- 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
Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the 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.
FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The Governing Bodies Servicing Division (CSG) hosts the Secretariat of the Conference and the Council, and supports the Secretariats of all other Governing and Statutory Bodies of FAO. It houses the Multilingualism expertise of the Organization, delivering corporate language goods and services. CSG also provides Protocol and Meetings services to the Organization and sustains liaison and communication with Members
The position is located in the Meetings Services branch (CSGM), which carries out the scheduling and programming of all physical, virtual and hybrid meetings of the FAO Governing and Statutory Bodies, FAO corporate events, informal meetings, and other meetings. It is responsible for overseeing and supporting the planning and provision of logistical and audio-visual facilities for the conduct of such meetings.
Reporting Lines
The Consultant/PSA will report to the Conference Officer of the Meeting Services branch (CSGM).
Technical Focus
The Meeting Specialist plays a supporting role in the coordination and planning of meetings with secretariats and external organizers. They coordinate CSG support to meetings organized at headquarters and in regional offices, supervising divisional inputs and monitoring requests for meetings organized by external entities.
The Specialist supports the Conference Officer in the efficient discharge of its duties related to programme planning and budgeting activities. In this capacity the Meeting Specialist will be required to have sound knowledge of meetings and interpretation related policies, procedures and practices. They also prepare and monitor online and hybrid meetings to ensure proper conditions for interpretation.
Tasks and responsibilities
- Support operations for meetings and conferences at Headquarters;
- Monitor the corporate mailbox and liaise with meeting organizers and attendees.
- Ensure adequate sharing of information with critical in-house corporate services for events (e.g. infrastructure, maintenance, interpretation services, IT, security);
- Liaise with internal units such as Protocol Unit and with Embassies and Permanent Representations to ensure smooth organization of high-level events;
- Address meeting attendees upon arrival and share information relative to events;
- Collect, analyse data and create reports of meeting attendances;
- Report to the Conference Officer and/or meeting organizers on requests pertaining to meeting logistics, service needs, or participant support, ensuring timely follow-up and coordination with relevant units.
- Facilitates communication between the meeting attendees and the meeting organizers, and bring requests to the attention of respective units and divisions in FAO.
- Collect information from meeting organizers for non-FAO meetings on FAO premises and coordinate internal activities for the provision of services;
- Provide support to meeting organizers, remote speakers and interpreters in preparation for virtual meetings with interpretation;
- Monitor virtual and hybrid meetings to ensure the sound conditions required for interpretation;
- Perform other functions as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- For Consultants: Advanced University degree in International relations, Interpretation, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, International Law or another field relevant to the work of the Organization. In alternative, a first-level degree and two years of relevant experience may be considered.
- With Master level degree a minimum of 1 year, with Bachelor level degree a minimum of 3 years of relevant working experience in International Relations, Interpretation, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, International Law, Economics, Agriculture, or in any field relevant to the Organization
- For PSA Subscribers: Secondary School Education and at least one year of relevant experience in International Relations, Interpretation, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, International Law, Economics, Agriculture, or in any field relevant to the Organization
- Working knowledge (level C) of English, French or Spanish
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Selection Criteria
- Limited knowledge (level B) of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish would be an asset .
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable
- Extent and relevance of experience in meeting servicing activities in an intergovernmental environment
- Knowledge and understanding of rules, regulations, statutory and legal instruments of FAO, in particular those pertaining to the establishment, functioning and procedures of Governing Body meetings is considered an asset
- Understanding of the functioning of UN agencies and the UN system is considered an asset
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
- Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
- 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 more information, visit the FAO employment website
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
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
- 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