Organizational Setting

The Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) promotes the transition to sustainable crop production systems. It promotes an integrated approach for crop production policies and practices within the framework of sustainable food and agriculture and its underlying principles: increasing productivity and resource use efficiency, conservation and management of natural resources, enhancing resilience to climate change and improvement of livelihoods and governance

The post is located at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, in the Pest and Pesticide Management team (NSPCD), one of the six teams in the division. The Team provides technical advice and guidance in areas of integrated pest management in the context of sustainable crop production intensification and diversification, and pesticide management in the context of the implementation of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management.

Main Purpose

The Office Assistant performs a large variety of routine administrative transactions and office support functions contributing to the smooth and efficient running of the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Office Assistant reports to an Agricultural Officer under the overall supervision of the Senior Agricultural Officer/Team Leader, NSPCD. The Office Assistant receives guidance from the GS focal point. 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 Office Assistant usually interacts with a wide variety of colleagues within the work unit and with immediate clients within the Organization, providing routine administrative and office support services.

Key Functions/Results

•    Arrange appointments for the supervisor, receive visitors, place and screen telephone calls and respond to routine requests for information;
•    Provide office, administrative and logistics support to meetings, committees, conferences, etc.;
•    Review, record, distribute and process incoming mail and correspondence; follow-up on pending actions;
•    Respond or draft responses to standard/ routine correspondence and other communications; use word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports;
•    Proofread documents and format texts for accuracy, grammar, punctuation and style, as well as for adherence to established standards;
•    Initiate general administrative tasks in the computerized financial / travel / human resources systems;
•    Make travel and hotel arrangements and prepare travel authorizations/claims for staff as required;
•    Provide assistance in the administrative processing of vacancy announcements and consultants’ contracts;
•    Research, compile and organize information and reference materials from various sources for reports; create spreadsheets and presentations; manage and update databases for mailing lists and other information; and maintain electronic and paper files;
•    Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work

The incumbent’s work impacts on the timely and efficient delivery of office support services and on the overall output of the work unit.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education
Experience: Three years of relevant experience in office support work
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English.
IT Skills: 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

•    Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards
•    Good knowledge of corporate computerized financial/travel/human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

•    Limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other working languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish)
•    Good knowledge of the organizational structure
•    Ability to draft routine correspondence, format documents and type accurately
•    Ability to plan, organize work and establish priorities
•    Capacity to provide guidance
•    Ability to work under pressure
•    Good knowledge of the project lifecycle would be considered an asset
•    Good knowledge of procurement procedures and experience related to high value contracts would be considered an asset