National Professional Officer (Administration)

Provide effective administrative support to FAO programs and projects.

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FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Application deadline 10 months ago: Wednesday 27 Aug 2025 at 21:59 UTC

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Overview

Provide effective administrative support to FAO programs and projects.

You have:

  • National of the country of assignment.
  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a field related to business or public administration.
  • Three years of relevant experience in office management, administration, accounting and/or audit, budget or finance.
  • Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and Arabic.

Organizational Setting

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

FAO's Subregional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Yemen (SNG) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (RNE). The position is located in SNG in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Reporting Lines

The National Professional Officer (Administration) reports to the Subregional Coordinator (SRC) for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States and Yemen.

Technical Focus

Programme administration and financial management, including accounting and personnel administration.

Key Results

Effective and efficient provision of administrative support to the programme and project activities of the Subregional Office.

Key Functions

• Plans, organizes and coordinates the office's administrative services. • Provides administrative support in the implementation of FAO collaborative programmes and ensures periodic monitoring of their implementation. • Plans and implements procedures, norms and systems in compliance with existing policies, for a full range of administration-related processes including personnel. • Manages and supervises the administrative team. • Reviews and analyses data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO's corporate systems and database. • Prepares reports, financial and budgetary estimates for projects; plans and organizes the application, control and accounting of approved budgetary allocations by projects and programmes; prepares special reports for budget preparation, audits and other requests. • Reviews accounts, processes payments in accordance with established rules and liaises with local banks and financial institutions. • Oversees the financial and administrative correspondence and filing system of the office. • Monitors the receipt of Government contributions and ensures that all procurement and custom clearances for programmes, projects and the office are properly requested and obtained. • Ensures the compliance with the Organization's security guidelines (Minimum Operational Security Standards - MOSS).

Specific Functions

• Promotes the image of FAO through advocacy of the SNG's 's mandate, programmes, national priorities and activities. • Supports corporate initiatives in accordance with the Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy to reduce emissions, increase efficiency and integrate sustainability. • Collaborates in the coordination of procurement business processes in accordance with FAO rules, regulations, policies and strategies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). • Participate in the Operational Management Team (OMT) to ensure alignment of UN common operations with the overall United Nations Country Team (UNCT) strategic framework and the UAE Business Operations Strategy (BOS).

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• National of the country of assignment. • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a field related to business or public administration. • Three years of relevant experience in office management, administration, accounting and/or audit, budget or finance. • Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and Arabic.

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, particularly in field positions, is desirable. • Extent and relevance of experience in the field of office management and administration including supervisory experience. • Extent of knowledge of UN or standard operational rules and procedures and project/programme administrative management procedures. • Extent of knowledge of FAO's corporate systems and database, or knowledge of other accounting or financial modules or applications relevant to accounting procedures or project budget management would be considered an asset. • Demonstrated analytical and judgment skills and ability to apply rules and regulations in the subject field.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe a time when you managed a complex administrative task successfully? This question assesses your experience and effectiveness in managing administrative tasks. Provide a specific example and highlight your organizational skills.
How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple deadlines? This question evaluates your time management and prioritization strategies. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe your experience with budget management and financial reporting. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you use to ensure compliance with organizational policies? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of how you've built effective relationships with colleagues? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you handle a conflict with a team member regarding administrative processes? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What systems have you used for data analysis in your past roles? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you ensure accuracy in financial records and reports? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 11 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: fao.org