Office Assistant

Organizational SettingFAO is the specialized Agency of the United Nations (UN) leading international efforts to defeat hunger.
FAO works in over countries worldwide to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to high-quality food.
FAO's Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) leads the Organization's efforts to support Members in their endeavors to save agricultural livelihoods of people and communities and enhance their resilience in the face of disasters, crises and conflicts.
The Organization strives to secure sustainable development gains while ensuring that all interventions to support agriculture and food systems are risk-informed and sustainably productive.
Food crisis contexts require a well-organized, highly prioritized and well-resourced humanitarian and resilience programme to play a meaningful role in the relevant fora at national, regional and global levels.
To claim its rightful place and to contribute meaningfully to relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in food crises contexts, timeliness and speed in generating quality information and analysis together with agility in processes, partnerships and delivery are central.
In short, prevention and mitigation of disasters, whether related to natural hazards, plant and animal pests and diseases and/or conflict, together with being prepared and able to respond when disasters hit, require a structured and agile system that is able to carry out effective processes of risk assessment and risk management.This post is located in the Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Main PurposeThe Office Assistant performs a variety of routine administrative transactions and office support functions contributing to the smooth and efficient running of the work unit.
Supervision Received/ExercisedThe Office Assistant reports to the Deputy Directors, OER.He/she acts independently on routine matters and consults with his/her supervisor(s) on new and/or more complex issues and procedures.
Supervision received provides for technical and procedural guidance and on-the-job learning.
Working RelationshipsThe Office Assistant interacts with a variety of colleagues from within the work unit.
Interactions relate to the exchange of routine information and the provision of standard office support services.
Key Functions/Results• Type, format and draft routine correspondence; collate tables, reports, presentations, publications and other documentation.• Receive and direct telephone calls and visitors; screen and send e-mails; respond to routine internal and external enquiries and/or refer to appropriate contacts/units.• Enter, retrieve, structure and update selected information and data from various sources (e.g.
Intra-/Internet, office files, etc.
); present results in standard format.• Set up and maintain office files and reference systems according to standard procedures, including an e-book for signatures.• Initiate, view and track a variety of administrative transactions in the computerized financial/travel/human resources systems.• Support the organization and administration of meetings, workshops and events (e.g.
arranging for meeting rooms and other facilities).• Assist with arranging for travels: organize transport, logistics, accommodation, documents.• Ensure availability of office supplies and appropriate maintenance of office equipment.• Perform other duties as required.
Impact Of WorkThe Office Assistant participates as part of a team in the provision of administrative and office support services.
Actions reflect on the immediate and wider work unit.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum RequirementsEducation: Secondary School Education.Experience: Two years of relevant experience in office support work.Languages: Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English.IT Skills: 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 finance, travel, human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies (GRMS (Global Resource Management System)).• Ability to work in a team.
Desirable Qualifications And Skills• Good knowledge of the organizational structure.• Experience in dealing with strictly confidential matters.• Given the high volume of incoming/outgoing emails, proven experience in monitoring the shared mailbox and taking timely action is considered an asset.• Front office experience.• Knowledge of FAO human resources, procurement, budget procedures.• Limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of one of the other working languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) would be considered an asset._______________________________________________________________________________________FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency _______________________________________________________________________________________ADDITIONAL INFORMATION• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The list can be accessed at • The length of the appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to extension of appointments• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
• 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.• No international benefits will be payable as selected candidates are recruited locally and paid in the local currency of the office location• For additional information visit the FAO employment website: REMUNERATIONA competitive compensation and benefits package is offered.
For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: