Overview
FAO is recruiting a Young Professional Officer in Community-Driven Innovation, with applications closing on 14 October 2026. The P-1 position is based in the Office of Innovation in Rome. It focuses on approaches that involve communities and farmers in developing solutions for agrifood systems.
About the Opportunity
The officer supports grassroots innovation, Farmer Field Schools, participatory learning and related research. Activities include documenting innovations, contributing to training materials and helping organise learning processes with partners. The role connects technical work with the experiences of people using agricultural knowledge in practice.
This makes the application an opportunity to explain how you work with people as well as information. A strong example should show whose priorities shaped a project, how different perspectives were heard and what changed after participants contributed. Treat community members as collaborators with knowledge, rather than simply describing them as beneficiaries.
Benefits
FAO’s Young Professionals Programme generally offers a two-year fixed-term appointment, subject to a one-year probationary period, beginning at P-1. The selected vacancy and appointment terms govern the final conditions. This is a professional staff opportunity, rather than a student internship; no unverified salary figure is quoted here.
When assessing the opportunity, consider whether you want to build a career combining research, programme implementation and partnership work. Before accepting any offer, review the written terms carefully and ask the recruiting team to clarify relocation, insurance, leave and other conditions that matter to your circumstances.
Eligibility
The advertised minimum includes a relevant master’s-level qualification, one year of pertinent international-development experience, proficient English and intermediate ability in another FAO official language. Agricultural innovation, systems agronomy and agricultural economics are among the relevant study areas. Participatory approaches and agrifood-system knowledge are important.
Programme-level rules also apply, including the age ceiling of 32 by 31 December of the application year and nationality considerations. Check these alongside the vacancy’s exact requirements before preparing a full application. Meeting a minimum requirement does not guarantee selection.
Application Process
Open the official announcement through the Apply Now button and locate vacancy 2602005. Complete the online application with accurate education, employment and language details. Follow the instructions in the live recruitment system and submit before its displayed closing time.
How to Present Your Experience
Choose a project in which you helped people identify a problem or test an approach. Explain the starting situation, your responsibilities, the method used and the outcome. If you facilitated a discussion, describe how you handled disagreement or made participation possible for people whose views might otherwise have been missed.
Where results are qualitative, explain how you assessed them. Examples could include changes in participant feedback, documented lessons or adjustments made after a pilot. Do not invent numerical impact to make a story look stronger. A clear explanation of an imperfect project can demonstrate better judgement than an unsupported success claim.
For research examples, distinguish between collecting information, interpreting it and making a recommendation. Explain how you checked your interpretation with the people involved. Keep any confidential project data out of your application and use only information you are entitled to share.
Required Documents
Prepare an updated CV and accurate qualification and employment records. Draft a focused motivation statement for any section that requests it. The portal determines the documents required at submission; retain supporting certificates and reference details for later checks, and ensure names and dates are consistent throughout.
Deadline
Applications close on 14 October 2026. The recruitment system may display the closing time according to your device settings. Submit early enough to resolve upload or account issues, then retain the confirmation.
Summary Table
| Employer | FAO |
|---|---|
| Role | Young Professional Officer, Community-Driven Innovation |
| Location | Rome, Italy |
| Grade | P-1 |
| Reference | 2602005 |
| Closing date | 14 October 2026 |
Conclusion
Prioritise evidence of thoughtful collaboration, relevant technical preparation and practical learning. Review every mandatory criterion before submitting, and keep your application focused on the contribution you personally made.
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