Yemen: Office Associate

Mar 23, 2020 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist 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.

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 Office.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Office Associate reports to the FAO representative 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

  • 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 Office'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 (Level C) of English and either Arabic or French
  • 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

  • Knowledge of other FAO languages (Spanish, Chinese or Russian) is considered an advantage.

Additional Information

  • FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
  • Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
  • 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
  • For additional information visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

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

How to Apply

  • To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Once completed, please apply and submit your application, with language certificates as attachments. Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications. External Applicants unable to provide the above-mentioned certificates will be evaluated through online assessments. FAO reserves the right to request candidates to undertake a language test in the future, as appropriate
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered
  • Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered
  • If you need assistance please contact: Careers@fao.org