Administrative Assistant

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. Through its Country Offices, or FAO Representations, FAO assists governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to address hunger and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include design and implementation of country-tailored field programmes, liaison with local donor representatives, and active public awareness-raising and outreach activities related to FAO initiatives such as the World Food Day. The position is in Maputo.

Reporting Lines

The Administrative Assistant reports to the area Coordinator and may receive guidance from a Senior Staff.
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.

Technical Focus

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

Tasks and responsibilities

• 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.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• High school diploma in business or public administration or a related field
• Five years of relevant experience in office/management support work.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Portuguese.
• National of Mozambique.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work
• Extent and relevance of experience in office/management support work
• All candidates should possess computer/word processing skills.
• Ability to organize work systematically, set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to structure and convey information in an appropriate format, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Actively support new ideas to streamline working methods.
• Recognize sensitive and confidential material and handle it with a high level of discretion.
• Ability to communicate appropriately with high level officials and to professionally handle matters of protocol.
• Ability to carry out and manage a high number of diverse and complex assignments and to cope with an increased volume of work during peak periods.
• High level of trustworthiness is needed. As he/she is often the first point of contact with enquirers both from within and outside the Organization, utmost tact, discretion and courtesy are essential personal attributes

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION