Office Assistant

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. It oversees the network of Country Offices and the Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP). It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the region, and, in collaboration with Divisions, Offices and Centres at headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities and the implementation of the Organization's strategies through programmes and projects across the region.
RAP leads the preparation and organization of the Regional Conferences and the Statutory Bodies in the region.
It supports the formulation and implementation of the Country Programmes and Projects, including Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs), and their contribution to the FAO Strategic Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) at the country level, advising Decentralized Offices on corporate priorities such as the Strategic Framework and on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget.
The regional office develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions, including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs), and participates in the United Nations Regional Architecture, such as UN Regional Forums on Sustainable Development and UN Regional Collaborative Platforms and related mechanisms.

This position is located in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Main Purpose

The Office 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 Office Assistant reports to the Deputy Regional Representative (DRR) and receives additional guidance from the Office of the Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative (ADG/RR), as and when required.

The incumbent operates independently, 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 Office Assistant works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the office, with central units and external clients, performing and coordinating office and management support services and providing procedural guidance and information.

Key Functions/Results

•     Screen requests for appointments with supervisor; maintain supervisor's calendar; confirm mutually convenient schedules and arrange appointments; receive visitors; screen and send e-mails; respond to queries and correspondence, often of a sensitive, confidential or technical nature.
•     Coordinate office support services for meetings, trainings, seminars, committees and special projects and events; attend meetings, prepare minutes, monitor follow-up activities; make arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications.
•     Review, record, distribute and process incoming mail and correspondence; follow-up on pending actions; prepare draft responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications, often requiring knowledge of technical terminologies and/or detailed office procedures; carry out quality control functions for outgoing documents; proofread texts for adherence to format, grammar, punctuation and style.
•     Perform a variety of administrative duties, e.g. contract extensions and requests for temporary staff, leave and attendance recording, budget preparation and follow-up; coordinate with other units to ensure smooth running and expedition of work within the unit.
•     Research, compile and organize background information and reference materials from various sources for reports, briefs and speeches; generate a variety of statistical and other reports from various databases.
•     Coordinate the work of other office support staff, establish priorities and ensure equitable distribution of work; train new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provide general assistance as required.
•     Create and maintain the work unit's filing and reference systems, including an e-book for signatures; review the efficiency of office procedures and make recommendations for improvements; update office websites.
•     Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work

The incumbent's work impacts directly on the smooth and efficient running of the Office. He/she plays a lead role in the provision of office support services for successful achievement of the organizational unit's mandate.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Four years of relevant experience in office/management support work.
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 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

•     Very good knowledge of communication (both written and oral) and documentation skills.
•     Very good knowledge of corporate system/tools and administrative rules, policies and procedures.
•     Very good knowledge of organizational structure at different levels, especially with field context.
•     Good knowledge and strong coordination skills in meetings/events planning and organizing.
•     Proficiency in virtual meeting management, digital document management and information-sharing platforms.

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

•     Knowledge of corporate rules, policies and process and workflows.
•     Knowledge and experience with the UN system are considered an asset.
•     Self-motivated, details-focused and results-oriented.
•     Be able to work with senior managers, diverse team and environment, and deliver results under pressure and deadlines.
•     Awareness of confidentiality and sensitivity.