Administrative Assistant II

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. More about G-5 contracts.

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH) Department promotes, coordinates, and implements technical cooperation activities, directed at the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and related risk factors, mental, neurological and substance use disorders, disabilities, and promotion of optimal nutrition and road safety, that are evidence-based and appropriate for the political and sociocultural context in which they are implemented. It raises political and public awareness and understanding of the burden of the most common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental disorders, related risk factors and conditions and leads multi-sector and multi-stakeholder strategic and collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening Member States' capacity to promote and protect health through public policies, programs, and services. This will reduce risks and disease burden and contribute to improving the physical, mental, and social well-being of the population.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the general supervision of the Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH), and the direct supervision of the Unit Chief, Mental Health and Substance Use (NMH/MH), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

a) Perform administrative support functions; provide direct administrative support to the Unit Chief and Advisors; coordinate the Unit Chief’s agenda; maintain calendar of appointments and deadlines; assist in coordinating the overall administrative support functions within the Unit;

b) Prepare routine correspondence in English and Spanish; draft articles, reports, technical documents, charts, and a variety of correspondence involving the use of technical terminology to ensure accuracy and conformance to PAHO style; prepare agendas and other material for use on official trips or special meetings;

c) Review all incoming correspondence which require action by the Unit Chief; identify urgent matters, and ensure that these are handled expeditiously, determining which can be answered by specific Office personnel; gather necessary background documentation for correspondence requiring action; make recommendations regarding the appropriate action to be taken; monitor to ensure that deadlines for responses are met; follow up with various personnel in the office for the submission of reports and formulation of correspondence;

d) Assist in the preparation of technical presentations, technical reports and articles by formatting and reviewing to improve clarity, conciseness and coherence;

e) Serve as liaison regarding logistical and operational processes and activities within the Unit; communicate procedures to be followed for meetings of Technical Initiatives, Advisory Committees, etc.;

f) Prepare correspondence on own initiative or from verbal instructions for signature; prepare draft translations of correspondence and other materials from English into Spanish and vice versa;

g) Review all outgoing correspondence requiring the official signature; proofread for style, punctuation, grammar, spelling and adherence to the Organization’s standards and policies; recommend revisions to correspondence and other documents to ensure that they are clear and accurate in content;

h) Provide administrative support in the preparation of regional meetings, courses, seminars and virtual meetings, including the preparation of budget estimates on costs of personnel and participants’ travel; monitor the operational aspects involved in the organization of these activities such as local conference expenses and other financial needs; prepare correspondence and documentation as needed;

i) Brief and train new staff on administrative procedures and practices and provide guidance, as required;

j) Establish and maintain electronic files and controlled reference material; conduct research of files, reports, and other sources to obtain material requested and, when necessary, compile summaries;

k) Coordinate, monitor and report on the administrative and financial components of the budgetary execution and the project’s financial resources in the corporate information system and any other databases for reporting needs, in coordination with advisors and project officers;

l) Assist in organizing travel arrangements for the department and support advisors and contingent workers when needed by obtaining concurrence, airline tickets, security clearance; gather and validate relevant background information for duty travel; assist with all necessary processes in PMIS, including spend authorization, purchase of airline tickets and expense reports;

m) Perform other related duties; including backstopping for other NMH team members, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education****:

Essential: Certificate of completion of high school.

Desirable: Formal training as a secretary or administrative assistant would be an asset. A University degree in the area of Information and Technology would be an asset.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO, 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/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/ and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience****:

Essential: Five years of administrative work.

Desirable: Two years of experience in an international organization would be an asset

SKILLS****:

PAHO Competencies:

· Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.

· Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others / Deal effectively with conflicts: Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve results; encourages cooperation and builds rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the teams’ successes and shortcomings. Identifies conflicts in a timely manner and addresses them as necessary; understands issues from the perspective of others; does not interpret/ attribute conflicts to cultural, geographical or gender issues.

· Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well with diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity: Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.

· Communication: Express oneself clearly when speaking / Write effectively / Share knowledge: Quality and quantity of communication targeted at audience. Listens attentively and does not interrupt other speakers. Adapts communication style and written content to ensure they are appropriately and accurately understood by the audience (e.g., power-point presentations, communication strategies, implementation plans). Shares information openly with colleagues and transfers knowledge, as needed.

· Knowing and managing yourself: Remain productive /Manage stress / Continuously learn: Remains productive even in an environment where information or direction is not available, and when facing challenges; recovers quickly from setbacks, where necessary. Manages stress positively; remains positive and productive even under pressure; does not transfer stress to others. Seeks informal and/or formal learning opportunities for personal and professional development; systematically learns new competencies and skills useful for job; takes advantage of learning opportunities to fill competencies and skill gaps.

· Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently / Deliver quality results / Take responsibility: Prioritizes work and makes planning/Organizational adjustments as necessary; seeks clarification from supervisor on timelines, as needed. Uses feedback and inputs from supervisor to achieve results. Produces quality results and has frequent discussions with supervisor to achieve results. Is action-oriented and sees tasks through to completion. Shows understanding of own role and responsibilities in relation to expected results. Solicits and accepts direction and guidance from supervisor and team members and takes responsibility for own work and actions, as appropriate.

Technical Expertise:

– Advanced Word and Excel processing in accordance with established standards.

– Proficiency in the use of computer software in accordance with assigned responsibilities.

– Ability to write/originate routine and non-routine correspondence and reports in English and Spanish.

– Ability to prepare working translations.

– Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and carry out administrative processes such as: meetings, recruitment of staff, personnel matters, preparation of formal publications, budget and expenditures records, acquisition of supplies.

– Ability to research, analyze and organize information in order to prepare charts, graphics, reports, etc.

– Ability to coordinate, organize, monitor and control administrative services affecting several projects and involving the allocation of work, developing/adjusting operational procedures, evaluating priorities, coordinating and supporting internal day-to-day activities, etc.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English and Spanish.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Other IT skills and advanced knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential.

REMUNERATION

Annual Salary****: (Net of taxes)

USD $50,792.00

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Local Recruitment)

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level****.

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

A written test may be used as a form of screening.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.

For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org

PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.

PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.

PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.

PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity. PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

PAHO offers an attractive compensation package including an annual net salary (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance). Other benefits include: 30 days annual leave, dependency benefits, pension plan, and health insurance scheme.

All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.

Administrative/support positions in Washington, D.C. are open to Washington, D.C. metropolitan area residents only. Candidates must be U.S. Citizens or hold a Permanent Resident Alien card (Green Card).

Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this post. The post description is the official documentation for organizational purposes.