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 post is located in the Office of the Chief Economist at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Main Purpose

The Executive Associate manages the office and management support functions of the Office of the Chief Economist. He/she ensures the quality and smooth flow of office work and information within the Office and all the units under the Chief Economist’s responsibility. The job role requires applied knowledge and interpretation of office policies, procedures and practices. The incumbent provides procedural guidance to Managers and Staff in the work stream.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Executive Associate reports to the Chief Economist. Work is performed autonomously, showing a high degree of initiative and independent judgment. Managerial guidance received focuses on integration of the work with related services and organizational units. The incumbent coordinates, supervises and trains other office support staff within the Office.

Working Relationships

The incumbent maintains an extensive range of contacts both within the Organization and with external partners, counterparts and senior managers, providing comprehensive support services and offering process improvements. Matters are often sensitive or controversial, requiring proficient handling of information and contacts.

Key Functions/Results

•    Analyse, manage and monitor a large and diversified volume of complex correspondence and documentation, often of confidential and sensitive nature; ensure appropriate routing, reply, prioritization, accuracy, consistency, informal translation and timeliness.
•    Serve as reference point regarding the duties of the office: answer substantive questions requiring extensive research and independently obtain clarification; draft correspondence and reply to enquiries on own initiative; provide advice on procedural and administrative requirements.
•    Conduct extensive research and prepare briefing material for the supervisor; select a variety of information from various sources and present findings in appropriate form.
•    Manage the calendar for the supervisor and schedule appointments and meetings; arrange travels and visits, notifying organizations and officials to be visited, receive visitors.
•    Liaise with appropriate staff within FAO to ensure timely submission of inputs to publications, reports and other documentation; review documents and make changes to their formal or style in accordance with standard practice.
•    Serve as contact person/link between supervisor and senior staff regarding office issues and information; on behalf of supervisor, keep others informed by conveying directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information; bring sensitive and urgent matters to the attention of the supervisor.
•    Coordinate the logistic arrangements of meetings with high-level officials including all preparation, delivery- and follow-up activities with internal and external partners and participants; draft briefing information to support the supervisor’s participation in meetings, councils and programme activities.
•    Coordinate, monitor and process administrative actions (human resources, contracts, procurement, accounting, finance, logistics) in FAO’s computerized systems.
•    Provide expert guidance to staff on relevant administrative issues; train and coordinate other office support staff in the Office; coordinate the work of office support staff.
•    Review systems and processes under area of responsibility to ensure that they meet the needs of the workstream; formulate proposals for improvements.
•    Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work

The Executive Associate plays a leading role in the integration and coordination of office and management support services. The impact of work extends to related functions and corporate activities. The incumbent’s work contributes to the successful achievement of the Office’s mandate.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Six years of experience in office and management support work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
IT Skills: Very good knowledge of MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Residency: General Service Staff are recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application. “Commuting distance” means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.

Competencies

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

Technical Skills

•    Excellent knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
•    Excellent knowledge of organizational structure, administrative procedures and policies and matters of protocol.
•    Excellent knowledge of corporate computerized systems and administrative procedures and policies.
•    Excellent knowledge of management of electronic calendars and meetings.
•    Excellent knowledge of management of large meetings, webinars and seminars.
•    Excellent knowledge of virtual platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.
•    Excellent knowledge of working on digital network systems and with OneDrive and other cloud services.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

•    Extensive knowledge of the organizational structure, administrative procedures and policies as well as matters of protocol.
•    Tact, courtesy and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
•    Analytical skills and ability to manage and monitor large volumes of complex and diversified correspondence and documentation, often of confidential and sensitive nature.
•    Extensive experience in managing a front office, including provision of guidance, mentoring and supervision of junior General Service staff.