Organizational Setting

The Plant Production and Protection Division (NSenables the transition to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable plant production and protection through ‘optimization and minimization’. This requires the integration and harmonization of all appropriate crop production policies and practices to increase production in a sustainable manner and thereby eradicate hunger while preserving natural resources and the environment for future use.
The post is located at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, in the Office of the Director, NSP.

Main Purpose

The Office Assistant coordinates and performs the full range of office support, management support and administrative tasks, providing for the smooth and efficient running of the Office. He/ she ensures quality and consistency of the flow of office work and information in the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Office Assistant reports to the Director, NSP.
The incumbent operates independently and 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 Office Assistant works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the division /region, with central units and external clients, performing and coordinating officeand management support services, and providing procedural guidance and information.

Key Functions/Results

•    Screen requests for appointments with supervisor; maintain supervisor’s calendar; confirm mutually convenient schedules and arrange appointments; receive visitors; scree and send emails; respond to queries and correspondence, often of a sensitive, confidential or technical nature.
•    Coordinate office support services for meetings, trainings, seminars, committees, and special projects and events; attend meetings, prepare minutes, monitor followup activities; make arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications.
•    Review, record, distribute and process incoming mail and correspondence; followup on pending actions; prepare draft responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications, often requiring knowledge of technical terminologies and/or detailed office procedures; carry out quality control functions for outgoing documents; proofread texts for adherence to format, grammar, punctuation and style.
•    Perform a variety of administrative duties, e.g. contract extensions and requests for temporary staff, leave and attendance recording, budget preparation and followup; coordinate with other units to ensure smooth running and expedition of work within the unit.
•    Research, compile and organize background information and reference materials from various sources for reports, briefs and speeches; generate a variety of statistical and other reports from various databases.
•    Coordinate the work of other office support staff, establish priorities and ensure equitable distribution of work; train new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provide general assistance as required.
•    Create and maintain the work unit’s filing and reference systems; review the efficiency of office procedures and make recommendations for improvements; update office websites.
•    Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work

The incumbent’s work impacts directly on the smooth and efficient running of the Office. He/ she plays a lead role in the provision of office 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.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficientlevel 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 communication and documentation standards
•    Very good knowledge of corporate computerized finance, travel, human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

•    Front office experience.
•    Analytical skills and ability to manage and monitor large volumes of complex and diverse correspondence and documentation, often of confidential and sensitive natures.
•    Experience in drafting official correspondence, including DG (DirectorGeneraletters and meeting notes.
•    Experience in effectively monitoring corporate requests and deadlines.
•    Limited knowledge (intermediate – level of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanis.