Business Support Assistant, Service Contract Level 4, Duty Station: Blantyre (1)
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WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.
Business Support Assistant
Job Title: Business Support Assistant
No. Position/s: 1 (One)
VA No.: 178206
Date of Issue: 14 November 2022 Deadline: 27 November 2022
Type of Contract: Service Contract L4
Unit / Division: UN World Food Programme Malawi Blantyre Sub Office
Duty Station: Blantyre, Malawi
Duration: 12 Months
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. For its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Malawi is a small landlocked country in Southern Africa. With a population expanding rapidly at 3 percent per year and the majority of livelihoods dependent on agriculture, the population is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate-related disasters. Poverty is experienced by most rural families, with those headed by women suffering the most. Relying on small parcels of densely cultivated land for their livelihoods, rural Malawians are highly affected by climate change. Episodes of drought as well as severe flooding are increasing in frequency, intensity and unpredictability, giving the most vulnerable households inadequate time to recover.
Malawi’s challenges are also compounded by high rates of HIV infection (at 9.6 percent), low primary school completion rate (at 51 percent) and chronic under-nutrition (at 37 percent for children under 5). WFP continues to partner with the government, other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society and the private sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, with a particular emphasis on reaching Zero Hunger (SDG 2), addressing structural drivers of hunger wherever possible.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The Business Support Assistant will support the Business Support Associate in administration related functions in the operation of the Blantyre Sub Office
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
1. Gather information with clear direction to support the drafting of documents and preparing reports by other staff.
2. Respond to queries and escalate where appropriate, in order to provide a timely and accurate service to clients.
3. Support processing and managing routine administrative and financial tasks in various functional areas, to contribute to the effective and timely management of resources.
4. Provide revision and proof-reading services for standard documents, to contribute to the development of accurate documentation.
5. Take responsibility for the maintenance of set standard systems and files, to ensure information is accurate and readily available for the function.
6. Identify simple discrepancies in statistics and data, such as missing information, and report to senior staff in order to support clients to deliver their work.
7. Take responsibility for data integrity to facilitate availability of accurate information in corporate systems.
8. Provide guidance on routine business support methods and practices to junior colleagues to ensure services are delivered consistently and to the required standards.
9. Work with a variety of individuals, taking on feedback where appropriate to assist in business support delivery for staff.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Completion of secondary school education.
Experience: Four or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream with experience in general administrative work.
Knowledge & Skills:
- Proficient in the use of office equipment and computer software packages, such as Microsoft Word.
- Knowledge of work routines and methods in order to complete processes under minimal supervision.
- Uses tact and courtesy to give and receive information to a wide range of individuals.
- Ability to identify data discrepancies and rectify problems requiring attention.
- Ability to offer guidance or basic on-the-job training to more junior staff
Language: Fluency in both written and spoken English
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
27 November 2022
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Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply
WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
