Organizational Setting

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is one of FAO’s core technical divisions under the Natural Resources and Sustainable Production stream. The Division collaborates with Members and partners to promote the responsible and sustainable management of aquatic food systems, aiming for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life. To fulfil its mandate, the Division focuses on the global development of fisheries and aquaculture through the implementation of its Blue Transformation, a strategic approach that outlines a vision for sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems.

Additionally, it extends support to Members through normative instruments and in collaborations with Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) established within the framework of the FAO Constitution.

The Assessment and Management Team (NFIFM) is responsible for all programmes and activities related to assessment and management of fisheries and conservation of fishery resources, including all aspects of fisheries management and assessment related to the social, economic, and ecological dimensions in the framework of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries.

The Team: 1) provides information, advice and technical assistance to FAO Members and Regional Fishery Bodies and Arrangements on Fisheries Management and Assessment globally, covering all its technical areas of work; 2) promotes and supports the development, dissemination and adoption of tools, methods and approaches to facilitate the management, monitoring and assessment of fisheries; 3) monitors the global status and trends of fish stocks and fisheries; 4) supports the monitoring of all the relevant SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) indicators; 5) supports and promotes cooperation and coordination with other institutions and programmes concerned with responsible fisheries; and 6) provides technical advice and information on the availability and role of processes and tools for fisheries governance and management in ocean governance and relevant multi-lateral environmental agreements.

The Team develops and implements a large portfolio of programmes, projects and activities in an integrated and coordinated way, to deliver on its mandate at the service of FAO Member Nations.

The post is located in the Assessment and Management Team (NFIFM) of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Main Purpose

The Office Assistant performs a large 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 the Senior Fishery Resources Officer/Team Leader and other Professional staff of the Assessment and Management Team (NFIFM) and receives guidance from a senior Office Assistant.
He/she acts independently in routine matters.

Supervision received is focused on the quality of the work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.

Working Relationships

The Office Assistant usually interacts with a wide variety of colleagues within the work unit and with immediate clients within the Organization, providing routine administrative and office support services.

Key Functions/Results

• Arrange appointments for the supervisor, receive visitors, place and screen telephone calls and respond to routine requests for information.
• Provide office, protocol, administrative and logistics support to meetings, committees, conferences, etc.
• Review, record, distribute and process incoming mail and correspondence; follow-up on pending actions.
• Respond or draft responses to standard/routine correspondence and other communications; use word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports.
• Proofread documents and format texts for accuracy, grammar, punctuation and style, as well as for adherence to established standards.
• Initiate general administrative tasks in the computerized financial/travel/human resources systems.
• Make travel and hotel arrangements and prepare travel authorizations/claims for staff as required.
• Provide assistance in the administrative processing of vacancy announcements and consultants’ contracts.
• Research, compile and organize information and reference materials from various sources for reports; create spreadsheets and presentations; manage and update databases for mailing lists and other information; and maintain electronic and paper files.
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work

The incumbent’s work impacts the timely and efficient delivery of office support services and on the overall output of the work unit.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Three years of relevant experience in office support work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English.
IT Skills: 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 Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical Skills

• Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
• Good knowledge of corporate computerized financial, travel, human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies.
• Good knowledge of MS Excel and Word.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of a second official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) will be a strong asset.
• Demonstrated interest and capacity for learning new skills, procedures and tools, and applying these to the benefit of the team.
• Demonstrated interest and capacity for involvement in the work of the Team with a focus on improving the delivery of the work of the Team, beyond assigned tasks.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in research, compilation and organization of information and reference materials from various sources (including iMIS (Integrated Management Information System)) for reports, statistics, mailing lists and other uses of data, using spreadsheets and dedicated database management tools and applications, to develop and maintain an organized and easily used archive.
• Good knowledge of and experience using MS Teams, SharePoint, Zoom, Skype and other teleconferencing platforms and organizing meetings using these tools.
• Consolidated experience in the organization of meetings and workshops at headquarters and in the field, with knowledge of the related procedures and workflow for clearances, authorizations, organization and actual implementation.
• Demonstrated operational knowledge of procedures, requirements and workflow for the procurement of services and goods, including preparation, implementation and closure of Letters of Agreement and other contractual instruments.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the procedures and tools for the recruitment and administrative management of contracts for Professional and General Service staff, as well as of affiliated workforce, including the issuance of Vacancy Announcements and Calls for Expressions of Interest, Quality Assessment Reports and the use of the corresponding corporate systems like TALEO (Talent Management Suite) and GRMS (Global Resource Management System).
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the procedures and tools for organizing and administratively managing travel of staff, consultants and non-staff travellers.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the procedures and tools for budget monitoring and administrative management, including the use of the corporate IT tools like iMIS, eBMM (Budget Maintenance Module) and FPMIS (Field Programme Management Information System) for budget monitoring, accounting adjustments and journal vouchers.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in drafting correspondence and proofreading (FAO House Style and terminology, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax), as well as editing and formatting documents using the full capabilities of word processing and/or desktop publishing and page layout designing software.
• Experience in the use of PWS (Publication Workflow System).
• Good overall knowledge of FAO’s organizational structure and procedures.