FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 Nations and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.
The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.

Specifically, FAO Country Offices:
(i)advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate;
(ii) provide technical assistance and deliver core services;
(iii) assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation;
(iv) position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and
(v)  ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

The position is located in the FAO Representation in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Main Purpose

The Administrative Assistant coordinates and performs the full range of office support, management support and administrative tasks, providing for the smooth and efficient running of the Office. He/she ensures quality and consistency of the flow of office work and information in the work unit.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Administrative Assistant reports to the Assistant FAO Representative (Administration).

The incumbent operates independently and takes decisions on work priorities and exercises initiative for dealing with cases without precedents. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work output. He/ she provides guidance and advice to other office support staff.

Working Relationships

The Administrative Assistant works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the division /region, with central units and external clients, performing and coordinating office- and management support services, and providing procedural guidance and information.

Key Functions/Results

• Maintain financial records and monitor systems for the office; maintain imprest accounts; reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports; manage the Country Office petty cash; monitor project and programme accounts for which responsibility is assigned.
  •    Retrieve, enter, select and analyse data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO’s corporate systems and databases; verify accuracy of data 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.
  •    Prepare correspondence of administrative and financial nature; 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.
  •    Provide reports on budgetary performance of office accounts and if required, of project accounts; report variations from budgets.
  •    Maintain local inventory records with responsibility for proper recording of assets, their maintenance and safeguard.
  •    Maintain a filing system of administrative and financial documents.
  •    Monitor the receipt of Government contributions and the transfer of ownership of the Organization’s equipment.
  •    Maintain liaison with local banks and financial institutions to keep up-to-date with financial and regulatory information (exchange and interest rates, procedures and rules, maintenance of bank accounts, etc.).
  •    Support the streamlining of procedures and practices and the introduction of new information technologies to the office.
  •    Support the administration of personnel and equipment as well as protocol-related issues.
  •    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: Four years of administrative, accounting and office management experience.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English.
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 visa/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

• Good knowledge of the communication and documentation standards.
  •    Good knowledge of corporate computerized financial/travel/human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies.
  •    Good knowledge of the organizational structure.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

• A degree in Business Administration, transport and logistics management or other relevant field, is an asset;
  •    Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook;
  •    Ability to analyse own work and prioritize tasks;
  •    Ability to solve problems and make sound operational decisions;
  •    Resilient and able to work in a challenging environment in which flexibility and responsiveness is essential;

Intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of one of the other working languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

• Maintain financial records and monitor systems for the office; maintain imprest accounts; reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports; manage the Country Office petty cash; monitor project and programme accounts for which responsibility is assigned.
• Retrieve, enter, select and analyse data from a wide variety of sources, including FAO’s corporate systems and databases; verify accuracy of data 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.
• Prepare correspondence of administrative and financial nature; 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.
• Provide reports on budgetary performance of office accounts and if required, of project accounts; report variations from budgets.
• Maintain local inventory records with responsibility for proper recording of assets, their maintenance and safeguard.
• Maintain a filing system of administrative and financial documents.
• Monitor the receipt of Government contributions and the transfer of ownership of the Organization’s equipment.
• Maintain liaison with local banks and financial institutions to keep up-to-date with financial and regulatory information (exchange and interest rates, procedures and rules, maintenance of bank accounts, etc.).
• Support the streamlining of procedures and practices and the introduction of new information technologies to the office.
• Support the administration of personnel and equipment as well as protocol-related issues.
• Perform other related duties as required.

• Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

• Secondary school education.
• Four years of administrative, accounting and office management experience.
• Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English.