Office Associate at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) - An intergovernmental organization, FAO has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance inter alia, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Office Associate  

Post Number: 0130818
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Organizational Unit: FRNIR
Job Type: Staff position
Type of Requisition: General Service
Grade Level: G-6
Duration: Fixed term: one year with possibility of extension

Organizational Setting

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Nigeria which is headed by an FAO Representative assists the governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security  and to reduce  hunger  and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use  their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. 
• The country also supports humanitarian responses in the North East of Nigeria in order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to food and agriculture threats and crises.
• The Office Associate, therefore supports the Country Representative in day to day management and administration of the office in order to achieve the mandate of the FAO.

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 division/ department or location.

Supervision Received / Exercised:

• The incumbent works under the general supervision of the FAO Representative and the direct supervision of the functional supervisor.  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.

Key Functions / Results

• Analyze, 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;
• Provide information and guidance to staff at all levels within the organizational unit; ensure understanding of intent and deadlines;
• Arrange appointments and duty travels, maintain supervisor's calendar and receive visitors;
• 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;
• Organize and coordinate the work performed by other office support staff; coordinate activities across the division, including divisional issues, deadlines and other requests;
• Establish internal procedures and tracking systems for correspondence and documents; verify that work is done in accordance with corporate standards; monitor work progress;
• Respond to written inquiries and draft responses to non-routine questions; coordinate responses to sensitive enquiries on behalf of the supervisor;
• 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;
• Evaluate ongoing support requirements of the office, adapt service provision to meet changing needs and solve operational problems as required;
• Ensure the initiation of a variety of transactions in the organization's computerized administrative systems;
• 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.

Minimum Requirements
Candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Education: Secondary School Education
• Experience: Five years of relevant experience in management and office support work
• Languages: Working knowledge (Level C) of English
• IT Skills: Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment

Competencies:

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical Skills:

• Thorough knowledge of communication and documentation standards
• Thorough knowledge of corporate computerized financial / travel / human resources systems
• Thorough knowledge of the organizational structure, administrative procedures and policies and matters of protocol

Desirable Qualifications And Skills
Limited knowledge of French (Level B) will be considered an advantage

Assessment:

• Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a technical / competency-based interview.

Remuneration
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salary.htm

Application Closing Date
10th May, 2021; 10:59:00 PM

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information and Notice

• 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: http://www.whed.net/
• The length of the appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to extension of appointments
• Selected candidates need to reside within commuting distance from the FAO office. "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
• Other similar positions may be filled from this vacancy notice
• Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
•  Staff in the General Service category are recruited locally from the Primary Location area, which is where the office is located
• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and nationality
• People with disabilities are protected from any type of discrimination during any stage of employment, including the recruitment phase
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO,
• Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency