Administrative Associate
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.
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 located in the FAO Representation in Liberia, Monrovia.
Main Purpose
The Administrative Associate leads and coordinates the office- and management support functions of the Office. 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 division/ department or location.
Supervision Received/Exercised
The Administrative Associate reports to the FAO Representative and has day-to-day interaction with the Assistant FAOR (Administration). 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; manage the Country Office petty cash. • Provide and coordinate the retrieval, entry, selection and analysis of data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO's corporate systems and data bases; 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. • Initiate, review, process and follows-up actions related to the administration of human resource activities, e.g., recruitment of staff and affiliate workforce, ensuring consistency in the application of FAO rules and procedures.''' • Respond to enquiries and provide information and advice to staff regarding administrative procedures, processes and practices, conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations. • Oversee the issuance of vacancy announcements and calls for expression of interest and keep track of their status. • 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 office and actively support the streamlining of procedures and practices and the introduction of new information technologies to the office. • Advise international staff on administrative and financial matters. • 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 experience in general administration including human resources, accounting and office management-related tasks Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO 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 valid visa to work or a valid 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.