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POSITION TITLE: Executive Assistant (1 Position)
GRADE LEVEL: SC-6
CONTRACT TYPE: Service Contract
DUTY STATION: Nairobi
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: FAO-Kenya
DURATION: 3 Months with possible extension
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES: KENYAN NATIONALS
ANTICIPATED START DATE: 3 February 2014
Under the overall and direct supervision and guidance
of the FAO Representative in Kenya, the Executive
Assistant coordinates overall office support activities of the FAO
Representation. The Executive Assistant works with wide latitude for
independent action and often handles complex and sensitive matters. The incumbent
performs the following duties:
Provide and coordinate communication, information, documentation,
administrative and protocol support processes for the FAOR.
Control the workflow of the FOAR’s office, prioritize, distribute and
monitor work of subordinate staff for which the incumbent is the immediate
supervisor.
Receive, screen, file, distribute, draft, format, and monitor incoming
and outgoing correspondence and documentation from and to the FAO Kenya country
office; select and abstract pertinent material for supervisor’s review;
identify complex or sensitive material for special treatment; review outgoing
correspondence and documentation for correct format, grammar, spelling and
conformance with FAO and country policies and procedures; attach necessary
background information; maintain a follow-up system.
Screen and place calls; respond to telephone, e-mail and personal
enquiries; refer non-recurring matters and difficult issues to respective
units.
Manage the calendars of the FAOR and Assistant Representatives; schedule
appointments; brief the supervisor/s on matters before meetings and missions.
Draft and format reports, presentations, publications, and other
documentation material for the Officer in Charge and the country office.
Maintain control of records and files; follow-up on deadlines to
supervisors and officers for their action; update the office’s management
information system including spreadsheets, files, databases; provide Registry
with master files containing key documents.
Undertake complex research from various sources; select relevant
information and prepare briefs and summary notes in concise format.
Maintain records on administrative and office support policies,
procedures and practices and provide guidance as to their use to subordinate
staff.
Brief and train secretarial support staff regarding all aspects of the
job, ensuring adherence to procedures, guidelines and work requirements; ensure
accuracy of the work provided.
Support in the overall protocol liaison activities with the Host
Government.
Carry out administrative functions to support the activities of the FAO
Representative including making travel and schedule arrangements.
Supervise the organization of meetings and events held in the country,
including the provision of meeting facilities, equipment, catering, making
travel arrangements, coordinating logistics, preparing correspondence and
assembling documents for participants.
Take minutes at internal and/or official meetings, track actions and
circulate related correspondence among relevant parties.
Prepare informal translations and act as interpreter.
Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum
requirements:
Education: A university bachelor’s
degree in administration or higher is advantageous.
Experience: Five
years of clerical, administrative or operations experience. A minimum of
six months work experience with the UN is desirable. Good communication
and writing skills. Good knowledge of the UN work system. Ability to work with minimal supervision and
good decision making skills are essential.
Technical
Competencies : Systematic,
well structured and efficient approach to work assignments. Analytical ability,
accuracy and consistency. Exercise diligence and care in dealing with records
and expenditures. Ability to organize
work systematically, set priorities and meet deadlines. Ability to structure
and convey information in an appropriate format, ensuring accuracy and
consistency. Recognize sensitive and confidential material and handle it with a
high level of discretion. Ability to communicate appropriately with high level
officials and to professionally handle matters of protocol.
Office Management
Skills: Systematic, well
structured and efficient approach to work assignments. Analytical ability,
accuracy and consistency. Exercise diligence and care in dealing with records
and expenditures. Ability to organize
work systematically, set priorities and meet deadlines. Ability to structure
and convey information in an appropriate format, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
Recognize sensitive and confidential material and handle it with a high level
of discretion. Ability to communicate appropriately with high level officials
and to professionally handle matters of protocol.
Interpersonal and Teamwork
Skills: The incumbent must possess a cooperative
spirit, flexibility and openness to work in an international environment. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of
different national and cultural background. Tact, discretion, courtesy and a
high level of trustworthiness are essential personal attributes. Ability to work effectively with people of
different national and cultural backgrounds.
Languages:
Working knowledge (level C) of the FAO official language used for communication
within the country is desirable.
Other
Skills: Ability to effectively use standard office software, such as MS
Office (Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Project, Exchange
and Internet) etc. Ability to use
administrative software and/ or other information systems and databases to
insert data, make enquiries, retrieve/define ad hoc reports and analyses and
edit results in appropriate format.
TO APPLY:
Send your application to:
Candidates
are requested to submit a covering letter quoting the Position Title and
Vacancy Announcement No. FAO/008/2013 along with their current/detailed
Curriculum Vitae to the following email; Vacancy-Kenya@fao.org
The subject line of the e-mail message should read CONFIDENTIAL – FAO/008/2013.
If making a hard copy submission, the envelope should
be clearly marked CONFIDENTIAL – FAO/008/2013
and sent to the following address:
FAO-Kenya
United Nations
Office at Nairobi
UN Complex, Gigiri
P.O. Box 30470-00100
Nairobi, Kenya.
Applications must be received by the deadline. Late applications will not be considered. Only
short listed candidates meeting all essential qualifications will be contacted.
