Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific (SAP) covers Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FAO SAP is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional agriculture, food, nutrition and rural development priorities. FAO SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok. 
FAO SAP is creating an exciting new project – Small Island Development States (SIDS) Solutions Platform - to facilitate intra and inter regional learning, and development by incubating, promoting and scaling-up locally and externally grown solutions to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The development of the platform will unfold gradually, beginning with the Pacific SIDS in 2021, and expanding to all SIDS.

FAO SAP is therefore recruiting a National Assistant for Admin Support who will be based in Apia, Samoa to provide daily support to the International Event Planning Specialist and the core team.

Reporting Lines

The Administrative Assistant for SIDS will work under the overall supervisor of the Sub-regional coordinator, under guidance of the International Event Planning Specialist, and supervision of the Nutrition and Food Systems Officer. The Administrative Assistant for SIDS will work under the technical supervision of the SAP Better Environment Module Leader/ LTO, and in close collaboration with the International GEF Project Design Expert and International GEF Programme Specialist.  

Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide daily planning, operational and administrative support to design and implementation of the SIDS Forum 2025.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Provide office, administrative and operational support to the design and implementation of the Forum. 
•     Manage registrations, daily phone calls and emails from stakeholders related to the Forum.
•     Help with side events preparation.
•     Support work related to logistics, research, creation of databases to support the Forum.
•     Provide documentation support, for example, notes from meetings, follow ups, etc.
•     Help set up and dismantle events efficiently through to completion
•     Update weekly the work plan of SIDS
•     Follow up with the concerned colleagues on the action points
•     Help with the ICT and hotel final arrangements
•     Timely coordinate with the FAO office colleagues based in Samoa and Fiji necessary steps
•     Coordinate with the travel unit on the travel arrangements of the participants
•     Assist in any other way possible to make the event a success by specifically supporting the project lead and the team.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements   

•     University degree in a field related to economics, development studies, environment, public relations, political science or other related areas.
•     5 years of relevant experience in GCF/GCF or other doner funded project design, planning, implementation, and management 
•     Working knowledge of English 
•     National of Samoa or resident of the country with a valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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