Organizational Setting

The position is located at the FAO Representation in Georgia, based in Tbilisi. The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by the FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

The National Legal Specialist will be recruited under the UTF/GEO/034/GEO-F project titled: “Formulation and design of Land Consolidation in Georgia (hereafter referred as “UTF Project”)”.

The overarching goal of the project is to support the introduction of a fully operational land consolidation instrument in Georgia integrated with irrigation rehabilitation in the World Bank Georgia Resilient Agriculture, Irrigation, and Land (GRAIL) Project. The project is expected to contribute to future increased agricultural production and investments, more efficient use of land and of water for agricultural purposes, more dynamic agricultural land markets, improved access to credit, and improved access to land and strengthened land rights, including for women who own land alone or jointly with men.

Land consolidation in Georgia is expected to result in more efficient farm structures through reduction of land fragmentation and the voluntary facilitation of farm enlargement and in this way contribute to local agricultural development. Land consolidation is planned to be introduced in a multi-purpose approach, integrating the objective of agricultural development with additional public objectives related to nature, environment and climate change adaptation and mitigation depending on the situation in the project areas.

The project will result in a National Land Consolidation Strategy document, legal framework assessment for land consolidation, initiation of implementation of land consolidation pilot projects, initiation of country-wide criteria assessment for future land consolidation efforts and the initial development of technical and administrative capacity for implementation of land consolidation projects and management of a future national land consolidation programme.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall responsibility of the FAO Representative for Georgia, and the direct supervision of the National Project Coordinator, with coordination with LEG Legal Officer and in close collaboration with all relevant units of the FAO Country Office in Georgia and international experts.

Technical Focus

The position is responsible for leading comprehensive legal and institutional assessments of Georgia's regulatory frameworks regarding agricultural land management and consolidation. Key operational tasks include drafting recommendations for legislative revisions, particular focus is given to advising project and its beneficiaries on land disputes, directly assisting beneficiary farmers with property registration and inheritance issues (providing consultancy for the procedures, to remove hindrances in land consolidation process), synchronizing land use registration data with the GIS data in collaboration with GIS specialists of the project team, assessing overall land use status quo in pilot areas as well as for country-wide assessment, providing summaries on legal status of land plots relevant for land consolidation process. This specialist supervises junior land team members, who are responsible for registry data collection and initial assessment, informing the legal summaries for pilot and country-wide assessment process. The incumbent is also engaged in field work to support landowners in understanding their rights and safeguards in land consolidation process. This position will need to regularly update the project team and international specialists with current legal assessment, provide input for guidance materials to be aligned with Georgian legal framework and engage actively in drafting legal recommendations by the International Legal Specialist to be provided to the Government of Georgia on land consolidation legislature.

The incumbent will provide technical support to the implementation of the UTF Project with focus on all land consolidation related activities.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Provide legal support for the implementation of land consolidation activities under the GRAIL Project, in close collaboration with and under the technical and operational supervision of FAO and collaboration with the relevant legal units within MEPA and the LMA.
•    Contribute to the drafting of the National Land Consolidation Strategy ensuring coherence with the existing strategic and legal documents.
•    Under the guidance of the FAO Legal Officer and the International Legal Specialist lead conducting a comprehensive legal and institutional assessment of the existing regulatory framework related to agricultural land management and land consolidation.
•    Contribute to the drafting the recommendations of new legislation and/or the revision of existing legal instruments and operational procedures to enable the effective implementation of land consolidation pilots.
•    Liaise with public authorities at various levels on matters concerning legislation, regulations, and operational procedures related to land consolidation.
•    Supervise and coordinate the work of the Land Data/Information Specialist and Junior Land Consolidation Specialist, ensuring quality and timely delivery of outputs, assessing their performance and providing feedback when necessary.
•    Provide guidance to the Land Data/Information Specialist and Junior Land Consolidation Specialist, as well as any other national or locally based team members in legal issues related to land consolidation.
•    Engage in supporting the beneficiary farmers to understand their land rights, property registration issues, inheritance procedures; provide consultations to understand the land consolidation process and the legal implications thereof.
•    Under the overall guidance of the FAO team, contribute to the quality assurance from a legal perspective for all deliverables related to the land consolidation component of the GRAIL Project, including land consolidation plans and supporting documentation.
•    Provide legal advice in cases of land disputes.
•    Under the leadership of LTO, LEGN Legal Officer, International Legal Specialist and National Project Coordinator, contribute, from a legal perspective, to the design, coordination, and monitoring of the delivery of capacity-building and training programmes for LMA staff and other stakeholders.
•    Contribute to the development of the National Land Consolidation Programme under the GRAIL Project, based on pilot experiences and technical oversight and guidance from FAO.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced university degree in Law.
•    Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in the development, review, and implementation of legal and regulatory frameworks, particularly in property rights, real estate, or land governance.
•    Working knowledge of English is required (C - level for both speaking and writing).
•    National of Georgia.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Strong knowledge of legal frameworks related to land governance, property rights, and land tenure systems
•    Experience in legal analysis, drafting, and review of legislation, regulations, and operational procedures
•    Ability to conduct legal and institutional assessments and provide practical recommendations
•    Experience in developing and aligning legal inputs to national strategies and policy documents
•    Ability to provide legal advice on land-related disputes and regulatory issues
•    Strong understanding of public administration and institutional coordination mechanisms
•    Ability to liaise and coordinate with government authorities and multiple stakeholders
•    Experience in designing and delivering legal aspects of capacity-building and training programmes
•    Strong analytical, problem-solving, and drafting skills
•    Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills

Selection Criteria

•    Proven professional experience in the assessment, development, review, and implementation of legal and regulatory frameworks, particularly in property rights, real estate, or land governance.
•    Proven experience in working on land law.
•    Demonstrated team supervision experience.
•    Good understanding of Georgia’s National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), data protection requirements, and relevant government policies.
•    Experience in working with international organizations, government agencies and development partners is an asset; working experience at a UN organization is an asset.
•    Experience working with rural communities and farmers is an asset.
•    Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
•    Experience in managing and supervising project teams.
•    Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams and large-scale projects will be an asset.
•    Strong understanding of land governance, tenure systems, and legal frameworks.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
For additional employment opportunities 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.