Administrative Assistant (Finance)

Organizational Setting

Mesoamerica Hunger Free AMEXCID-FAO” programme is a south-south triangular cooperation initiative jointly led by the Government of Mexico, through the Mexican Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Programme works closely with institutions of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, putting at their service innovative development solutions in order to guarantee decent living conditions for everyone, especially for the most vulnerable population.

“Mesoamerica Hunger-Free AMEXCID-FAO” designs, validates, and accompanies the implementation of public policy instruments regarding food and nutritional security and rural development, aiming at closing gaps at a territorial level with an inclusive focus and a human rights approach.

As 2022 is the last year to close the first phase of the Program, we need to ensure an orderly conclusion of the support provided by MSH to the various processes that have been accompanied since 2016 in Belize. Including the delivery of products and results to the corresponding counterparts and the broad public dissemination of the Program's achievements.

Additionally, it is important to plan on time and lay the technical and operational foundations for a possible second phase of the Program that, if it finally materializes, will allow for an expeditious start of implementation.

Technical Focus

The Administrative Assistant (Finance), in close collaboration with the “Mesoamerica Hunger-Free AMEXCID-FAO” team, will perform a large variety of routine administrative transactions and office support functions contributing to the smooth and efficient running of the work unit.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Country Representative (FAOR) for Jamaica Belize, and The Bahamas, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officers of projects GCP/SLM/001/MEX and TCP/BZE/3701, the general guidance of the National Technical Committee on Sustainable School Feeding under the day-to-day supervision of the FAO National School Feeding Coordinator for Belize; the incumbent will perform the following tasks:

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Provide support and advice to the team linked to the "Mesoamerica Hunger Free" (MHF) program based in Belize in the initiation and processing of all administrative and operational procedures that are requested, following the rules and procedures of the Organization and the workflows of the Subregional Office, including, but not exclusively, concerning:

• the acquisition of the goods and services necessary for the adequate operation of the Program (MHF-Belize), including the maintenance of the corresponding inventories;
• the preparation and Organization of the trips of the personnel of the Program in Belize;
• the preparation and Organization of events (courses, workshops, meetings, etc.) organized within the framework of the Program, including the logistics of the participants to them;
• the identification and hiring of human resources under the MHF Program in Belize
• writing and editing correspondence and documents, in accordance with the Organization's Manual of Style;
• the classification of all the information generated within the framework of the Program, both physically and in the shared virtual space of the Subregional Office and the Program (Documentation Center);
• assistance in the preparation and monitoring of work plans and budgets in the MHF Program in Belize;

2. Provide administrative and operational assistance to the FAO National Correspondent in Belize;

• Carry out other tasks of an administrative and operational nature within the framework of the activities carried out in Belize, when required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Completed High School (Completed), or Degree in Law, Administration, Finance, Engineering, Social Sciences, and related careers

• Three years of experience in administrative and office support work
• Native or advance oral and written communication (Mother Tongue or Level C) in English
• National of or legal work permit in Belize

FAO Core Competencies

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

Desirable Skills and qualification

• Desirable: Limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of Spanish
• Good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment. Ability to use accounting software and other information systems and databases to insert data, make enquiries, retrieve/define ad hoc reports and analyses and edit results in appropriate format
• Good knowledge of the communication and documentation standards
• Good knowledge of corporate computerized financial / travel / human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies