Agricultural Support Officer (AO) 

Basic Details

• Job title: Agricultural (Support) Officer
• Organisation:  Dutch Embassy in Serbia
• Unit/mission: LAN-BEL
• Job Grade: 07
• Number of hours/week: 37,5

Description of tasks

• Accurately applies the ministerial administrative and procedural rules, regulations, guidelines and working agreements;
• Ensures that accounting records are accurate and well-coordinated; is responsible for budget management within the LAN, making interim reports and is responsible for the financial administration of the activity plan of the LAN;
• Provides (logistical) support for official visits, trade missions, seminars, workshops, exhibition activities, networking meetings and other LAN activities;
• Makes active use of the LAN network contacts and extends this network in cooperation with the Agricultural Counsellor;
• Collects, organizes and manages data about market info, relevant meetings, events, interested companies, news articles etc.;
• Gathers relevant market information on request (e.g. Euromonitor, Eurostat, etc), compiles ‘light’ sector overviews and reports;
• Supports preparation of speeches and presentations and compiles information files;
• Deals independently with basic trade requests by Dutch and local stakeholders, in cooperation with the Agricultural Counsellor and the Agricultural Adviser;
• Coordinates the registration within Achilles (system of trade registration) of the LAN team;
• Independently prepares  reports, processes, analyses and interprets data;
• Draws up contracts for contractors for major events and/or projects;
• Makes up drafts, edits and publishes articles for www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl, newsletters and social media channels;
• Drafts and manages the LAN part of the digital ‘cooperation space’ for the archive;
• Reports directly to the Agricultural Counsellor who carries final responsibility and is responsible for policy related support for the entire LAN team.

Knowledge & skills requirements

• Level of education: higher professional level
• Level of working experience: 3-4 years of relevant experience

Knowledge

• General knowhow and experience with financial and administrative procedures;
• Experience in writing (policy) reports;
• Good verbal and written command of English and Serbian;
• Familiarity with and ability to adapt to Dutch culture and customs; working knowledge of Dutch or willingness to learn is an asset;
• General knowledge and understanding on economics and knowledge of or affinity with agriculture topics.
• Skills
• Strong communication skills, both written and orally;
• Good social media skills;
• Flexible and proactive;
• Knowledge of common software such as Windows and Office

Competencies

• Integrity
• Result oriented
• Detail oriented
• Customer focus
• Ability to work with others
• Ability to plan and organise
• Able to handle stress

Working environment

LAN falls within the organisational structure of the Dutch Embassy in Serbia. The agricultural support officer will be part of the LAN team that consists of the Agricultural Counsellor - who is the overall manager of the LAN - and an experienced Agricultural Adviser. There is close cooperation between LAN and the Economic Cluster and other departments within the Embassy.

Terms of employment

The appointment will be effectuated on the basis of a local contract according to the Locally Employed Staff Council (LESC) rules and regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

The contract will be for fixed term for a period of 1 year with the possibility of extension. The position has been approved for scale 7 according to the Dutch Local Staff scales. Scales are dependent upon education and experience of the candidate and will range between gross minimum 2.639 EUR and maximum 3.958 EUR. An assessment and a security screening may be part of the selection procedure.

Diversity and inclusivity

The Netherlands Government is an inclusive employer with a focus on diversity. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organizational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or any other category protected by law.

Important contacts

With LAN HQ (homebase) at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) in The Hague and with other Netherlands Agricultural Networks worldwide;

With the Ministry of LVVN in The Hague and other ministries and governmental agencies (like NVWA, RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency, responsible for implementation of policy of the NL government) whenever possible;
With Dutch exporters and investors, local companies, importers and key business figures, local ministries and other authorities, government representatives and other authorities, business organizations, professional organizations, and diplomatic representations;
With independent societal organisations and NGO’s;
With news media for public information, PR and press releases.

How to apply

Interested candidates can apply before 29 July by sending a motivation letter and a recent CV to Koen van Ginneken, Agricultural Counsellor, by email to BEL-LVVN@minbuza.nl mentioning as subject “Application Agricultural Support Officer Belgrade”.

General features of the Netherlands Agricultural Network

The Netherlands Agricultural Network (LAN) represents the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN in Dutch). LAN consists of 62 teams stationed at Dutch embassies and consulates-general and they are active in 77 countries. LAN also represents the Netherlands in multilateral organisations; EU in Brussels, FAO/WFP/IFAD in Rome and OECD in Paris.

LAN is established in regions that can offer viable chances for Dutch companies, knowledge institutions and societal organisations in the domain of agriculture, fisheries, food and nature. This way, LAN strengthens and contributes to the implementation of the LVVN Europe strategy and the LVVN International strategy aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

LAN supports agricultural development, dialogue and (bilateral and multilateral) cooperation in the field of sustainable agriculture, nature / biodiversity, food safety, food security and fisheries. Trade promotion, stimulating Dutch investments abroad, promoting market access for Dutch agri-food products and knowledge, innovation and technology in the country of representation also belong to its core tasks.

LAN adopts a proactive approach, seeking out opportunities for Dutch agribusiness and establishing direct contact with the relevant stakeholders via newsletters, social media, the international LVVN website www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl and the website of the Dutch embassy.