Administrative Assistant (Oil Palm Project)

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing an EU-funded Oil Palm Value Chain Improvement Project in Sierra Leone. This initiative aims to boost productivity, enhance processing, strengthen farmer organizations, and improve market access for approximately 43,000 farm families. The project involves large-scale procurement, multiple implementing partners, extensive field operations, and strict adherence to FAO and EU donor requirements. Due to its scale and complexity, robust administrative support is essential for efficient implementation, compliance, documentation, and audit readiness.

Job Purpose

The incumbent will provide comprehensive administrative, logistical, and documentation support to facilitate the smooth execution of project activities. This role is crucial for ensuring compliance with FAO and EU procedures, maintaining proper documentation for audit readiness, and fostering effective coordination among project components and diverse implementing partners. The position requires meticulous attention to detail in managing daily operations, supporting financial and procurement processes, and facilitating clear communication channels to ensure the project's overall success and accountability.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day administrative support, including establishing and maintaining filing systems, drafting correspondence, and archiving project documentation. Coordinate logistics for trainings, workshops, and farmer engagement activities, including travel arrangements and preparing mission documentation. Assist in processing payments, advances, and reimbursements, ensuring completeness of supporting documents and supporting budget tracking. Support procurement processes by preparing requests, following up on deliveries, and maintaining records. Facilitate communication between FAO, partners, and stakeholders, tracking correspondence and supporting coordination with district-level actors. Maintain databases for trainings, beneficiaries, and activities, ensuring all documentation is complete, accurate, and audit-ready. Provide administrative and logistical support for field missions and ensure proper documentation of field activities. Ensure all administrative processes comply with FAO and EU donor requirements, support internal controls, and assist in audit processes.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in administration, operations, or project support is required. Experience in donor-funded projects, particularly EU-funded projects, is highly desirable. Experience with FAO or UN systems is considered an advantage.

Skills

Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications is essential. Strong administrative and organizational skills, coupled with excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, are required. Knowledge of procurement and financial procedures, experience in logistics and event coordination, and strong documentation and reporting skills are necessary. The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment is crucial. Experience with EU-funded projects is highly desirable, and familiarity with FAO or UN systems is an advantage.

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