Local Regulation/Policy Specialist

SAFEGRO’S RECRUITMENT

Local Regulation/Policy Specialist

Alinea International [1] provides management and technical expertise to developing and transitional country partners on projects that promote sustainable growth and meaningful opportunities for people to improve their lives in dozens of countries worldwide.

Alinea is currently recruiting a Local Regulation/Policy Specialist for the Safe Food for Growth project (SAFEGRO). The objective of the project is to improve the performance of national and sub-national governments in enforcing food safety regulations; to increase competitiveness of Vietnamese agri-food products domestically and internationally; and to increase consumer demand for safe agri-food in Vietnam. The project will operate across the agri-food value chain by engaging and building the capacity of three main target groups: the public sector (enabling environment), the private sector (supply side), and consumers (demand side).

In partnership with the University of Guelph (Canada), Alinea International will work with national and regional governments in Vietnam to enforce food safety regulations, with private sector suppliers to increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese food products domestically and internationally, and with consumers to improve demand for safe food in Vietnam. Key partners on this project include The Ministry of Agriculture Rural Development (MARD), the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Vietnamese academic and research Institutes.

Roles and responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, without being limited to:

• Providing technical input with respect to Vietnamese national regulations and policy on food safety in the revisions and update of the  PIP, the PMF, AWPs, and preparation of semi-annual and annual reports;
• Providing technical input with respect to the impact on existing Vietnamese national regulations and policy and any required regulatory policy modifications or development needed to complete and implement the Project food safety regulatory outputs;
• Developing and documenting required regulations or policies needed to complete and implement specific Project food safety regulatory outputs;
• Making representations to the appropriate Vietnamese government authorities in order to have the regulations and policies adopted at the national level;
• In relation to the highly specific project outputs, as identified in the Logic Model for regulatory and policy assessment, analysis, modification, and capacity building is required, working with the Canadian Regulation/Policy Specialist and International Training, Education and Laboratory Specialist to:
  
  • Assess the national capacity to effectively manage, enforce, investigate food safety through regulatory and policy instruments available to Vietnamese regulators and any required regulatory policy modifications;
  • Assist in the administration, distribution and implementation of the FAO/WHO food control systems assessment (FCSA) tool;
  • Develop guidance documents on the implementation of a risk-based food safety policy and regulatory framework for inspectorates including laboratory support services;
  • Identify existing food safety training materials and resources and support the development of training materials, guidance manuals and other technical documents specifically related to science-based and risk-based approaches to food control systems management at all levels;
  • Plan and conduct training workshops on the concepts of inspection program development, enforcement, food recall,  food safety investigations, surveillance and reporting;
  • Design and oversee initiatives aimed at generating data to inform scientific advice to support the implementation of a risk-based inspection and enforcement approach to food safety management by the project stakeholders;
  • Assist in donor coordination activities related to food safety inspection, enforcement and integration of respective project activities.
• Support the development of competency-based food safety training frameworks, their adaptation to the needs of Vietnam 
• Performing other related duties as required.

Minimum qualifications and experience

The Local Regulation and Policy Specialist must have the following minimum qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline such as: agricultural production, food science, animal or plant health science, public health, general health, nutrition….
• Level 4 - Advanced Professional Proficiency in English in oral, and reading and level 3 - General Professional Proficiency in writing;
• Level 4 - Advanced Professional Proficiency in Vietnamese (oral, reading and writing);
• 60 months of combined professional experience in:
  
  • governmental regulation and policy development procedures in Vietnam in the context of food safety, agricultural production or public health;
  • communicating regulatory and policy information to a mass audience, with various education levels and age groups, such as; general public in both rural and urban areas or specific target groups such as government officials, academia, private industry;
  • providing advice and making decisions regarding the most appropriate and effective means to communicate regulatory and policy information to target audiences;
  • contributing to the development of communication plans appropriate for regulatory and policy changes.

Compensation

Alinea offers competitive salaries and an excellent benefits package. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience based on UN/EU cost norms.

For those who are interested in applying for the regulation  / policy specialist position, please send your application (letter of interest and CV with details on qualifications and experiences) with at least 3 referees by email to [email protected] [2]. Please include the job title in your email subject line.

Application form: Only via email

Deadline: 17h00 on March 15, 2023

Interview announcement: Via email only to selected candidate.

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We welcome all applications, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression; candidates that are belong to underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. The recruitment process is based on fair standards.