Secretary - FOA

Title : Secretary
Level :G - 5
Location: FAO Representation in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Contract Duration: 1 Year renewable

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Secretary provides and coordinates the secretarial and office support activities for the FAO Representation in Bangladesh. The incumbent works under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative, for whom he / she provides and manages communications, information, documentation, administrative and organizational support as well as some protocol functions. The Secretary (G-5) works with wide latitude for independent action and often handles confidential and sensitive matters and material.

In particular the incumbent will:

I. Provide and coordinate Communications-, Information- and Documentation - Support for the FAO Representative

1. Receive, screen, file, distribute, draft, format, and monitor incoming and outgoing correspondence and documentation from and to the FAO Representative and the 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.
2. Screen and place calls; respond to telephone, e-mail and personal enquiries; refer non-recurring matters and difficult issues to respective units within and outside FAO.
3. Manage the supervisor’s calendar; schedule appointments independently as appropriate; brief the supervisor on matters before meetings and trips.
4. Draft and format reports, presentations, publications, and other documentation material for the FAOR and, if needed, for the Assistant FAORs.
5. Maintain control of records and files; follow-up on deadlines to supervisor and officers for their action; update the office’s management information system including spreadsheets, files, databases; provide Registry archives with master files containing key documents.
6. Select a variety of information from various sources (e. g. Intra-/ Internet, office files, FAO information and documentation); compile background information and reference material as appropriate; present results in concise format.
7. Maintain up-to-date knowledge on administrative and office support policies, procedures and practices; provide guidance and information as to their use to supervisor, professional and general service staff of the country office.
8. Coordinate and control all office support processes and products, including management information, for quality and efficiency.

II. Provide other Organizational, Administrative and Representative Office Support Functions

1. Be responsible for protocol liaison activities with the Host Government.
2. Receive and accompany visitors of the FAO Representative / country office, including high ranking officials from within and outside the Organization.
3. Make travel arrangements for the FAOR, and, if needed, the Assistant FAORs.
4. Assist in the organization of meetings and events held in the country, by arranging for meeting facilities, equipment, catering, making travel arrangements, coordinating logistics, preparing correspondence and assembling documents for participants; provide administrative and secretarial support during the meetings.
5. Take minutes at the supervisor’s / office’s internal and/or official meetings.
6. Prepare informal translations and act as interpreter.
7. Coordinate the provision of central office support services, e.g. office supplies translations, printing, building services, etc.
8. Perform other related duties required to ensure efficient office support to the Representation.

Work Relationships

As direct support of the FAO Representative, the Office Assistant is in frequent contact with many country office staff, with (high level) officials from government, FAO and UN, and with visitors, project managers, consultants, experts and enquirers from within and outside the Organization. The Office Assistant communicates regularly with responsible offices at FAO Headquarters and Regional and Sub-regional Representations. On the country level, the incumbent communicates with heads and staff of other UN agencies, the UN Resident Coordinator as well as with local institutions, agencies and service suppliers.

Qualification Requirements and Competencies

Education:
Graduation from secondary school or equivalent technical or commercial school. Secretarial training. Training in office management and/or general administration.

Work Experience:
Essential: Five years of progressively responsible secretarial, clerical and/ or administrative experience.
Desirable: Experience in working for a FAO / UN office.

Languages:
Working knowledge (level C) of the FAO official language used for communication within the country (English, French or Spanish) and working knowledge of the local language(s) is required.

IT Skills:
Ability to effectively use standard office software, such as MS Office (Windows, Word, Outlook, Excel, Power Point, Exchange) et al. Very good typing skills.

Office Management Skills:
Ability to organize work systematically, set priorities and meet deadlines. Ability to structure and convey information in an appropriate format, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Actively support new ideas to streamline working methods. 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. Ability to carry out and manage a high number of diverse and complex assignments and to cope with an increased volume of work during peak periods.
Desirable:
Good knowledge of FAO’s official communication and documentation standards, administrative procedures and policies, organizational structures and protocol matters.

Interpersonal Communications and Teamwork Skills:
The incumbent must possess a cooperative spirit, flexibility and openness to work in an international environment within a team of staff with mixed skills and different national and cultural backgrounds. He / she must we willing to share information, tasks and ideas to ensure efficient teamwork and achievement of shared goals. He / she must be able to establish good working relationships and liaise with supervisor, staff members, counterparts, managers and (high ranking) officials from within and outside the Organization. Since the incumbent has access to confidential and sensitive information, a high level of trustworthiness is needed. As he / she is often the first point of contact with enquirers both from within and outside the Organization, utmost tact, discretion and courtesy are essential personal attributes.

UN Salary scale and benefits for similar positions apply.

Interested qualified candidates will find the Personal History Form (PHF) required for the application by clicking this link: http://www.fao.org/VA/adm11e.dot Completed PHF must reach the FAO Representation to the address below in sealed envelope not later than Sunday, 07 December, 2008. You may also send the filled up PHF as scanned/ signed attachment to this address: FAO-BD@fao.org

Address:
FAO Representation in Bangladesh
House # 37, Road # 8,
Dhanmondi Residential Area
Dhaka - 1205, Bangladesh

Applications not submitted through the filled PHF will be discarded. Please do not submit with your application any certificate and/or document.

Candidates not possessing the essential qualifications should not apply as their application will not be considered. The position applied for must be clearly indicated in the Envelope as:

Indicate in the envelope or in the subject line of email as - APPLICATION FOR POST OF: (Indicate title of the post applied for)