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.
FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The Office of Strategy, Programme and Budget (OSP) advises the Director-General on strategic and policy matters related to the Organization's objectives, results-based programmes and budgets for all sources of funds; leads the development of policies and procedures on results-based management, FAO country programming frameworks, risk management and internal control; coordinates the preparation of the Organization's strategic, programme and budget plans; manages allocation of resources and monitors and reports on corporate programme and budget implementation to help ensure effective and efficient achievement of results.
The position is located in OSP at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Main Purpose
The Office Associate leads and coordinates the office- and management support functions of the Office. He/she ensures the smooth flow of office work and information by setting priorities and organizing the day-to-day work. The job role requires in-depth knowledge and interpretation of office policies, procedures and practices. The incumbent provides procedural guidance to managers and staff in the office or location.
Supervision Received/Exercised
The Office Associate reports to the Assistant Director-General/Director, OSP. Work is performed autonomously, showing a high degree of initiative and independent judgment. Supervision received is focused on facilitating service delivery. The incumbent effectively organizes and supervises other office support staff and provides relevant guidance and training.
Working Relationships
The incumbent maintains a wide range of contacts with managers, staff and counterparts both within and outside the Organization. Work relations may be on a high organizational level, requiring very good communication skills and experienced handling of issues.
Key Functions/Results
โข ย ย ย ย 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; bring complex, sensitive or priority issues to the supervisor's attention.
โข ย ย ย ย Provide information and guidance to staff at all levels within the organizational unit; ensure understanding of intent and deadlines.
โข ย ย ย ย Arrange appointments and duty travels, maintain supervisor's calendar and receive visitors.
โข ย ย ย ย Organize high-level meetings, finalize agendas and invitations, ensure the production and distribution of documentation, take notes and prepare minutes, and follow up on required actions.
โข ย ย ย ย Organize and coordinate the work performed by other office support staff; coordinate activities across the division, including divisional issues, deadlines and other requests.
โข ย ย ย ย Establish internal procedures and tracking systems for correspondence and documents; verify that work is done in accordance with corporate standards; monitor work progress.
โข ย ย ย ย Respond to written inquiries and draft responses to non-routine questions, coordinate responses to sensitive enquiries on behalf of the supervisor.
โข ย ย ย ย Follow up on the preparation of reports, correspondence, briefing notes and other documents; review documents and make changes to their format or style in accordance with standard practices; conduct research and prepare briefing materials for the supervisor; provide informal translations into another official language.
โข ย ย ย ย Evaluate ongoing support requirements of the office, adapt service provision to meet changing needs and solve operational problems, as required.
โข ย ย ย ย Ensure the initiation of a variety of transactions in the Organization's computerized administrative systems.
โข ย ย ย ย Perform other duties as required.
Impact Of Work
The incumbent's work impacts directly on the smooth and efficient operations of the Office. He/she plays a lead role in the coordination and provision of the office support services for the successful achievement of the Division's mandate.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Five years of relevant experience in management and office support work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
IT Skills: Very good knowledge of MS Office applications, Internet and office technology.
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
โข ย ย ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย ย ย Communication
โข ย ย ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical Skills
โข ย ย ย ย Thorough knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
โข ย ย ย ย Thorough knowledge of corporate computerized financial/travel/human resources systems.
โข ย ย ย ย Thorough knowledge of the organizational structure, administrative procedures and policies and matters of
ย ย ย ย ย ย protocol.
Desirable Qualifications And Skills
โข ย ย ย ย Knowledge of organizational structure, administrative procedures and policies and matters of protocol.
โข ย ย ย ย High degree of tact, courtesy and cultural sensitivity, with a track record of building effective working relationships across diverse teams.
โข ย ย ย ย Excellent drafting and editorial skills for high visibility correspondence and briefs, often of confidential and sensitive nature; strong command of FAO style, formatting and protocol. Familiarity with results-based planning/budgeting and corporate reporting terminology relevant to OSP.
โข ย ย ย ย Proven experience providing executive/front office support to senior leadership (Director/ADG level), including complex calendar, visitor and protocol management.
โข ย ย ย ย Demonstrated skills and discretion in preparing and handling confidential HR related actions such as recruitment workflows, using FAO corporate systems (e.g. GRMS, ePM, iRecruitment) in coordination with CSH.
โข ย ย ย ย Working knowledge ( proficiency - level C) of French.
โข ย ย ย ย Experience stewarding office visual identity and internal communications.
โข ย ย ย ย Experience organizing multicultural team building and staff engagement activities at headquarters level.