Administrative Assistant

Contract

This is a UNV National Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Youth contracts.

The volunteer will work in the Budget and Finance Unit (BFU) of the Department of Administration and Finance in the Regional Office of the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO). The Budget and Finance Unit provides support to the budget and finance operations of the regional office and 22 country/desk offices in EMR. BFU is entrusted with ensuring compliance with financial regulations and rules, policies and procedures and maintaining strong internal controls in order to effectively discharge WHO’s accountability obligations to Member States and donors. BFU supports divisions and country offices in delivering WHO’s programmes by providing guidance, review, and oversight on financial and administrative transactions, policies and procedures.

Under the day-to-day supervision of the Administrative Assistant and overall guidance of the Regional Budget and Finance Officer, the national UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Screen unit’s incoming and outgoing mail/e-mail, routing to appropriate colleagues for action. • Compose, draft and prepare from instructions correspondence on issues relating to the unit (bank signatory letters, etc.). • Disburse cheques and cash vouchers to suppliers, and file related documentation. • Verify and create corporate suppliers in GSM (Oracle Financials) based on requests from country offices and regional office divisions, ensuring compliance with all relevant policies and standard operating procedures. Liaise with colleagues in the Global Service Center in Kuala Lumpur to resolve issues. • Develop training materials and job aids, and deliver training to budget centers in supplier creation to improve the quality of supplier management across the region. • Identify opportunities for streamlining of processes around supplier and cash office management including related filing to ensure optimal use of staff time while maintaining essential controls. • Promote volunteerism in the development sector in Egypt through the sharing of experiences and stories amongst networks and relationships with local organizations, groups, individuals, co-workers and fellow UN Volunteers. • Utilize skills developed on the job to assist other organizations in a volunteer capacity to improve administrative and management procedures.

• Results/Expected Outputs:

o Timely provision of administrative support with a focus on customer satisfaction. o Timely and accurate creation of corporate suppliers including follow-up with country offices and Global Service Center. o Strengthened supplier management with improved performance by budget centres in the accuracy of their first-time submissions as a result of targeted outreach and training initiatives. Capacity development of national staff in countries and the regional office through coaching and training. o Job aids and training materials to sustain improved supplier management. o Efficient and effective administrative processes around cash office and supplier management. o A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on activities participated in and capacities developed. • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

• Technological Awareness;
• Vision;
• Working in Teams;
• Accountability;
• Adaptability and Flexibility;
• Client Orientation;
• Communication;
• Creativity;
• Ethics and Values;
• Managing Performance;
• Planning and Organizing;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

• Experience using automated accounting systems such as Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft, Dynamics, etc. • Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Arabic • Strong skills in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) • Detail-oriented and highly accurate • Strong customer-service mindset • Experience documenting and streamlining business processes (desirable) • Experience developing and delivering training programs for administration and finance (desirable)

The duty station will be Cairo, which is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education, and leisure) and good living conditions. Cairo (and Egypt) has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centers, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc.

The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley. The country is defined by desert and the Nile, the longest river on Earth. Egypt is bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west.

With over 90 million inhabitants, two-thirds of which are below 30 years, Egypt is Africa's third most populous country after Nigeria and Ethiopia and has the highest population in the Arab world's most densely populated areas, especially in greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta. The country has witnessed significant political and economic changes since 2011. Through this transition, which includes periods of political unrest, the main income sources of the economy have been negatively impacted, particularly in the tourism sector, as well as revenues from the Suez Canal, oil and remittances from Egyptians working abroad, affected by the global economy. However, with the current political stability, tourism is getting improved, and touristic activities are going back to normal. UN staffs are not directly targeted in Egypt and for the most are vulnerable to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is recommended to keep dwell time in the immediate vicinity of military, police and other prominent official installations to the minimum.