Facilities Management Associate (Catering)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Roma; In loco; EUR 40.000 - 50.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

An international organization in Rome is seeking a Facilities Management Associate (Catering) to lead and coordinate catering functions. The role involves ensuring compliance with policies, managing contracts, and organizing event logistics. Candidates should have a secondary school education, five years of relevant management experience in catering, and proficiency in English along with another FAO language. The ideal applicant will possess strong communication, organizational skills, and knowledge of catering procedures, contributing to the smooth operations of the organization.

Competenze

• Five years of relevant experience in management and office support.
• Two years in organizing high-level catering services.
• Working knowledge of English and another FAO language.

Mansioni

• Lead and coordinate the catering functions of the Organization.
• Ensure compliance with FAO policies in catering contracts.
• Monitor contract performance and conduct inspections of catering services.

Conoscenze

Catering procedures knowledge

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Event logistics coordination

Formazione

Secondary School Education

Strumenti

MS Office

Descrizione del lavoro

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind. FAO's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations. The Infrastructure Services (CSLI) within the Logistics Services Division (CSL) is responsible for the maintenance of the headquarters premises and for providing services to FAO employees. CSLI assists FAO Decentralized Offices in facilities maintenance, technical projects, infrastructure activities and technically innovative systems to reduce their carbon footprint. CSLI further coordinates the special safety projects funded by the Government of Italy, which involves upgrading the headquarters buildings to the current safety norms, and drives the implementation of Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy within headquarters and Decentralized Offices. The post is located in the Corporate Logistics and Operational Support Stream of the Infrastructure Services (CSLI) within the Logistics Services Division (CSL) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Main Purpose

The Facilities Management Associate (Catering) leads and coordinates the catering functions of the Organization. They ensure the smooth flow of office work and information related to catering by setting priorities and organizing the day‑to‑day work. The role requires in‑depth knowledge of catering procedures and practices, and the incumbent provides procedural guidance to managers and staff in the office or location.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Facilities Management Associate (Catering) reports to the Facilities Management Officer, manager of the catering contract. Work is performed autonomously, showing a high degree of initiative and independent judgment. Supervision received focuses on facilitating service delivery. The incumbent effectively organizes and may supervise other office support staff and provides relevant guidance and training.

Working Relationships

The incumbent maintains a wide range of contacts with managers, staff and counterparts both within and outside the Organization. Work relations may be at a high organisational level, requiring very good communication skills and experienced handling of issues.

Key Functions / Results

• Provide operational and administrative support for the management of institutional catering contracts, ensuring compliance with FAO policies and contract terms.
• Coordinate procurement‑related activities for catering services, including preparation of technical specifications, cost estimates and tender documents, in collaboration with the Procurement Services.
• Participate in the technical evaluation of bids and assist in drafting selection reports, justifications and communications with caterers.
• Monitor contract implementation, performance indicators and service levels, draft routine and non‑routine correspondence to caterers and internal stakeholders.
• Conduct inspections of food and beverage services to ensure adherence to hygiene, quality and presentation standards, including compliance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and relevant regulations.
• Coordinate logistical arrangements for internal events, including liaison with catering providers, internal units and other technical teams (e.g. electricians, carpenters, cleaners, porters).
• Serve as focal point within CSLI for both clients and CSLI staff in the organisation of meetings and events, coordinating catering contractors as well as support service providers (cleaning, porterage, electricians, elevators, etc.) to ensure smooth and timely service delivery.
• Act as focal point for internal requests and feedback on catering services; follow up on complaints and ensure timely resolution.
• Review and verify contractor staffing levels, training plans and inventory management (excluding food items), ensuring alignment with contractual provisions.
• Maintain updated databases on contracts, costs, events and supplier performance; provide inputs to regular reporting.
• Support the cost recovery process for catering services related to both FAO and non‑FAO events, including invoicing and tracking reimbursements.
• Ensure timely updates of the catering intranet site and user documentation.
• Support corporate initiatives in accordance with the Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy to reduce emissions, increase efficiency and integrate sustainability.
• Train and guide support staff and junior colleagues, as required.
• Follow up on the preparation of reports, correspondence, briefing notes and other documents; review documents and make changes to their format or style in accordance with standard practices; conduct research and prepare briefing materials for the supervisor; provide informal translations into another official language.
• Perform other duties as required.

Impact of Work

The incumbent's work impacts directly the smooth and efficient operations of the Office. They play a lead role in the coordination and provision of the office support services for the successful achievement of the Division's mandate.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Secondary School Education.
• Experience: Five years of relevant experience in management and office support work, including at least two years in organising and coordinating high‑level catering services, contract administration and event logistics in a large setting or international organisation.
• Languages: Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
• IT Skills: Very good knowledge of MS Office applications, Internet and office technology.

Competencies

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

Technical Skills

• Thorough knowledge of corporate computerized financial, travel and human resources systems.
• Thorough knowledge of the organisational structure, administrative procedures and policies and matters of protocol.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks under pressure and liaise effectively across organisational units.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

• Familiarity with FAO procurement rules.
• Knowledge of European food legislation and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) implementation.
• Experience working with external service providers in a contractual framework.
• Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of Italian.

Residency Requirements

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 visa/work permit and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application. "Commuting distance" means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.