ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme

Open positions at UNEP
Logo of UNEP

Application deadline in 26 days: Tuesday 3 Sep 2024 at 03:59 UTC

Open application form

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

The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UN Environment's Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This post is located in the Ecosystems Division, at the Mediterranean Action Plan(MAP) in Athens, Greece. This position is located in the Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), in the Ecosystems Division at the Athens duty station. Under the overall supervision of the UNEP/MAP Coordinator, the incumbent will perform the following functions:

Responsibilities

• Provides administrative and logistic support in the preparation of meetings, including circulation of invitations, Monitoring of attendance, and coordination of technical arrangements. • Provides administrative support to the coordinator by maintaining the calendar and internal workflow, performing HR and financial management functions and processing 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 in English and French, 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. • 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 the coordinator and senior staff attending meetings; organizes and maintains office database and archives. • Liaises with the offices of various senior officials at Headquarters, Partner Organizations and other MAP units including Regional Activity Centres regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters. • Conveys directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information and brings sensitive and urgent matters including operational issues to the attention of the coordinator. • 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 UNEP Headquarters 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 coordinator and dispatches memorandums, letters, note verbales and other related correspondence to relevant diplomatic representatives of the Contracting Parties and Partners of the Host Country as per internal practices and protocols. • Coordinates all meetings and activities in the Host Country (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other Ministries and Partners). • Provides support in staff recruitment processes in coordination with the MAP Administration unit. • Assists the Coordinator in the process of elaboration and monitoring of the implementation of the Programme of Work and Budget from outputs to financial aspects. • Assists the Coordinator in the review of legal instruments and their implementation including in Integrated Planning, Management and Reporting (IPMR) and Umoja. • Supports the Coordinator by compiling and maintaining the quarterly approved travel plan of the Office, including keeping track of all mission reports and follow-up actions of all MAP staff; Make travel arrangements, and prepare travel authorization, and visa requests for the coordinator, including processing travel claims. • Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. • Collaborates with and as needed, backstops, other assistants of the Unit. • May perform other duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. 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. The ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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.

Job - Specific Qualification

Formal training in the field of Budget and Finance and/or any related fields is desirable .

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in general office support, administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources or related area is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced by two (2) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree. One (1) or more years of experience providing assistance to senior officials is desirable. Experience working with Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) systems is desirable. One (1) or more years of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English and French is required. NOTE: "Fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of "confident" in two of the four areas.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one (1) year and may be subject to extension. 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. External candidates will be considered only when no suitable internal candidate from the duty station is identified. The candidate is responsible for any travel expenses incurred to take-up the appointment. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. 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. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Contact Us" link.

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.

Added 2 hours ago - Updated 2 hours ago - Source: careers.un.org