Job Title : Call for Interest - Office Assistant (Short-term opportunity for initial 6 months)

ID : 34361

Location : ROME

Date of issue : 02/27/2026

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 03/16/2026

Organizational Unit : People and Culture Division

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 6 Months

Grade : G-5

Organizational Setting

This Call for Interest is advertised as a short-term assignment with a duration of 6 months and expected to start shortly after selection. Should an external candidate (including consultants and staff members not meeting IFAD HR Implementing Procedures' definition of 'internal') be selected, the contract type would be that of a short-term professional (TPO). In the event an IFAD staff member, holding a Fixed Term contract be selected, the movement would be implemented as a Temporary Assignment through the applicable provisions. Applicants should verify and obtain their supervisors' support to be released.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Corporate Services Department (CSD) provides IFAD with the human resources, administrative services, safety and security, information technology resources, and medical support services required to allow IFAD to meet its objectives of enabling rural people overcome poverty. CSD is led by an Associate Vice-President, CSD, is comprised of three (3) divisions: People and Culture Division (PCD), Information and Communications Technology Division (ICT), Management Services Division (MSD) and one unit: the Health & Wellness Unit (HWU).

The People and Culture Division (PCD) provides high quality HR expertise, nurturing a culture of excellence and contributing towards an inclusive and diverse workplace where People come first. It is a strategic, business-oriented and trusted partner for IFAD managers and staff across the globe. It supports corporate initiatives aimed at implementing key HR processes at the organizational level and developing a shared Workplace Culture based on IFAD's core values. PCD is led by a Divisional Director, and is comprised of three (3) units: the Strategic Partnering and Talent Acquisition Unit (SPTA), the Talent Management Unit (TMU), and the People Operations and Policy (POP) unit.

Job Role

The Office Assistant is accountable for the management of administrative services and workflows at departmental or divisional level, including business support, resource management and planning and office communications. The incumbent executes and manages processes and transactions ensuring efficient and high quality and accuracy of work to enhance the smooth running of the organizational unit and its workflow and management of information.

Key Functions and Results

1.BUSINESS SUPPORT TO AVP or DIRECTOR: The Office Assistant organizes and manages the office business and support to the AVP or Division Director, to ensure integrity and adherence to established rules and procedures. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

  • Maintaining the supervisor`s calendar and managing travel arrangements;
  • Preparing briefing materials for official trips or meetings;
  • Drafting responses to written inquiries on routine and non-routine queries and coordinating responses to sensitive or complex issues;
  • Liaising with internal (HQ and field) and external clients for the smooth functioning of business operations;
  • Organizing the logistics of internal and external meetings/committees;
  • Reviewing all correspondence and official documents for style, factual and grammatical accuracy, as well as conformance with established guidelines and procedures;
  • Preparing the submission of correspondence for the supervisor`s signature.

2. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING: The Office Assistant contributes in the planning and delivery of the divisional/departmental work plan(s) and budget. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

  • Consolidating, monitoring and administering departmental/divisional budgets including regular and non-regular budgets;
  • Assessing budget trends and future requirements;
  • Preparing and delivering presentations and reports on budget utilization if required;
  • Originating and/or administering the procurement of goods and services (e.g. non-staff recruitments, commercial and non-commercial entity contracts);
  • Coordinating divisional or departmental work plan(s) and generating regular reviews and final reporting;
  • Initiating HR-related actions for recruitment/contract extension and ensuring timely and efficient completion of actions.

3. DIVISIONAL/DEPARTMENTAL OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES: The Office Assistant is responsible for ensuring timely submissions by staff of reports, correspondence and documentation within stipulated deadlines, as well as adherence to corporate standards and processes. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

  • Coordinating work flows for divisional/departmental documents/correspondence going to or through the AVP or Division Director;
  • Effecting quality checks of official documents/correspondence;
  • Ensuring organization and logistics for meetings and events;
  • Providing guidance on corporate administrative processes, through induction and briefing/debriefing of staff and consultants;
  • Coordinating work of junior staff assigned to the office;
  • Ensuring proper office management of goods and tools for an effective running office;
  • Coordinating divisional travel plans.
  • Recording divisional absences.

4. DIVISIONAL/DEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: The Office Assistant coordinates the communication and workflow of the office of the AVP or Division Director to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency and timeliness of office operations and outputs. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

  • Maintaining the office filing and reference systems, both traditional and digital;
  • Ensuring the inter/intra-net websites are up to date and accurate;
  • Maintaining and updating corporate IT platforms.

