ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a G-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-6 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, in the Political Unit. The Staff Assistant will report to the Director through the Deputy Director, Political Unit (PU).

Responsibilities Within the delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Provides administrative support to the Political Unit Chief(s) by maintaining the calendar, internal workflow and processing appointment, internal and external requests; - Supports the organization of meetings, travel(s) for the unit; prepares other administrative requests/documents for staff of the Unit. - Drafts, edits, proofreads and prepares official communications, for signatures, on behalf of the unit. - Performs research and assists in the preparation of necessary documentation required for reports and correspondence and responds to inquiries on issues relevant to the work of the Unit and EOSG. - Independently handles a wide range of complex information requests and inquiries; responds or drafts responses to a diverse range of correspondence and other communications. - Ensures availability of background materials for directors and senior staff attending meetings; organizes and maintains office database and archives. - Liaises with the offices of various senior officials in other units regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters. - Provides administrative and logistic support in the preparation of meetings, including circulation of invitations, monitoring of attendance, and coordination of technical arrangements. - Conveys directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information and brings sensitive and urgent matters including operational issues to the attention of the Director. •. Maintains daily attendance and administrative records for Unit members. - Ensures an effective and efficient flow of information by processing all incoming and outgoing correspondence, overseeing information flow within the Unit, assisting in the maintenance of correspondence logs, processing requests for clearance, monitoring and following-up on pending actions; organizes and maintains office database and archives and liaises with the Executive Office on administrative matters. - Provides assistance to senior officials on official travels including the drafting of communications and the monitoring changes to trip itineraries and composition of delegations. - Drafts, processes for signature by the Head of Office and dispatches memorandums, letters, note verbales and other trip-related correspondence to relevant Permanent Missions and UN Offices and Department as per internal practices and protocols. - Collaborates with and as needed, backstops, other staff assistants of the Unit. - May perform other duties as required.

Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently

Education High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of experience in general office support, administrative services, or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to 5 years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Experience providing assistance to senior officials is required.

Experience in drafting and proof-reading of official communications/documents is required.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required and French is an advantage.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice This position is temporarily available for 364 days. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereafter will be subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate.

If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.