Business Support Assistant to the Deputy Regional Director

About the role

The World Food Programme (WFP) is hiring a Business Support Assistant to the Deputy Regional Director, based in Panama City and reporting to the Deputy Regional Director. The role delivers a wide range of business support processes and activities for a specific professional area of work, facilitating effective service delivery. The position is a General Service level 5 fixed-term appointment of 12 months, open to Panamanian citizens or residents with a permanent visa.

Key responsibilities

• Collate information for reports, documents and correspondence to support other staff.
• Respond to standard queries and provide timely, accurate guidance.
• Process and manage routine administrative and financial tasks across functional areas.
• Maintain records and databases so information is organized and accessible.
• Build relationships with individuals to share information and support service delivery.
• Proof-read reports, documents and correspondence in line with established guidelines.
• Contribute to improving business procedures and processes.
• Collect and perform basic data analysis to improve business information management.
• Guide junior colleagues in performing their duties.
• Support the planning and execution of events organized by the Regional Director's Office, including leadership meetings and government fora.
• Support business processes related to programs and projects led by the Regional Director's Office.

Required profile

• Secondary school completion; a post-secondary certificate in the related functional area is desirable.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in the relevant business stream, including general administrative work.
• Fluency (level C) in English; fluency in the UN language used at the duty station and the local language, if different, is also required.

Required skills

• Knowledge of common business practices and methods from relevant technical training and experience.
• Ability to maintain relationships with a range of individuals and to provide high-quality support.
• Ability to carry out basic data analysis and independently solve problems.
• Ability to monitor and record financial transactions.
• Good communication skills and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Applications are submitted only through the online recruiting system, with a CV and cover letter; additional documents may be requested later. Successful candidates are placed on a roster for two years.