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: Is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff supervised.

Position specifics: The incumbent is required to maintain highly sensitive and confidential files which need to be kept within the Division. This requires a high level of confidentiality from the incumbent who is also responsible for ensuring that the files have restricted access and that they are therefore not shared with anyone unless instructed to do so.

The incumbent manages the divisional budget and ensures regular monitoring so as to pre-empt any potential over or under commitment. The divisional budget may comprise different sources of funding and may also include a corporate budget for initiatives which the division is responsible for managing.

The incumbent is responsible for monitoring all deadlines that are set either at a divisional, departmental or corporate level and to liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the timelines are met. They proactively keep the Director informed or any potential delays so that appropriate action can be taken within the timeframe.

Key Performance Indicators

Office Assistants are accountable for applying a broad range of specialized administrative rules and procedures in the management of administrative support to the organization served. Initiating, monitoring and ensuring provision of administrative services allows the professional staff of the organization to focus on substantive core work. This may include supervisory responsibilities with accountability for the work of administrative assistants, temporary and/or contract staff.

Working Relationships

Office Assistants represent the supervisor in initiating, following up on and resolving issues pertaining to administrative requests. The incumbent undertakes a specific coordination role for specific cross-cutting activities or services. External contacts include counterparts in international organizations, bi-lateral and multi-lateral institutions and national governments to organize meetings and events. Communications involve the exchange of information across the Fund at the most senior levels and externally to governing body representatives.

Job Profile Requirements

Education:

  • High school diploma

Experience:

  • At least four (4) years of progressively responsible secretarial, administrative and budgeting experience.

Certifications:

  • CEFR English Level C
  • FAO Skills Check
  • FAO/UN English Level C

Languages:

  • English (4 - Excellent)
  • French, Spanish, and/or Arabic an asset (3-Good)

Skills:

  • Budgeting, resource management: Know-how in budget administration and accounting, resource allocation and planning at divisional level
  • Contract Management: Know-how in contracting of external workforce (e.g. contracting of interpreters, subeditors and proof-reader falling under international agreements)
  • Logistics management: Know-how in logistics support specific to position, such as Travel Management (including travel arrangements, visa administration, etc.), Event organization (e.g. organization of conferences, (virtual) meetings, retreats, trainings), etc.
  • Procedure adherence: Ability to strictly adhere to established, formal guidelines, including in new situations
  • Record management: Know-how in record keeping (e.g. proper handling of records and systems to preserve institutional memory, including correspondence logs, office filing and reference systems, etc.)
  • Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.)
  • Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g. to deliver governing body documents on time); ability to coordinate and manage complex workflows and in-house and external teams
  • Basic ICT & digital fluency: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. in-depth, computer information systems, including micro-computer operating systems software, hardware and applications software and other office technology equipment), end-user computing configuration management
  • Client orientation: Strong critical thinking combined with communication skills to liaise between the business and technologies to understand business problems and needs, document requirements and identify solutions
  • Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a "Culture Carrier" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through the work.
  • Initiative and good judgment: High sense of proactive initiative-taking and good judgement (including on security matters)
  • Political acumen: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
  • Problem solving: Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies
  • Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
  • Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)

Other Information

This Call for Interest is advertised as a short-term assignment with a duration of 6 months and expected to start shortly after selection. Should an external candidate (including consultants and staff members not meeting IFAD HR Implementing Procedures' definition of 'internal') be selected, the contract type would be that of a short-term professional (TPO). In the event an IFAD staff member, holding a Fixed Term contract be selected, the movement would be implemented as a Temporary Assignment through the applicable provisions. Applicants should verify and obtain their supervisors' support to be released.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on ethnic, social, or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size, or sexual orientation. This is in line with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and our Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please refer to the UN disability-inclusive language guidelines.

Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org.

In accordance with IFAD's provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD's remuneration package, please visit IFAD's compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements.

Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.

Applicants are required to complete the Personal History Form (PHF) in full, as this is the official document considered in the selection process. Incomplete PHFs may lead to disqualification. (Please note that CVs will not be reviewed). However, supporting documents such as certifications and covering letter may be attached.

Applicants for National positions at General Service level must be legally authorized to live and work in the country of recruitment at the time of application. Any job offer is subject to evidence from the candidate to have obtained and be able to maintain the legal status to live and work in the country of recruitment.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.