Programme Assistant (Operations)

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is an agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security. Established in 1945, FAO has over 194 member countries and works in more than 130 countries worldwide. The organization aims to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO's mission is to help eliminate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, make agriculture, forestry, and fisheries more productive and sustainable, reduce rural poverty, and enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. In Rwanda, FAO supports various aspects of the agricultural sector, including research and innovation, development of agriculture, fisheries, and forestry to drive transformation, aligning with the government's strategic priorities.

Job Overview:
The Programme Assistant (Operations) plays a crucial role in the coordination of specialized and complex processes and activities that support the delivery of the Office's work programme, planning, and budgeting activities. This position requires a proactive individual who can provide procedural guidance to managers and staff within the Office. The Programme Assistant will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Administration). The incumbent is expected to operate independently, making decisions on work priorities while ensuring high-quality outputs. The role involves close collaboration with colleagues across the organization to maintain consistency and quality in the programme/project support services provided by the Office.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Programme Assistant (Operations) is responsible for a variety of tasks, including monitoring both Regular Programme and Project budgets to ensure proper allocation and reporting of funds. The incumbent will take corrective actions as necessary and inform management of any budget issues that may arise. Additionally, the Programme Assistant will support budget holders in preparing Periodic Budgetary Reports (PBR), the biennial Programme of Work and Budget (PWB), and related work plans. The role also involves preparing project budget revisions in consultation with budget holders, initiating and monitoring Letters of Agreement throughout the project implementation phase, and responding to routine queries regarding programme and project matters. The Programme Assistant will maintain office records, compile and synthesize data for financial analyses, coordinate administrative and financial actions related to staff management, and support the dissemination of project outputs and communication materials. Furthermore, the incumbent will provide procedural guidance to junior Programme Assistants and review current programme/project administration procedures to recommend improvements.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a secondary school education and have a minimum of four years of relevant experience in providing programme/projects support services. A working knowledge of English at proficiency level C is mandatory. Additionally, candidates should have good knowledge of MS Office applications, internet usage, and office technology equipment. It is important for candidates to be nationals of Rwanda or possess an existing visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of application.

Educational Background:
The minimum educational requirement for this position is a secondary school education. This foundational education is essential for understanding the administrative and operational tasks associated with the role of Programme Assistant (Operations).

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of four years of relevant experience in providing support services for programmes and projects. This experience should demonstrate the candidate's ability to manage administrative tasks, budget monitoring, and coordination of project activities effectively.

Languages:
A working knowledge of English at proficiency level C is mandatory for this position. Additionally, having intermediate knowledge (level B) of another FAO official language such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish is considered desirable and may enhance a candidate's application.

Additional Notes:
The position is classified under the General Service Staff category, which means that candidates must be nationals of Rwanda or possess a valid visa/work permit to be eligible for recruitment. The role is expected to be full-time, and candidates should reside within commuting distance of Kigali, the duty station. This ensures that staff members can travel daily between their residence and workplace without significant logistical challenges.