Office Assistant

Job Posting: ‎15/Sep/‎2023
Closure Date: ‎29/Sep/‎2023, ‎4:59:‎00 PM
Organizational Unit: RNE
Job Type: Staff position
Type of Requisition: General Service
Grade Level: G-‎5
Primary Location: Egypt-Cairo
Duration: Fixed-term: ‎2 years with possibility of extension
Post Number: ‎0603406
CCOG Code: ‎2101
IMPORTANT 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, nationality, background and culture
* Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
* Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
* FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
* All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
* All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
* FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

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.

Organizational Setting
The Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) leads FAO's
support to countries in the region in transforming their agrifood systems to
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It identifies regional
priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development and ensures
the planning and implementation of FAO's strategic response in the region
through a multidisciplinary approach. It implements approved programmes and
projects, monitors programme implementation, and ensures that they contribute
to addressing regional priorities. RNE also advises on the incorporation of
regional priorities into the FAO Strategic Framework and Programme of Work and
Budget.
RNE supports regional policy dialogues, facilitates the emergence of regional
partnerships, and supports knowledge exchange, capacity development and
resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in
the region. It develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions
including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs).
The post is located in the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa
(RNE) in Cairo, Egypt.

Main Purpose
The Office Assistant coordinates and performs the full range of office
support, management support and administrative tasks, providing for the smooth
and efficient running of the Office. He/she ensures quality and consistency of
the flow of office work and information in the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised
The Office Assistant reports to the Senior Administrative Officer, RNE. The
incumbent operates independently, takes decisions on work priorities and
exercises initiative for dealing with cases without precedents. Supervision
received is focused on the quality of work outputs. He/she provides guidance
and advice to other office support staff.

Working Relationships
The Office Assistant works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the
office/region, with central units and external clients, performing and
coordinating office and management support services and providing procedural
guidance and information.
Key Functions/Results

• Screen requests for appointments with supervisor; maintain supervisor's calendar; confirm mutually convenient schedules and arrange appointments; receive visitors; place and screen telephone calls; respond to queries and correspondence, often of a sensitive, confidential or technical nature.


• Coordinate office support services for meetings, trainings, seminars, committees and special projects and events; attend meetings, prepare minutes, monitor follow-up activities; make arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications.


• Review, record, distribute and process incoming mail and correspondence; follow-up on pending actions; prepare draft responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications, often requiring knowledge of technical terminologies and/or detailed office procedures; carry out quality control functions for outgoing documents; proofread texts for adherence to format, grammar, punctuation and style.


• Perform a variety of administrative duties, e.g. contract extensions and requests for temporary staff, leave and attendance recording, budget preparation and follow-up; coordinate with other units to ensure smooth running and expedition of work within the unit.


• Research, compile and organize background information and reference materials from various sources for reports, briefs and speeches; generate a variety of statistical and other reports from various databases.


• Coordinate the work of other office support staff, establish priorities and ensure equitable distribution of work; train new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provide general assistance as required.


• Create and maintain the work unit's filing and reference systems; review the efficiency of office procedures and make recommendations for improvements; update office websites.


• Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work
The incumbent's work impacts directly on the smooth and efficient running of
the Office. He/she plays a lead role in the provision of office support
services for successful achievement of the organizational unit's mandate.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Four years of relevant experience in office/ management support
work.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited
knowledge (intermediate - level B) of Arabic or French.
IT Skills: Very 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
* Very good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
* Very good knowledge of corporate computerized financial/travel/human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies.
* Very good knowledge of the organizational structure

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 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
* 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: 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. FAO reserves the right to request candidates to undertake a language test in the future, as appropriate
* Incomplete applications will not be considered
* Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
* Incomplete applications will not be considered
* Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO's behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered
* Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
* We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
* If you need assistance please contact: [email protected]

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT