Operations Assistant – SC6

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through 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.
In the wake of increased demand for digitalization of the agriculture sector and use of data for decision making, FAO Kenya has been at the forefront in supporting the Government of Kenya to fully realize this goal. Consequently, FAO Kenya is seeking to strengthen its internal technical capacity by employing a qualified and competent Operations Assistant in a position located within the FAO Representation in Kenya.

Reporting Lines

The Operations Assistant will work under overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Kenya and direct supervision of the Operations Officer.

Technical Focus

The Operations Assistant will support the effective delivery of FAO Kenya programme activities through efficient management of operational processes, financial transactions, and administrative services. The role focuses on ensuring compliance with FAO rules and procedures while supporting project implementation through the use of corporate systems and tools.

Key areas of technical focus include:

• Operational support to projects
• Financial and budget operations
• Corporate systems utilization
• Support to procurement and logistics processes
• Project expenditure tracking and reporting
• Travel management
• Coordination and liaison with country office departments

Tasks and responsibilities

• Raise purchase requisitions
• Coordinate the overall hiring plan for hiring of national and international affiliate workforce.
• Develop and/or review Terms of Reference of affiliate workforce and ensure compliance with current standards and regulations.
• Coordinate and manage the publication of calls to attract candidates for vacancies related to national and international affiliate workforce, ensuring proper dissemination to attract qualified talent
• Provide administrative support, including recording worked hours for the payment of fees to national and international consultants and other related tasks.Manage the complete cycle of contracts for national and international affiliate workforce in the Global Resource Management System (GRMS), ensuring the collection and verification of required documentation.
• Map project expenditures in FPMIS by liaising closely with result areas Programme Assistants and Operations Specialists to ensure that mapping of expenditures is done timely and correctly
• Creation of entity numbers and concept notes in FPMIS.
• Preparing and submitting requests for accounting adjustments
• Raise Travel Authorizations requests
• Process Travel Expenses claims
• Perform any other related duties

FAO Standards and guidelines:

• Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
• All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).
• Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in: Business Administration, Finance or Accounting, Supply Chain Management, International Relations, Public Administration, Management, Rural development, or a related field from a recognized university is required
• A minimum of three (3) years of progressive work experience in operations, project management, administration, travel, or related work
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Kiswahili
• National of Kenya

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in managing operational processes including procurement, finance, travel, and recruitment support
• Proficiency in corporate systems (GRMS, FPMIS) for transaction processing and expenditure tracking
• Strong financial and administrative accuracy, including payments, advances, and accounting adjustments
• Ability to coordinate with programme and operations teams to support timely project delivery

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• 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 http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

• 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 http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT