Geospatial Data Scientist

The Statistics Division (ESS) of FAO is recruiting a Geospatial Data Scientist to support the development, promotion and capacity development activities of Earth Observation (EO)-based solutions for food and agriculture statistics. This is an 11-month non-staff consultant position (renewable) based in Rome, Italy. ESS is collaborating with technical FAO divisions and decentralized offices to develop and promote EO-based solutions to produce data and statistics needed for evidence-based decision-making in support of food security and food system transformation. Core responsibilities include designing, implementing and validating EO-based methodologies and indicators for crop area and yield monitoring; supporting satellite image preprocessing and dataset preparation for EOSTAT initiatives; applying machine learning for crop mapping and statistical gap-filling; designing integrated data collection strategies combining EO, census, survey and in-situ data; establishing end-to-end data quality assurance protocols; providing technical assistance to national counterparts for integrating EO evidence; capacity development through training materials and technical support; and translating geospatial analysis into clear, actionable technical notes, policy briefs and programme recommendations. Requires an advanced university degree in Environmental Science, Data Science, Informatics, Geography, Statistics, or related fields. Minimum 5 years relevant experience applying EO data to agriculture in developing countries.