JOB DESCRIPTION

Organizational Setting

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.

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York (LON) has a lead responsibility in developing and implementing policies that enhance FAO’s cooperation with the UN system, capitalizing on synergies between our work and that of other UN bodies, agencies, funds and programmes, and of Members.
In doing so, LON supports decision-making processes carried out at FAO headquarters in relation to developments in the UN system, mainly by representing FAO at working and coordination meetings, liaising with permanent delegations to the UN in New York, and establishing partnerships with relevant institutions in the New York area.

The post is located in the FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York (LON) that was established on 16 March 1956.

Main Purpose

The Administrative Associate leads and coordinates the office, as well as managing its support functions. 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 the office.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Administrative Associate reports to the Administrative Officer, LON. and works under the overall supervision of Director, LON.
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

•    Support the management and administration of financial records and monitoring systems for the office; monitor project and programme accounts for which responsibility is assigned; maintain imprest accounts; reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports.
•    Provide and coordinate the retrieval, entry, selection and analysis of data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO’s corporate systems and databases; verify accuracy of data and documents; make necessary calculations.
•    Verify availability of funds under all programmes; ensure that operational expenditures are in accordance with approved budgets and that all committing documents are complete and consistent.
•    Independently compose and finalize correspondence of administrative nature; initiate and draft correspondence to verify data, answer queries and obtain additional information on transactions and financial matters, as required.
•    Maintain detailed records of budget estimates, obligations and available balances; participate in the consolidation of budget proposals; prepare financial data for budget estimates and financial planning.
•    Prepare recurring reports on programme, project and office accounts, report variations from budgets; prepare special reports on budgetary performance.
•    Monitor the receipt of Government contributions and the transfer of ownership of the Organization’s equipment.
•    Maintain liaison with local banks and financial institutions.
•    Advise other staff in the areas of office/administrative management; actively support the streamlining of procedures and practices and the introduction of new information technologies to the office.
•    Advise international staff on administrative and protocol matters (visas, ground passes, parking permits, etc.).
•    Make administrative arrangements for the office and perform administrative duties to ensure security and office maintenance.
•    Coordinate and administrate contracts with external contractors for outsourced services.
•    Process the payment of contractors’ invoices and monitor payments.
•    Review purchase requisitions, orders, contracts and tenders to ensure that they are technically complete and in conformity with established FAO rules and procedures; approve transactions in the relevant systems up to a maximum amount as delegated.
•    Ensure that procurement actions are completed in a timely manner in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures; ensure timely information on the status of procurement activities and all related issues.
•    Maintain and monitor database records related to procurement actions undertaken, assigned tenders and contracts; coordinate collection of statistical information on procurement actions and ensure that information maintained in the relevant systems is accurate and updated.
•    Perform other related 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: Five years of progressively responsible administrative, accounting and office management experience.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency- level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
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

•    Thorough knowledge of the communication and documentation standards.
•    Thorough knowledge of corporate computerized financial, travel, human resources systems.
•    Thorough knowledge of organizational structure, administrative procedures and policies and matters of protocol.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

•    Skilled in database management, including updating records on SharePoint and maintaining efficient archival systems.
•    Previous experience in event management.
•    Proficient in maintaining internal control tools and proactively monitoring deadlines and required actions.
•    Experienced in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to optimize office workflows.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements