Administrative Assistant (Oil Palm Project)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)  is implementing the EU-funded Oil Palm Value Chain Improvement Project (GCP/SIL/066/EC) in Sierra Leone, targeting increased productivity, improved processing, strengthened farmer organizations, and enhanced market access for approximately 43,000 farm families across multiple districts.

The project involves:

• Large-scale procurement and distribution (seedlings, equipment, vehicles); 
  
• Multiple implementing partners (CSOs, research institutions, NGOs); 
  
• Extensive field operations and trainings; and
  
• Strict compliance with FAO and EU donor requirements. 
  Given the scale and operational complexity, the project requires strong administrative support to ensure efficient implementation, compliance, documentation, and audit readiness.

The incumbent will work under the overall oversight of the FAO Representative (FAOR) and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Administration) (AFAOR – Admin).

The incumbent will collaborate closely with:
•    Project Coordinator (Agricultural Officer – Oil Palm Value Chain); 
•    Operations and Finance Units; and 
•    Project team and implementing partners.

The incumbent will provide administrative, logistical, and documentation support to ensure:

• Smooth execution of project activities. 
  
• Compliance with FAO and EU procedures. 
  
• Proper documentation and audit readiness. 
  
• Effective coordination across project components and partners.

Administrative Support

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to the project team; 
  
• Establish and maintain structured filing systems (electronic and physical); 
  
• Draft, format, and process correspondence, memos, and reports; and
  
• Ensure proper archiving of project documentation (contracts, reports, approvals). 
   
  

Logistics and Event Coordination

• Support the organization of trainings and capacity-building sessions, farmer engagement activities, and stakeholder meetings and workshops.Coordinate travel arrangements (tickets, accommodation, DSA, transport); 
  
• Prepare attendance sheets, mission documentation, and meeting minutes; and 
  
• Ensure proper documentation and supporting evidence for all activities. 
   
  

Financial and Administrative Transactions

• Assist in processing payments, advances, reimbursements, and field activity liquidations.Ensure completeness and accuracy of supporting documentation; 
  
• Support budget tracking and expenditure monitoring; and 
  
• Assist in reconciliation processes and follow-up of pending transactions. 
   
  

Procurement Support

• Assist in preparation of purchase requests and procurement documentation; 
  
• Follow up on procurement processes and delivery of goods/services; 
  
• Maintain records of procurement actions and contracts; and 
  
• Support verification of delivered goods and services. 
  
  

Coordination and Communication

•    Facilitate communication between FAO, implementing partners, and stakeholders; 
•    Track correspondence and ensure timely follow-up; 
•    Support coordination with district-level actors and field teams; and
•    Assist in organizing coordination meetings and follow-up actions. 
 
 

Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation

• Support preparation of administrative and operational inputs for reports;
  
• Maintain updated databases on trainings and participants, beneficiaries and distributions, and project activitiesTrack activities against the approved workplan; and 
  
• Ensure all documentation is complete, accurate, and audit-ready. 
  
  

Field Support

•    Provide administrative and logistical support for field missions; 
•    Support coordination of field teams and implementing partners; and 
•    Ensure proper documentation of field activities (attendance, photos, reports).

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure all administrative processes comply with FAO and EU donor requirements; 
  
• Support implementation of internal control measures; 
  
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and records; and 
  
• Assist in audit processes and responses to queries.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, or related field. 
  
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in administration, operations, or project support
  
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C)'of English.
  
• National of Sierra Leone

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

• Strong administrative and organizational skills
  
• Knowledge of procurement and financial procedures
  
• Experience in logistics and event coordination
  
• Strong documentation and reporting skills
  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
  
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment.

• Experience in donor-funded projects (EU-funded projects highly desirable)
  
• Experience with FAO or UN systems is an advantage.

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

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO [link removed] 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/ [link removed]. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings [link removed].
  
• 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 [link removed]