Programme Assistant

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 Office of Youth and Women (OYW) ensures that youth and women act as conduits both (i) internally in FAO, supporting women and youth career enrichment and mainstreaming important topics of youth and women across the Organization, and (ii) externally, by gathering and realizing innovative ideas and approaches related to youth and women within the FAO mandate. The Office takes forward and further institutionalizes the work of the FAO Youth Committee and the FAO Women’s Committee, as well as the World Food Forum (WFF) Global Youth Action, designed by FAO as a global network of partners to build an effective platform to share transformative initiatives and encourage actions for the agrifood systems transformation. It promotes transformational leadership for gender equality and women and youth empowerment in the workplace and in FAO’s initiatives, strengthening accountability of managers for gender equality and youth and women’s empowerment. OYW further engages with relevant global initiatives, and UN and other partners and relevant stakeholders, enhancing the advocacy for, and engagement of, youth and women in agrifood systems. The Office works closely with the FAO technical units that coordinate the implementation of the FAO Policy on Gender Equality and the Rural Youth Action Plan and related programmes and initiatives.

The position is located in the Office of Youth and Women (OYW) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Main Purpose

The Programme Assistant performs a wide range of routine administrative and financial functions in support of the delivery of the organizational unit’s programme and projects.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Programme Assistant reports to the Director, OYW, and provides guidance and advice to other office support staff.

He/she acts independently in routine matters. Supervision received is focused on the quality of the work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.

Working Relationships

The Programme Assistant interacts with a wide variety of colleagues within the work unit and with immediate clients within the Organization, providing routine administrative and financial services.

Key Functions/Results

• Collect and compile data on programme and or project activities to support reporting and delivery.
• Initiate and follow up on administrative and financial actions related to staff management, affiliate workforce support, travel, payments, etc.
• Review and prepare routine documentation and correspondence related to assigned procurement actions
• Provide information on programme and/or project expenditures and status of programme and /or project budget.
• Process, format and proof-read reports, documents, publications and correspondence related to the work of the unit from draft texts.
• Review and direct correspondence, calls and queries to appropriate contacts; provide for background information; respond to routine enquiries.
• Make arrangements for meetings, seminars and events: implement logistics, prepare correspondence, compile and distribute documents, make administrative arrangements.
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work

 The incumbent’s work impacts on the timely and efficient delivery of the immediate work unit’s programme.

 CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.

Experience: Three years of relevant experience in financial and/or administrative support work.

Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English.

IT Skills: 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

• Good knowledge of corporate information systems.
• Good knowledge of common administrative and financial rules and regulations.
• Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

• Good knowledge of the organizational structure.
• Intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
• Experience in providing support to multi-donor trust fund projects expenditures and status of project budget.
• Good knowledge of procurement procedure.
• Experience in travel arrangements and support in meetings/workshops organization is highly desirable.
• Experience in drafting high level correspondence.
• Experience in multitasking against tight deadlines.

Source :  https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2500964