Regional Office Assistant (ROA) - G-5 at International Fund for Agricultural Development

Key Functions and Results

BUSINESS SUPPORT TO DIRECTOR: The Office Assistant organizes and manages the office business and support RO Director, to ensure integrity and adherence to established rules and procedures. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

• Maintaining the supervisor’s calendar and managing their travel arrangements (including related ERP transactions handling of visas and logistical arrangements and compliance with UNDSS recommendations on travel);
• Prepare briefing materials for official trips or meetings;
• Draft responses to written inquiries on routine and non-routine queries and coordinating responses to sensitive or complex issues;
• Liaise with internal (Field and HQ) and external clients for the smooth functioning of business operations;
• Organize the logistics of internal and external meetings/committees;
• Review all correspondence and official documents for style, factual and grammatical accuracy, as well as conformance with established guidelines and procedures;
• Prepare the submission of correspondence for the supervisor’s signature.

SUPPORT TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING: The Office Assistant provides support in the planning and delivery of the divisional work plan(s) and budget. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

• Contribute to coordinating office work plan(s) and generating regular reviews and final reporting;
• Originating the procurement of goods and services (e.g. non-staff recruitments, commercial and non-commercial entity contracts);
• Maintaining accurate travel expenses documentation and records of other expenditure, Handling payments; tracking deliveries, etc
• Managing and following up on procurement of necessary office goods, supplies and services; gathering quotations;
• Initiating HR-related actions for recruitment/contract extension and ensuring timely and efficient completion of actions.
• Supporting office asset administration (including maintenance of IFAD office furnishings and equipment, inventory control and vehicle/fleet management, if any.
• Contribute to the coordination with the host agency at the country level is effective and collaborative.

SUPPORT TO DIVISIONAL OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES: The Office Assistant is responsible for ensuring timely submissions of reports, correspondence and documentation within stipulated deadlines, as well as adherence to corporate standards and processes. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

• Coordinating and follow up on workflows for divisional documents/correspondence going to or through the Division Director;
• Effect quality checks of official documents/correspondence;
• Ensure organization and logistics for meetings and events;
• Providing guidance on corporate administrative processes, through induction and briefing/debriefing of staff and consultants;
• Ensuring proper office management of goods and tools for an effective running office;
• Coordinating divisional travel plans.
• Recording divisional absences.

DIVISIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: The Office Assistant coordinates the communication and workflow of the office of Division Director to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency and timeliness of office operations and outputs. Accountabilities typically include but are not limited to:

• Maintaining the office filing and reference systems, both traditional and digital;
• Ensuring the inter/intra-net websites are up to date and accurate;
• Maintaining and updating corporate IT platforms.
• Provide inventory support through corporate IT tools

MANAGRIAL FUNCTIONS: The Office Assistant is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff supervised.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 1:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
• Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
• Managing performance and developing staff -
• Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
• Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

Education:

• High school diploma

Experience:

• At least four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in secretarial and administrative support.
• Qualifying work experience in supporting office administration, communication and information management, resource planning and output monitoring. Experience with International financial institutions, development cooperation agencies, etc., would be an asset.

Languages:

• Required English (4 – Excellent)
• Desirable: French, Spanish or Arabic (3 – Good)

Skills:

• Budgeting, resource management: Know-how in budget administration and accounting, resource allocation and planning at divisional level
• Conferences management: Know-how in conference management, including optimal utilization of human and physical resources
• Record management: Know-how in record keeping (e.g. proper handling of records and systems to preserve institutional memory, including correspondence logs, office filing and reference systems, etc.)
• Topical expertise - Administration: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. For ethics office assistant, procedures outlined in the Code of Conduct, Discipline and Anti-harassment provisions of applicable rules and guidelines)
• Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g. to deliver governing body documents on time); ability to coordinate and manage complex workflows and in-house and external teams
• Basic ICT & digital fluency: High level of digital literacy and ability to quickly get familiar with new digital tools (e.g. ability to carry out EPR data entry and extraction when budgeting; monitoring security systems, uploading content to inter/intra-net websites, etc.)
• Initiative and good judgment: High sense of proactive initiative-taking and good judgement (including on security matters)
• Interpersonal skills: Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with others (e.g. visitors, clients, callers, etc.), including senior individuals (e.g. high-level meeting participants)