Meetings Associate

Organizational Setting The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, nutrition, environment, and life—leaving no one behind. Main Purpose The Meetings Associate acts as the contact person and coordinator for all administrative, logistical, and documentation support activities of international meetings and conferences held at FAO. The Associate ensures the smooth preparation and organization of meetings and the registration and accreditation of meeting participants in compliance with relevant policies and procedures. Supervision Received / Exercised The Meetings Associate reports to the Secretary, Codex Alimentarius Commission. Work is performed autonomously with high initiative and independent judgment. The incumbent provides guidance, training and supervision to meetings support staff in the Division. Working Relationships The Meetings Associate maintains a wide range of contacts with colleagues within the Team, with managers, staff, meeting participants, and business partners inside and outside the Organization while coordinating the preparation and organization of meetings at FAO. Key Functions / Results

Manage arrangements and administrative support for meetings and conferences held at FAO; act as contact person for all meetings support issues and activities. Receive, screen and draft a variety of correspondence related to the preparation and organization of meetings and conferences; follow‑up on deadlines and necessary actions. Supervise the preparation of pre‑ and in‑session meeting documents, using the appropriate templates and liaising with relevant units; proofread and check working documents ensuring consistency of format and translations; ensure the timely translation, printing, dispatch and storage of meeting documents. Assist in the financial planning and management of meetings and maintain financial records and running balances; draft Letters of Agreement with host governments or other organisations involved in hosting meetings. Supervise logistics arrangements for meetings held at FAO; ensure the provision of meeting rooms, facilities and equipment as required. Supervise administrative and personnel matters; prepare draft requests for conference staff and for recruitment of temporary staff; initiate a variety of administrative transactions in FAO’s computerized financial/personnel systems; maintain detailed records for each meeting. Receive and route communications and visitors; respond to specific and complex queries from both within and outside the Organization by applying a thorough knowledge of meeting activities, policies and established procedures. Distribute work and supervise meetings support staff and temporary staff recruited during meetings. Manage and improve the filing and storage of relevant meetings information (lists of participants, correspondence lists, mailing lists, etc.) and meeting statistics; compile reports as required. Find adequate solutions to problems and issues arising and recommend improvements to current work processes. Perform other duties as required.

Impact Of Work The incumbent’s work directly affects the smooth and efficient administration and organisation of meetings held at FAO, playing a lead role in the coordination and provision of the meetings support services for the successful achievement of the Division/Office's mandate. Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary school education. Experience: Five years of experience in administrative and logistics support of meetings and conferences.

Languages

Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English. Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) or intermediate knowledge (proficiency – level B) of at least one of the other working languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

IT Skills

Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, internet and office technology equipment.

Residency General Service Staff are recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing valid visa to work or a valid work permit, and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application. Competencies

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

Technical Skills

Thorough knowledge of meetings procedures and conference registration systems. Thorough knowledge of meeting cycle, planning, organisation, procedures and classification. Good knowledge of corporate computerized financial/travel/personnel systems. Very good knowledge of the communication and documentation standards and related systems. Good knowledge of virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, MS Teams, WebEx) and digital information systems.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

Knowledge of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and subsidiary body meetings. Training and experience in administration, conference management, or event coordination. Experience in supporting international, multilingual meetings and conferences, including knowledge of UN intergovernmental meeting protocols, accreditation and workflows. Extent of knowledge on different meeting registration systems such as Codex ORS, FAO Event Registration, INDICO‑UN and Cvent. Experience in planning and supporting webcasting, hybrid meetings and virtual participation for a global audience. Extent of experience in web editing and desktop publishing (e.g. Adobe Suite) to support availability of meeting documentation and related information. Demonstrated capacity to multitask, supporting multiple meetings in different phases of preparation. Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and ability to liaise effectively with high‑level delegates and government and IGO/NGO personnel.

EEO Statement

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 persons 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. FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director‑General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

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