Administrative Assistant

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 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.
The Subregional Office for Mesoamerica (SLM) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed-upon strategies and projects for transforming food, agriculture and rural development. It also develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions.
The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC).
The position is located in the Subregional Office for Mesoamerica in Panama City, Panama.

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 Subregional Coordinator for Mesoamerica and may receive guidance from the Administrative Officer.
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 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.
• 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 (full proficiency - level C) of Spanish and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) 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

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

Desirable Qualifications And Skills

• Discretion, good judgement in handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Good knowledge of the organizational structure is an asset.
• Familiarity with UN administrative, operational and financial procedures is an asset.
• Working knowledge (full proficiency - level C) of English.
• Ability to plan proactively, guide and follow up on the work of others and work under pressure on multitasks simultaneously and within tight deadlines.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO,

Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

_______________________________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at 

• The length of the appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to extension of appointments

• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. 
• 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.
• No international benefits will be payable as selected candidates are recruited locally and paid in the local currency of the office location
• For additional information visit the FAO employment website:

REMUNERATION
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: