Disaster Risk Management Associate

Host entity: FAO

Volunteer type: International

Areas of expertise: Communication, advocacy, public information, Information technology and telecommunications, Climate change, environment

Application deadline: 13/10/2026

Mission and objectives

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger and achieve food security for all. In Asia and the Pacific, FAO supports governments and partners to transform agrifood systems so they are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. A core part of this work is strengthening disaster risk reduction, early warning, preparedness and anticipatory action so that climate and disaster risks are translated into timely measures that protect food security, agricultural livelihoods and vulnerable rural communities.

Assignment context

Asia and the Pacific is entering a critical period of preparedness, anticipatory action and early response for the 2026/27 El Niño strong event. The event may affect rainfall, water availability, agricultural production, livestock and heat exposure across multiple countries, while impacts and timing will vary considerably by location. FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is supporting country offices, governments and regional partners to translate evolving climate and agricultural risk information into timely preparedness and anticipatory action.
The Disaster Risk Management Associate will join FAO’s regional disaster resilience team in Bangkok and provide hands-on support to the regional El Niño portfolio. The assignment will focus on coordination, information management, knowledge products and operational follow-up across country and regional workstreams. It will also support consolidation of evidence and lessons from the 2026/27 event, including links with ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific Technical Working Group on Early Warnings and Anticipatory Action. The role offers exposure to climate-risk analysis, anticipatory action, regional coordination and multi-country programme delivery, working with FAO country offices, technical teams, governments, Red Cross/Red Crescent partners and other regional stakeholders.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Natural Resources Officer (Inclusion & Resilience), the Disaster Risk Management Associate will undertake the following tasks :

* Support information management for FAO’s regional 2026/27 El Niño work, including maintaining action trackers, country updates, timelines, meeting records and follow-up actions across regional and country workstreams.
* Support the consolidation and presentation of climate, drought, heat-risk, agricultural and operational information from FAO country offices and technical partners into concise regional updates, briefing notes, dashboards, presentations and decision-support products.
* Assist with coordination of routine El Niño monitoring and preparedness processes, including scheduling and preparing meetings, compiling inputs, recording decisions and following up agreed actions with country offices and technical colleagues.
* Contribute to knowledge management and evidence building by organizing project documentation, implementation records, monitoring information and lessons from anticipatory action interventions, and supporting preparation of After-Action Reviews and evidence products.
* Support communication and knowledge-sharing on El Niño preparedness and anticipatory action, including drafting accessible internal updates, talking points, summaries and materials for regional partners and events.
* Assist with regional coordination and learning processes, including engagement with ASEAN partners and the Asia-Pacific Technical Working Group on Early Warnings and Anticipatory Action, and support the preparation and documentation of work-shops, consultations and learning events.
* Support other related disaster resilience, early warning and anticipatory action tasks as required, as part of the regional team and with appropriate guidance and mentoring.
* Contribute, with guidance from technical colleagues, to exploring practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for climate and agricultural risk analysis, including organizing and preparing datasets, testing AI-assisted approaches for synthesizing and visualizing information, documenting use cases and limitations, and supporting the responsible use of emerging tools for impact forecasting, early warning and anticipatory action.

Skills and experience

Demonstrated interest and/or experience in :

• Disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, early warning, anticipatory action, humanitarian preparedness, agriculture, food security or related development work; and/or
• Coordination, information management, research, communications, monitoring, knowledge management or preparation of analytical/briefing products; and/or
• Interest or introductory experience in data analysis, artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial analysis or digital tools applied to climate, agriculture, disaster risk reduction or humanitarian action.
• Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded.

Skills in :

• Strong organization, coordination and information-management skills, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and keep track of actions and dead-lines.
• Clear written communication and analytical skills, including confidence using standard office software and preparing concise presentations, briefs, trackers and other knowledge products.
• Digital literacy and curiosity, with an interest in learning how AI, machine learning, data visualization and other emerging technologies can be applied responsibly to climate-risk monitoring, impact forecasting and anticipatory action.
• Familiarity with data-analysis or geospatial tools would be an asset, but is not required.

Competencies and values

- Accountability
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Building Trust
- Client Orientation
- Commitment and Motivation
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Communication
- Creativity
- Empowering Others
- Ethics and Values
- Integrity
- Judgement and Decision-making
- Knowledge Sharing
- Planning and Organizing
- Professionalism
- Respect for Diversity
- Self-Management
- Technological Awareness
- Vision
- Working in Teams

Living conditions

Bangkok is a large, well-connected regional hub and a family duty station with a wide range of accommodation, health, education, transport and recreational services. The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is located in central Bangkok. The city has an extensive public transport network, including BTS Skytrain and MRT services, although traffic congestion can be significant. Bangkok has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions for much of the year and a monsoon season generally occurring between May and October. The cost of living varies according to location and lifestyle, and a broad range of housing options is available. UN personnel are expected to follow applicable UN security guidance and local laws and regulations.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.