Administrative Assistant

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 7,206 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

This post is a limited-term fixed-term post.

1. Organizational Context

1. Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Professional Development Program of the WIPO Academy.

The WIPO Academy is the core entity in WIPO for training and capacity-building activities, particularly for developing countries, LDCs and countries with economies in transition. The Academy acts as an in-house center of excellence on training, including professional training; a catalyst for networks and partnerships to expand the range and impact of training opportunities at the national level; an open-access on-line clearing house of information on all WIPO training activities, tools and services; and a hub of virtual network of partners, experts and teachers in development-oriented IP training.

Beneficiaries of the WIPO Academy services include decision-makers, government officials, officials of national intellectual property offices and societies for collective management of copyright and related rights, intellectual property practitioners, academics, students and other stakeholders.

The Professional Development Program offers every year a series of specialized advanced training courses on various aspects of intellectual property for the benefit of government officials and in cooperation with national or regional IP institutions, national organizations for the management of copyright and related rights, intergovernmental organizations and other stakeholders.

2. Purpose Statement

The incumbent provides administrative support to the activities of the Professional Development Program.

3. Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Head of the Professional Development Program.

d. Work Relations

He/she liaises extensively with units within the Organization to initiate requests, obtain clearances, process and follow up on administrative actions and recommend process improvements. The incumbent has frequent dealings with governments, and other external parties to share information and confirm arrangements.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a. Arrange, coordinate and assist administrative preparations for training courses, meetings, workshops held face-to-face or online. This includes the preparation of training budgets for individual courses, making arrangements for travel, booking of accommodation, processing security clearances and making financial arrangements for participants, speakers and consultants. Liaise with UNDP on the payment of daily subsistence allowance (DSA), terminal expenses and travel arrangements, where appropriate.

b. Review registered applications for training and assist on pre-selection of candidates, based on established procedures and instructions; establish lists of candidates for the selection process for approval by the Head of the Program and the Executive Director of the Academy. Coordinate with the Distance Learning Program of the Academy. Prepare and draft certificates to successful course participants.

c. Act as first point of contact for partner institutions or external stakeholders involved in organizing, conducting of or attending training courses, including government representatives of countries hosting courses, participants, tutors, speakers and consultants. Liaise with partner institutions on joint funding and implementation of training courses and follow-up on the financial contributions of each cooperating institution. Monitor the utilization of funds received from partner institutions.

d. Administer and maintain the pool of experts and the virtual platform of the Professional Development Program to ensure efficient collaboration among partner institutions. Track the progress of assignments and projects to be submitted by the participants after the offering of the training courses. Liaise with the tutors assigned to the participants to ensure smooth communication and follow-up.

e. Prepare and draft official and administrative non-standard correspondence, including communication to candidates / participants, speakers and consultants; carry out quality control of outgoing documents for accuracy, format, grammar and style in accordance with applicable WIPO guidelines and standards; finalize correspondence for signature/clearance. Maintain records of correspondence, including correspondence emanating from Permanent Missions and Member States.

f. Monitor the Programs accounts and carry out operations required for authorizing and effectuating expenditures under all types of funding; consolidate budget data, update tables, databases and systems, prepare cost estimates, process administrative forms (e.g. purchase requisitions, travel authorizations), reconcile invoices and follow up with concerned work units on related administrative actions and payments; propose solutions to issues identified; prepare budget-related reports and annual statistics and support the preparation of program and budget and workplan documentation.

g. Organize assessment of training courses through evaluation questionnaires and surveys to measure the expectations of participants, the effectiveness of the courses and overall impact of the courses for the offices.

h. Assist in the establishment and maintain the Program’s filing and archiving systems, ensuring information is up to date and efficiently and effectively used; maintain detailed records/files of all administrative actions.

i. Input and update data in training databases; compile data on training applications for statistical purposes and prepare reports and make mission arrangements for the Head and other professional staff of the Program, including making flight and hotel reservations, obtaining visas etc.

j. Convene meetings, distribute agendas and relevant background information to participants, and reserve meetings rooms with appropriate facilities and perform other duties as required.

3. Requirements

Education (Essential)

Completed secondary education.

Experience (Essential)

At least five years of administrative and office support work experience.

Experience in providing administrative support for meetings, training activities or other events.

Experience working with an ERP system and databases.

Language (Essential)

Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English and French.

Language (Desirable)

Knowledge of other UN official languages, particularly Spanish.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Ability to work within the applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.

Client-oriented with the ability to deliver accurate and consistent client services in a timely manner.

Ability to provide information and reply to enquiries in a clear and concise manner.

Excellent organizational and time management skills.

Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.

Excellent drafting skills and ability to work with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

Competent user of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint and the internet, and the ability to work with databases and adapt quickly to new systems and software.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

4. Organizational Competencies

1. Communicating effectively.
2. Showing team spirit.
3. Demonstrating integrity.
4. Valuing diversity.
5. Producing results.
6. Showing service orientation.
7. Seeing the big picture.
8. Seeking change and innovation.
9. Developing yourself and others.

5. Information

Mobility: WIPO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director General and may be assigned to any activities of the Organization. Accordingly, the selected candidate may be required to move from time to time to new functions.

Annual salary (Net of tax): 75,234 CHF

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

* Initial fixed-term appointment of one year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and other applicable conditions. The selected candidate will be subject to an overall term of five years with no possibility of renewal beyond that term. This is not applicable to WIPO staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointments, who were recruited following a competition under Staff Regulation 4.10 ("Appointment Boards").

Dependency allowances

7,939 CHF per year for dependent spouse; 6,398 CHF per year for each dependent child.

Language allowance

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish: 4,788 CHF per year for two of these languages, and 3,192 CHF per year for one of them. The allowance is not payable for the mother tongue or the main working language of the staff member. The grant of this allowance is subject to examination.

General Service posts are generally subject to local recruitment. Staff in the General Service category is recruited in the host country or within reasonable commuting distance of the Headquarters.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill other posts at the same grade with similar functions in accordance with Staff Rule 4.9.5.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

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By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.