National Administrative Assistant
Pretoria
- Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Location: Pretoria
- Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
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Occupational Groups:
- Operations and Administrations
- Administrative support
- Closing Date: 2025-11-14
IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
The main of the FAO Country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
FAO Country Office activities include the design and implementation of country-specific field programs, liaison with local donors' representatives and active outreach activities related to FAO initiatives.
The position is located in the FAO Representation in Pretoria, South Africa.
Reporting Lines
The National Administrative Assistant will be under the supervision of the FAO Representative in South Africa.
Technical Focus
Administration. The incumbent will also work in collaboration with relevant Administration and Programmes units in the representation, including the resilience hub (REOSA). The incumbent will play a pivotal role in managing the office of the FAOR.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Screen requests for appointments with supervisor; maintain supervisor's calendar; confirm mutually convenient schedules and arrange appointments; receive visitors; place and screen telephone calls;
• Respond to queries and correspondence, including those of a sensitive, confidential, or technical nature.
• Coordinate office support services for meetings, trainings, seminars, committees, and special projects and events; attend meetings, prepare minutes, monitor follow-up activities; make arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications.
• Review, log, distribute, and process incoming mail and correspondence.
• Track and follow up on pending actions to ensure timely completion.
• Draft responses to a variety of correspondence and communications, requiring familiarity with technical terminology and detailed office procedures.
• Carry out quality control for outgoing documents, ensuring adherence to FAO style, format, grammar, punctuation, and overall consistency.
• Monitor the FAOZA email account and update the FAOR on daily content and messages.
• Create and maintain the work unit's filing and reference systems; review the efficiency of office procedures and make recommendations for improvements.
• Maintains confidentially on communication pertaining to the office of the Representative
• Maintains partnership database and contact details of key partners for the office
• Support communication workflow from the Office of the Representative to various unit in the Organization
• Perform other Administration duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Secondary School Education
• Three years of relevant experience in office/ management support work
• Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English.
• National of South Africa
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment
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.
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.