Administrative Assistant

Provide administrative support in various tasks and responsibilities.

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Application deadline in 11 days: Tuesday 23 Jun 2026 at 21:59 UTC

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Overview

Provide administrative support in various tasks and responsibilities.

You have:

  • University degree in administration, finance, international relations and other fields relevant to the work of FAO
  • One year of relevant experience in administration, finance, international relations, and other fields relevant to the work of FAO
  • Working knowledge of English and Japanese
  • National of Japan or resident of the country with valid work permit

Organizational Setting

The FAO Liaison Office in Japan is based in Yokohama, Japan. It undertakes a range of activities aimed at facilitating information exchange, fostering mutual understanding, and promoting collaboration between FAO and the people of Japan on issues related to global food security and nutrition. In this context, the Office maintains close and continuous interaction with key government ministers, national and international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic and research institutions, private sector entities, and the general public. To this end, the primary focus of the Office is to communicate and disseminate information on FAO and its activities, including the current global food and agriculture situation, with the aim of raising awareness among the Japanese public.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the Director, the incumbent will undertake the activities outlined below, in cooperation with various stakeholders including FAO units at headquarters and in decentralized offices, Government institutions, Prefectural governments, NGOs, private companies media as well as academia and research institutions.

Technical Focus

Handle daily administrative/financial work

Tasks and responsibilities

• Manage supervisor’s schedule, appointments, visitors and communications (including sensitive correspondence); • Organize and support meetings, trainings, and events, including taking minutes and following up on actions; • Handle and process correspondence, draft responses, and ensure quality control of documents (format, grammar, style); • Perform administrative tasks (HR, contracts, leave, budget) and coordinate with other units for smooth operations; • Support the overall hiring plan for hiring of national and international affiliate workforce; • Develop and/or review Terms of Reference of affiliate workforce and ensure compliance with current standards and regulations; • Coordinate and manage the publication of calls to attract candidates for vacancies related to national and international affiliate workforce, ensuring proper dissemination to attract qualified talent; • Manage the complete cycle of contracts for national and international affiliate workforce in the Global Resource Management System (GRMS), ensuring the collection and verification of required documentation; ;• Supervise the validity of contracts for national and international affiliate workforce in and take appropriate measures in coordination with supervisors for renewal or termination as necessary; • Provide administrative support, including recording worked hours for the payment of fees to national and international consultants and other related tasks. • Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion • Conduct research and prepare reports, including compiling data and background materials; • Coordinate and support office staff, including tasks allocation and training; • Maintain filing systems and office tools and improve procedures and information platform; and, • Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in administration, finance, international relations and other fields relevant to the work of FAO • One year of relevant experience in administration, finance, international relations, and other fields relevant to the work of FAO • Working knowledge of English and Japanese • National of Japan or resident of the country with valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in administrative/financial related works

Selection Criteria

• Relevance of academic qualifications; • Relevance of work experience relevant to job requirements; • Language skills; • Familiarity with main MS Office applications; • Demonstrated ability to communicate and work in a team; and • Demonstrated ability to handle various tasks and responsibilities with effectiveness.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience with administrative tasks and how you have handled them? This question assesses relevant experience in administrative work. Highlight specific examples from previous roles that demonstrate your organizational and administrative skills.
What strategies do you use to manage your time effectively when handling multiple tasks? This question evaluates time management skills and prioritization capabilities. Pro members can see the explanation.
How have you maintained confidentiality while managing sensitive information? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a situation where you had to communicate effectively with a team. What was the outcome? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What is your experience with financial management or budgeting in an administrative capacity? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Could you discuss your familiarity with MS Office applications and how you use them in your work? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you handle a situation where priorities changed suddenly? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you give an example of how you have supported a hiring process in your previous roles? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 2 days ago - Updated 7 hours ago - Source: fao.org