Vaccination Assistant (34 positions)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

vacancy announcement No:

Deadline For Application:

04/04/2022

Job Title:    Vaccination Assistant

Type of requisition:

Locally Contracted Labour

Duty Station:

MoA Regional Services

Organizational Unit:

FAOLB

Duration:

15 – 35 working days

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply.

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Organizational Setting

In response to the devastating impact of the economic and financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture sector and food security, the Government of Lebanon (GOL) has designed a program to provide direct support to farmers engaged in crop and livestock production and help them restore their productive capacities. The Programme will be financed through a US$10 million reallocation under the World Bank-financed Roads and Employment Project and implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representation in Lebanon under the overall technical leadership and guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) will be in charge of the overall contract management responsibility in respect of the Outputs Agreement signed with the FAO.

The programme will be implemented by FAO in close collaboration and co-ordination with concerned government line departments at national, regional, governorate and district levels. It will contribute to reduced poverty and increased resilience for vulnerable rural people of Lebanon. This contribution will be achieved through:

1. support to the sustained restoration of the productive capacities of 26,700 vulnerable smallholder men and women farmers (i.e. crop, livestock, freshwater fish and honey producers),and
2. a vaccination campaign of cattle and small ruminants.

Preserving and strengthening domestic production and value chains is not only critical to mitigate the short-term risk related to agricultural livelihoods but also to boost the local economy in the medium and long term.

The current assignment is part of point 2) above. The programme will support MoA in its vaccination campaign helping small and medium-scale livestock keepers protect their assets through animal vaccination throughout Lebanon. Candidates will indicate their preferred working geographic area – Governorate(s).

Reporting Lines

The Vaccination Assistant will perform his/her tasks under the overall supervision of the FAO Programme Manager, and the direct supervision of the MoA Animal Resources Officers at the Regional Service level.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Vaccination Assistant main task is to support the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Services in the different regions, all over Lebanon, to vaccinate the livestock. More particularly, the Vaccination Assistant shall:

• Participate to any relevant training delivered to the Vaccination Assistants;
• Receive and maintain in good condition the materials and equipment needed for the vaccination delivered by the supervisor or MoA;
• Support MoA staff in the annual animal vaccination campaign of cattle and small ruminants, including preparing the vaccines and vaccination equipment for the field visits, if requested;
• Support MoA staff in vaccination campaign record keeping, preparing lists, forms or any related documents needed during the vaccination campaign;
• Communicate with farmers on a daily basis in a professional manner;
• Communicate basic veterinary concepts to farmers and to repeat information relayed by the MoA, if requested;
• Comply with the requirements necessary for conducting a successful livestock vaccination;
• Assist MoA staff in the elaboration of the reports on the use of the vaccines, including the list of beneficiaries, the types and number of animals vaccinated, number of doses used per governorate, and other relevant information;
• Identify and report any challenges faced that could affect the quality of the work to the supervisor;
• Liaise and collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture staff and other project partners for the good implementation of the project activities;
• Turn over, at the end of assignment, all materials and equipment used on duty to the supervisor or MoA;
• Assist, if requested, in briefing meetings for the benefit of partners;
• Undertake other project related tasks as requested by the supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements   

• Veterinary Sciences University graduate (Junior Vets) or student/undergraduate (year 4, 5 and 6) or graduate from Veterinary Technical School (Veterinary Technician or paraprofessional) or related fields;
• Specialization in Ruminants is an advantage;
• Resident in the vicinity of one of the Ministry of Agriculture Veterinary Services (applicants will need to select the region they wish to be considered for);
• Willing to work in the field and travel across the assigned region during the vaccination campaign;
• Good written and spoken knowledge of Arabic;
• Computer literacy of the Microsoft package including Excel and Word use;
• Experience in field surveys and data collection tools (Kobo, ODK, etc.) is an advantage;
• Previous experience with a UN agency or NGOs is an advantage;
• Previous experience in vaccination campaigns, veterinary or animal production activities in Lebanon is an advantage.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Organized individual, punctual, capable of handling multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, and managing time effectively;
• Strong listening skills which are necessary to understand and follow instructions and procedures;
• Ability to work and deliver under pressure;
• Attention to detail;
• Ability to work independently as well as an effective team player;
• Must be able to work efficiently and effectively under stressful conditions;
• Service oriented with a strong desire to help others;
• Good communication skills;
• Familiarity with Veterinary/Animal Production and rural development projects.