Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)

Decision Support Team

Middle East and Europe

Regional Technical Sr. Specialist – Markets and Trade

 Scope of Work

Introduction

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Government (USG) 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 of acute food insecurity. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several mechanisms through close collaboration among a team of government and university partners Chemonics International (Chemonics) and other contractors. Chemonics implements FEWS NET’s Decision Support Team (DST), which is charged with providing integrated monitoring and analyses of current and forecast acute food insecurity in countries worldwide to support the USG’s policy and programmatic decisions. The DST operates through a Washington-based technical office and regional and select local FEWS NET offices established in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and eastern Europe.

Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, DST members monitor information and data on factors that affect food security, such as conflict, weather conditions, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET DST produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and targeted analyses. FEWS NET makes reports and data available globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.

The eighth phase of FEWS NET began in 2024. The work of the FEWS NET DST relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security data, information gathering, and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data sharing and exchanges, and collaborative analysis and reporting. FEWS NET supports local and regional food security networks with the global objective of achieving food security for all.

Position Description

The FEWS NET DS Team is responsible for providing decision support to USAID BHA in over 40 countries located in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The project operates out of a home office, based in Washington, D.C. and five regional offices located in LAC (Guatemala), West Africa (Niger), East Africa (Kenya), Southern Africa (Zimbabwe), the Middle East and Europe (Jordan), and Asia (these two regions will operate out of Jordan). One regional technical senior specialist (RTSS) for markets and trade (M&T) will cover each of the regions.

FEWS NET’s acute food insecurity analyses, early warning, and food assistance decision-support relies on an in-depth understanding, monitoring, and analysis of a wide range of data and information including staple food, cash crop, livestock, and labor markets. To support this effort, regional technical senior specialist-markets and trade (RTSS–M&T) serve as the regional decision support specialists for the markets and trade sector and primarily support M&T activities within the region. The RTSS–M&T will work with the regional technical lead (RTL), the other technical specialists in the regional team, the country teams in the region, the M&T team in Washington, D.C., other mechanisms across the FEWS NET 8 project, and network partners to design, execute, and coordinate regional activities in the M&T technical area. These activities include but are not limited to overseeing M&T data collection and quality assurance, providing sectoral technical assistance and guidance to country teams, preparing regional decision-support products, and strengthening capacity to conduct relevant market analyses. The RTSS–M&T contributes to providing high-quality and effective early warning of threats to food security and supporting efforts to mitigate food insecurity and prevent food crises through the provision of actionable food security analysis. The RTSS-M&T works under the technical supervision of the M&T advisor, with administrative management provided by the RTL.

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.

Location and Reporting

The RTSS–M&T is a full-time position. The strong preference is for the RTSS-M&T to be based in the regional office in Amman (Jordan). Highly qualified candidates who have legal work authorization and are based Lebanon may be considered.

The RTSS–M&T will work under the technical direction and supervision of the M&T Advisor, while oversight of regional priorities and select administrative tasks will be provided by the Regional Technical Lead, in coordination with the M&T Advisor. The RFSS-M&T may be required to supervise technical assistants, data processors, and/or short-term consultants, as/if delegated by the M&T Advisor. The RTSS-M&T will be required to travel within the region, and other international travel may also be required, security and health conditions permitting.

Application Instructions

Please apply using the following link by August 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact short-listed candidates.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.

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