Office Assistant (World Food Forum)

• Office Assistant (World Food Forum)
• Organizational Unit: DDCE
• Primary Location: Italy, Rome
• Job Type: Staff position (General Service)
• Duration: Fixed‑term: 2 years with possibility of extension
• Main Purpose

The Office Assistant (World Food Forum) coordinates and performs the full range of office support, management support and administrative tasks, providing for the smooth and efficient running of the Office.

The incumbent ensures quality and consistency of the flow of office work and information in the work unit.

Responsibilities

• Screen requests for appointments with supervisor; maintain supervisor's calendar; confirm mutually convenient schedules and arrange appointments; receive visitors; screen and send e‑mails; 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, including an e‑book for signatures; review the efficiency of office procedures and make recommendations for improvements; update office websites.
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications

• Education: Secondary School Education.
• Experience: Four years of relevant experience in office/management support work.
• Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency level C) of English.
• IT Skills: Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.
• Residency: Must be a national of Italy or possess a valid visa or work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of application.
• 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.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

• Working knowledge (proficiency level C) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
• Knowledge of liaison with partners and high‑level government representatives and protocol of the Organization.
• Ability to draft standard and complex correspondence, and to proofread texts/outgoing correspondence and formal documents.
• Experience in organizing High Level events.
• Knowledge of major web platforms used for the organization of virtual events.
• Equal Opportunity Statement
• 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.
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