National Forest Inventory Expert📣 Job Ad

About the National Forest Inventory Expert Role

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is seeking a National Forest Inventory Expert to provide technical leadership and specialized support for the completion, validation, reporting, and dissemination of the National Forest Inventory (NFI) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This full-time position is based in Riyadh.

Role Context and Objectives

FAO, through its Technical Cooperation Programme with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, supports the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and the National Centre for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC). This role contributes to Component 9 of the Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Programme (SRAD), focusing on strengthening national capacities in sustainable rangeland and forest management. The NFI is the first comprehensive national assessment of forest resources, providing critical data for evidence-based planning and decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and finalize the cleaned and validated National Forest Inventory database, ensuring dataset consistency for reporting.
• Lead the technical analysis and interpretation of NFI results, preparing key indicators related to forest area, cover, species composition, regeneration, biomass, carbon stock, biodiversity, and forest health.
• Draft the National Forest Inventory Database Report, detailing data structure, quality control, metadata, and management protocols.
• Draft the National Forest Inventory Methodology Report, covering sampling design, field protocols, data collection, quality assurance, and analytical approaches.
• Draft the National Forest Inventory Results Report for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including statistical analysis, findings, maps, charts, tables, and technical annexes.
• Collaborate with the FAO geospatial team to review and validate all maps, figures, and visual products for NFI reports.
• Prepare technical presentations, briefing notes, and communication materials summarizing key NFI findings for stakeholders.
• Design and deliver a National Workshop on NFI Results validation and dissemination.
• Provide technical advice during workshop discussions and review meetings.
• Support knowledge transfer of methodologies, analytical procedures, databases, and reporting tools to NCVC and FAO technical teams.

Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced university degree (MSc or PhD) in Forestry, Forest Inventory, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Sciences, Forest Biometrics, Forestry Statistics, or a related field. A Bachelor's degree with two additional years of relevant professional experience is also considered.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in forest inventory design, implementation, analysis, reporting, and forest resource assessment.
• Working knowledge of English (level C).

Required Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated experience in National Forest Inventory implementation and reporting.
• Experience with forest inventory databases, quality assurance, and quality control procedures.
• Proficiency in forest statistics, sampling methodologies, and data analysis.
• Familiarity with GIS and spatial analysis tools.
• Experience in capacity development, training delivery, and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing technical reports, inventory methodologies, databases, and national forest assessment publications.
• Experience in forest biomass and carbon estimation, statistical analysis, and forest-related indicators.
• Experience in designing and delivering technical training and workshops for government institutions and technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments and coordinate effectively with technical teams and stakeholders.

Reporting and Work Environment

The National Forest Inventory Expert will report to the FAO Programme Director in Saudi Arabia and the Natural Resources Management Chief Technical Advisor. The role involves close collaboration with FAO teams, NCVC technical counterparts, and other national and international experts. The position is full-time and located in Riyadh.