R sig jobs - Feb 2016 - Statistician, R developer for agriculture statistics

Job Description.

We are seeking 2 statisticians and R developers to join the Methodological
innovation team of FAO Statistics Division in Rome, Italy.

Statistics is a core function of FAO and represents a highly visible area of the
Organization's work. FAO is recognized as having a fundamental global role
in developing methods and standards for food and agriculture statistics and as
hosting the world's largest statistical database for food and agriculture
statistics, FAOSTAT. In addition to maintaining the collection, processing and
dissemination of existing data series, there are increasing demands for new
statistics.

The Methodological innovation team is responsible for the development of
methods, standards, tools, norms and classifications used mainly within the
organization with the objective to improve the efficiency of FAO's
statistical system and the quality of its output.

Ongoing activities relate to the review of the approach and methods towards the
preparation of Food Balance Sheets, a flagship statistical product, with
particular emphasis on a rules-based framework for production imputation (using
an ensemble approach), trade balancing, allocation of domestic supplies to
domestic utilization as well as estimating elements of expected utilization,
e.g. food, animal feed, seed, losses (using linear and non-linear parametric
models).

Future activities will cover other statistical domains (agricultural prices,
agro-environmental indicators, fisheries and forestry statistics). The
consultant will contribute to the development of improved methods and processes
with a focus on imputation methods for missing data, compilation of regional and
world aggregates, data analysis and validation methods.

By way of example, with respect to methodological and technical work on Food
Balance Sheet (FBS), the consultant would undertake the following duties:

-               Develop optimum imputation, analysis and/or validation methods
for improved Supply Utilization Accounts (SUA's) and FBS;
-               Test and implement optimum statistical methods;
-               Provide high-level recommendations on ways to implement the
estimation and calculation of SUA elements (stocks, feed, seed, post-harvest
losses and waste, and food consumption) in R and on the module architecture, and
deliver script in accordance.
-               Oversee the development of computational plug-ins in R script to
be used in the new statistical working system.
-               Document the statistical methods and corresponding R scripts.
-               Develop validation routines.
-               Analyse pilot results and validate data.

Core skills:

- Dynamic statistician equipped with both highly advanced statistical skills and
R-programming skills and as well as with the ability to quickly master and apply
new methods.
- Ability to make recommendations and advise decision-makers on highly technical
issues.
- General understanding of databases and complex technological systems.
- Ability to understand statistical user requirements
- Ability to design a module architecture
- Proven ability to self-start, progress quickly up a steep learning curve,
assume initiative and to multi-task.
- Focus on delivery and on meeting tight deadlines.
- Knowledge of agricultural statistics and/or food commodities would be an
advantage.
- Effective collaborator, in particular familiar with GitHub.
- Postgraduate in statistics or other relevant quantitative field.

Contract duration: 11-month renewable
Location: FAO head-quarters in Rome, Italy

Applicants can contact:
Carola Fabi
Statistics Division
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
mailto: carola.fabi at fao.org