GIS/Remote sensing Analyst

Position details

• Vacancy number: 2601844
• Opportunity type: Non-staff opportunities
• Grade / contract type: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
• Organizational unit: FAVIE - FAO Representation in Vietnam
• Duration: 13 days
• Application deadline: 10/Sep/2026, 9%5C:59%5C:00 PM

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

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

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide and has started working in Viet Nam since 1978 with its Representation (Country Office) opened in Ha Noi.

FAO is looking to conduct a rapid drought assessment in Viet Nam, building upon existing FAO-supported drought assessment. It aims to draw upon international experiences and best practices in drought monitoring, forecasting, anticipatory action, and integrated drought management to identify lessons applicable to Viet Nam. It will also provide a comprehensive, forward-looking analysis of drought risks in the Central Highlands under the forecasted El Niño conditions of 2026. The assessment will integrate climate forecasting, drought risk analysis across sectors, and gap analysis to generate evidence-based recommendations for resilient water resources management and climate adaptation. The findings will support national and provincial authorities in strengthening drought preparedness, protecting agricultural production and rural livelihoods, safeguarding water security, and enhancing the long-term resilience of one of Viet Nam's most economically and environmentally important regions.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent is put under the overall supervision by the FAO Representative, technical supervision by the Lead Technical Officer in FAO-RAP, and day-to-day management by Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and the Water Resources Specialist.

Technical Focus

GIS/Remote sensing Analyst will be responsible for processing, analyzing, and integrating spatial meteorological and hydrological, water resources, and agricultural data to support the assessment of the spatial distribution and severity of drought and its impacts on agricultural production. The incumbent will also develop maps and spatial products to support the analysis, visualization, and communication of the assessment findings.

Tasks and responsibilities

Working under the overall supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and in close collaboration with the Team Leader and other team members, the GIS/Remote sensing Analyst shall:

•    Review the existing FAO drought assessment and available spatial datasets, maps, and GIS databases relevant to drought, water resources, agriculture, and irrigation in the Central Highlands.
•    Collect, compile, organize, and quality-control available spatial data on meteorology, hydrology, water resources, agricultural production, irrigation infrastructure, crop distribution, and historical drought events.
•    Support the integration of available historical drought information with spatial datasets to characterize the extent, distribution, and severity of drought impacts in the Central Highlands.
•    Compile and integrate information on major agricultural production areas, particularly high-value crops such as coffee and pepper, and relevant irrigation infrastructure, including reservoirs, pumping stations, canal systems, and major irrigation schemes.
•    Support the Water Resources Management and Drought Management Expert in identifying areas where drought risks may be associated with limited water availability, irrigation constraints, or other water resources conditions.
•    Support the Agricultural Water Demand and Irrigation Expert in spatially linking agricultural water demand, crop distribution, irrigation coverage, and areas potentially vulnerable to water shortages.
•    Support the Climate and El Niño Expert, where appropriate, in spatially representing available climate and drought outlook information for the Central Highlands.
•    Develop GIS maps showing the spatial distribution of historical drought events, agricultural production areas, irrigation systems, and areas potentially exposed to drought under the forecasted 2026 conditions.
•    Where appropriate and based on available datasets, apply remote sensing information to support the assessment of drought extent, agricultural conditions, crop distribution, and changes in vegetation or agricultural water stress.
•    Develop spatial overlays and hotspot maps to support the identification of priority areas and sectors requiring enhanced drought preparedness.
•    Establish and maintain a structured GIS database to ensure consistency and traceability of spatial information used in the assessment.
•    Prepare maps, figures, and other spatial products for inclusion in the drought assessment report and presentation materials.
•    Contribute technical inputs to the validation workshop and the final drought assessment report.
•    Perform other GIS and spatial analysis tasks relevant to the assignment as requested by the Team Leader.
•    Contribute technical input to the preparation of the final assessment report and recommendations.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

   
•    Advanced university degree (MSc or PhD) in Geography, Geomatics, GIS, Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Water Resources Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or another closely related discipline;
•    At least 5 years of relevant experience in GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, or related fields;
•    Working knowledge of English and Vietnamese; 
•    National of Viet Nam or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Proficiency in GIS software and tools for collecting, managing, processing, analysing, and visualizing spatial data.
•    Demonstrated experience in integrating spatial information from multiple sources and conducting appropriate data quality control.
•    Strong experience in spatial analysis and mapping of drought extent, severity, evolution, agricultural exposure, and affected areas.
•    Demonstrated experience in using remote sensing data to assess agricultural conditions, vegetation dynamics, crop distribution, or agricultural water stress.
•    Experience in integrating GIS information with meteorological, hydrological, water resources, irrigation, and agricultural datasets.
•    Experience in identifying and delineating irrigation service areas and linking irrigation systems with agricultural production areas is an advantage.
•    Experience with satellite-based agricultural and water-related datasets, including Sentinel, Landsat, MODIS, or similar datasets, is an advantage.
•    Experience with FAO’s WaPOR or other remote-sensing-based water productivity and evapotranspiration datasets is an advantage.
•    Experience in developing GIS-based decision-support products for water resources management, drought management, or disaster risk reduction is an advantage.
•    Strong analytical and visualization skills, with the ability to communicate complex spatial information clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
•    Demonstrated experience working as part of multidisciplinary teams.
•    Experience working with government agencies, research institutions, development partners, and local authorities in Viet Nam.
•    Ability to deliver high-quality spatial outputs within tight deadlines.

Selection Criteria

•    Demonstrated experience in developing and managing GIS databases for water resources, agriculture, drought, climate, or disaster risk assessment;
•    Demonstrated experience in spatial analysis and mapping of drought extent, severity, agricultural production, irrigation systems, or related environmental conditions;
•    Experience working with GIS and remote sensing datasets relevant to Viet Nam;

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. 

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT