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 Shared Services Centre (SSC) recommends and administers process management and procedures that need to be executed effectively; ensures the management of quality assurance activities associated with the transactional processes and implementation of service delivery; continuously improves the satisfaction of its customers, internal or external, while pursuing a continuous improvement agenda that will drive up service excellence while driving down the costs of service delivery through process standardization, process automation and self-service capabilities.
This position is located in the FAO Shared Services Centre and based in Budapest, Hungary.

Main Purpose

The Client Support Assistant coordinates and performs the full range of client-related support services. He/she ensures quality and consistency of the flow of office work and information in the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Client Support Assistant reports to a National Professional Officer (SSC) under the overall guidance of the Client Support Associate.
The incumbent operates independently, takes decisions on work priorities and exercises initiative for dealing with cases without precedents. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work output. He/she provides guidance and advice to other office support staff.

Working Relationships

The Client Support Assistant works closely with a wide range of colleagues, with business units and external clients, performing and coordinating client-related support services and providing procedural guidance and information.

Key Functions/Results

•    Provide second line support in resolving client enquiries and technical issues across multiple disciplines, including issues related to corporate systems and procedures.
•    Review and resolve specific clients’ problems, which may be long-standing or of a more complex nature.
•    Foster effective client partnerships and joint accountability for process outcomes; support periodic Service Level Agreements (SLAs) performance reviews with clients; monitor and escalate performance concerns.
•    Identify where users encounter problems in processing transactions, identify data discrepancies in the system, propose adjustments as appropriate, participate in testing system changes.
•    Maintain the SSC service catalogue and service level agreements, continuously evolving with changing client needs.
•    Assist FAO personnel, transaction initiators and approvers in processing Procure to Pay, Finance, Travel and HR transactions in the FAO Global Resource Management System (ORACLE) and advise on FAO rules and procedures.
•    Assist users in operating FAO corporate systems (for example, iRecruitment and you@fao).
•    Handle incoming queries through a tracking system and phone within the established Service Level Agreement.
•    Draft documents and correspondence of moderate complexity.
•    Performs other duties as required.

Impact Of Work    

The incumbent’s work impacts directly on the smooth and efficient running of the Office. S/he plays a lead role in the provision of office client-related support services for successful achievement of the organizational unit’s mandate.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Four years of relevant experience in office/management support work, including human resources, travel, finance and/or general administration.
Languages: Working knowledge (full proficiency – level C) of English.
IT Skills: Very good knowledge of the 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

•    Very good knowledge of corporate computerized financial, travel, human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

•    Work experience in more than one area of work.
•    Intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
•    Good knowledge of FAO’s organizational structure.