriculture, and the PL 480 program.
--Ensure that the early warning, vulnerability analysis and response planning needs of USAID Missions are properly identified and called to the attention of the project’s COP.
--Responsible for ensuring FEWSNET activities are implemented in a manner which contributes to the building of a local capacity to provide food security and famine early warning and response planning information in a sustainable manner.

Required qualifications:
--At least a master’s degree in a discipline that is directly relevant to, or provides a basic understanding of, the disciplines involved in famine monitoring;
--At a minimum, the candidate must have a suitable background in: (1) economics and/or agricultural economics so as to be able to conduct early warning and vulnerability analyses described in this scope of work, and (2) agriculture and agroclimatology so as to be able to link information about current season agricultural growing conditions with satellite imagery obtained for important crop growing areas. Other areas which also would be desirable, although are not required, are public health, nutrition, geography, rural economics, and similar areas;
--Experience working in the international development arena, particularly in the areas of food security and early warning;
--Experience will information dissemination, communications, and outreach to a worldwide audience;
--Minimum of 3 years field experience in a developing country, preferably in the country/region to which the candidate is applying, conducting operations of relevance to data acquisition and analysis of potential famine conditions. Computer literacy is critical, as is an ability to correct hardware and software related problems in the field with a minimum of outside technical assistance;
--Excellent writing, editing, document production skills; training experience a plus.
--Language fluency at least at the FS S3/R3 in the official national language. English language fluency a plus.

ARD, Inc. is committed to diversity and gender equality in all of its operations—in the US and overseas. We strive to reflect these goals in our global mission and in our workforce. We encourage applications from women and underrepresented ethnic, racial and cultural groups. ARD, Inc. is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

a letter of application and a current resume in reverse chronological format

Candidates meeting position requirements will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

2010-04-30