Office Assistant

21012101

Staff in the General Service category are recruited locally from the Primary Location area, which is where the office is located.

• 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 persons 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

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.

Organizational Setting

The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) aims to be the go-to place for investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, CFI provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international financing institutions, national and international organizations, the private sector, research institutions, academia and producer organizations to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre's four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge more widely and position the Centre as a trusted voice on investment and finance.
CFI is a multidisciplinary centre comprising the Director's office, which leads on strategy and business development, knowledge management, communication and administration, and five regional services: Asia and the Pacific; East and Southern Africa; Near East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean; and West and Central Africa.

CFI provides advisory services to the European Union's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) to ensure the social and environmental sustainability of its agricultural investment operations. CFI also supports DEVCO in assessing the investment proposals submitted to the Investment Committees of the agricultural investment funds co-financed by the European Union, and in delivering on-demand analytics on specific value chains or food systems in general. In particular, the incumbent will assist the GCP/GLO/1025/EC Agrifood Systems Assessment and the GCP/GLO/1024/EC - Global Sustainable Cocoa Initiative (SCI) trust fund projects.

The post is located at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, in the Office of the Director, CFI, and the incumbent will provide administrative support to assignments in the countries of assignment and in consultation with other CFI services.

Main Purpose
The Office Assistant performs a variety of routine administrative transactions and office support functions contributing to the smooth and efficient running of the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Office Assistant reports to one or more Professional staff and receives guidance from a higher graded Office Assistant. He/she acts independently in routine matters and consults with Supervisor(s) on new and/or more complex issues and procedures. Supervision received provides for technical and procedural guidance and on-the-job learning.

Working Relationships

The Office Assistant interacts with a variety of colleagues from within the work unit. Interactions relate to the exchange of routine information and the provision of standard office support services.

Key Functions/Results

• Type, format and draft routine correspondence; collate tables, reports, presentations, publications, and other documentation.
• Receive, screen and direct telephone calls and visitors; respond to routine internal and external enquiries and/or refer to appropriate contacts/units.
• Enter, retrieve, structure and update selected information and data from various sources (e.g. Intra-/Internet, office files, etc.); present results in standard format.
• Set up and maintain office files and reference systems according to standard procedures.
• Initiate, view and track a variety of administrative transactions in the computerized financial/travel/human resources systems.
• Support the organization and administration of meetings, workshops and events (e.g. arranging for meeting rooms and other facilities).
• Assist with arranging for travels: organize transport, logistics, accommodation, documents.
• Ensure availability of office supplies and appropriate maintenance of office equipment.
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work

The Office Assistant participates as part of a team in the provision of administrative and office support services. Actions reflect on the immediate and wider work unit.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Two years of relevant experience in office support work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of one of the other FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
IT Skills: Knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Competencies

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

Technical Skills

• Knowledge of the communication and documentation standards.
• Knowledge of corporate computerized financial/travel/human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies.
• Knowledge of the organizational structure.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

• Proven experience in processing large volume of recruitments in an efficient and timely manner.
• Knowledge of Letters of Agreement procedures, and experience in its preparation and monitoring.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of a second UN language would be an asset.
• Knowledge of FAO travel and corporate procedures.

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