Senior Food Security Analyst, FEWS NET, East and Southern Africa (ESAF)

Chemonics’ East and Southern Africa Regional Business Unit is seeking a Senior Food Security Analyst. The Senior Food Security Analyst (SFSA) is part of the Food Security Decision Support Group (FS-DSG), a unit within the Washington DC-based FEWS NET DS Team. The SFSA works closely with other FEWS NET DS Team colleagues in the home, regional, and field offices to accomplish the FS-DSG’s two primary objectives: 1) facilitate development and communication of timely, high-quality, actionable decision support at the country, regional, and global levels and 2) build the capacity of FEWS NET staff and partners in food security analysis and strategic communications. In addition to contributing to the two primary objectives noted above, SFSAs also take on leadership roles in the FS-DSG, which may include serving as lead analysts for select geographic regions or specified thematic areas, covering more challenging countries within FEWS NET’s portfolio, and/or leading on higher-priority activities. 

 

SFSA positions are full-time and are typically based at the FEWS NET DS home office in Washington, D.C., though remote options may be considered for well qualified candidates. The SFSA positions work under the direct supervision of the FEWS NET D-FSDSA, or their designee, and work closely with other members of the FS-DSG and home, regional, and field office teams. The decision support analysts and senior decision support analysts are required to travel domestically and internationally, security permitting.  

Responsibilities:

Analyze, integrate, and synthesize conflict, markets and trade, nutrition, livelihoods, and other information affecting food security for the development of regular, high-quality, integrated acute food insecurity early warning information products 

• Co-lead on the analysis of acute food insecurity in a subset of FEWS NET’s presence (over 40) countries and/or Expanded Global Early Warning (around 125) countries.  

• Technically and editorially contribute to, review, and revise field-authored regular and ad hoc reporting on acute food insecurity in support of effective decision-making by donor governments. This decision support includes production of Food Security Outlooks, Outlook Updates, Alerts, Regional Seasonal Monitors, the Food Assistance Outlook Brief, Targeted Analyses, regular briefings, and other ad hoc products and briefings, as necessary. The SFSA will communicate the severity of acute food insecurity in line with the globally recognized Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) scale. Where IPC compatibility is not possible, the SFSA will communicate needs in globally comparable means, as advised by the senior food security decision support advisor (S-FSDSA), deputy decision support advisor (D-FSDSA), and quality assurance and methods advisor (QAMA).   

• Contribute to the development of the estimates of the population in need of humanitarian food assistance for the monthly and annual Food Assistance Outlook Brief and other decision support products for USAID. 

• Develop and present technical briefings on acute food insecurity to USG staff and other partners, as requested. 

• Lead or otherwise support the development of special technical reports on acute food insecurity. 

• Conduct field visits to support food security assessments and technical analysis. 

Respond to ad hoc requests for food security and response planning analysis and other support for response and contingency planning processes 

• Play a lead role in developing analytical and decision-support strategies to effectively develop and communicate pertinent information to decision-makers when potential or ongoing food security crises are identified.  

• Support the S-FSDSA and D-FSDSA  in meeting USAID’s expectations on timely delivery of decision support products, which includes, but is not limited to: delivery of monthly reporting for all presence countries no later than 7 days after the last day of the month; responding to urgent questions on acute food insecurity within one day; providing briefings within one week of request; and assessing acute food insecurity in EGEW countries within one week of request.  

• The SFSA will be expected to demonstrate the ability to respond quickly to sudden increases and decreases in food insecurity globally by actively working with the S-FSDSA and D-FSDSA to re-orient work plans and initiate new lines of monitoring and reporting outside of traditional areas of coverage.