National Operations Specialist SC8 – Job Ref. LIB/FAO/082308

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Liberia, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR-Programme in collaboration with the project team, the FAO Country Representation Operations/Admin Teams.

Technical Focus

Programme development, coordination and operational assistance.
Ensure the smooth functioning of projects operations, consistent service delivery, and continuous evaluation and readjustment /improvement of the operational environment to reflect the FAOR’s evolving needs.

Tasks and Responsibilities

•    Assist the smooth operational, administrative, logistic, financial implementation of programme activities;
•    Support the preparation of project proposals, Letter of Agreements (LoAs) and contracts according to FAO, United Nations (UN), government and donor requirements and procedures; follow-up on submission of reports and payments to Service Providers;
•    Assist in the preparation of project documents, work plans, procurement plan, mid-term and final project reports from an operational perspective, for technical clearance by FAO’s technical services;
•    Assist in the implementation of subsequent stages of the project life cycle (recruitment, procurement, budget handling, report writing, correspondence, special reports, evaluations and justifications as required);
•    Assist in the implementation of efficient financial flow mechanisms and in ensuring timely availability of resources for the smooth implementation of project activities including tracking of budget monitoring and field expenditures;
•    Assist to maintain effective financial controls including reviewing, clearing and certifying for accuracy, appropriateness, correctness and compliance with the approved budget & FAO Rules and Regulations, all administrative & financial documents submitted to FAO Representative for approval and signature;
•    Assist to maintain effective delivery follow-ups control tracking the delivery of goods and services;
•    Make necessary arrangements for incoming & outgoing missions, including security clearances, entry visas, flights & hotel bookings;
•    Liaise with HR Section and assist in processing the recruitment of International & National consultants that will work on project activities including processes in GRMS, ensuring that all necessary forms for each kind of contracts are completed if required: PPF; BSITF/ASITF; Entry Medical Examination; Terms of References and visa requirements addressed; monitor contract status for international and national consultants and inform to the responsible officer at least one month in advance, of each consultant’s NTE for further extension or contract break;
•    Maintain the document filing system both in hard and electronic copy, type correspondence and documents, receive and screen correspondence, attach necessary background information and maintain records of the communications;
•    Maintain a database for out of country travel for all projects, a database for all translated documents/legislation, and a database for all international and national consultants; settlement requests: hard copy clearance, excel upload, cash release;
•    Perform other duties, as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Master’s degree in Administration and Finance or a related field;
•    At least 3 years of relevant experience  in Operations with competence in Finance and Administration;
•    Good Working knowledge in both spoken and written English;
•    Candidates should be national of Liberia.

• Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Successful passing of the Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) in English at the United Nations Headquarters (UNHQ), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.
  The GGST is administered to applicants when required before the administration of a written assessment and/or interview.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Relevance and extent of experience in operations;
•    Organizational & communication skills, computer literacy, fluency in written and spoken English, teamwork skills;
•    Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
•    Past experience working in the UN and other international systems preferred;
•    Concise and sound communication capacity.

Selection Criteria 

•    Knowledge in Finance and Administration;
•    Independent worker and excellent skills working as part of a team;
•    Excellent reading, writing and communication skills in English;
•    Very high skills/knowledge of background related to the VA’s Requirements.