Executive Associate, G-6, 8 months, Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), Hosted Funds, London, United Kingdom, Req

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.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Education.

The Education Commission and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment came together to create the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF), an initiative to improve the education of 10 million children and young people. EOF aims to pool $1 billion in aid and philanthropic funds, to support governments to pay for results in education and youth employment over the next decade. It will partner with governments around the world to strengthen education systems, harnessing the capacity and capability of partners to improve the effectiveness of expenditure and help deliver on the promise of quality education for all.

EOF is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure that provides strategic guidance and oversight to its investments. EOF’s day-to-day activities are carried out by a Secretariat under the direction of the EOF Director.

How can you make a difference?

The role of the EOF Director as the representative of EOF is crucial to its success, therefore has the need for professional, high-quality support in organizing her work, diary, travel schedule, meetings with high level partners as well as administrative support.

EOF already has a Fixed Term position of Executive Assistant to the Director (G6) and the staff member in post will be taking parental leave from November 2023 to May 2024. This Temporary Appointment position is designed to cover their responsibilities while they are on leave.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative, Operational and Executive Support

• Supports time management and scheduling on behalf of the Director:
  • Manages calendar and coordinates with the Secretariat team
  • Scheduling of appointments
  • Screening meeting requests
  • Coordinating timely submission of background notes and talking points
  • Ensuring effective prioritization and time-management
  • Resolving conflicts and competing demands
  • Directing relevant requests to the appropriate team lead.
• Brings sensitive and urgent matters to the attention of the Director, identifies issues requiring the Director's attention and refers others to relevant office and appropriate disposition
• Initiates, monitors and follows up on personnel-related matters
• Makes travel arrangements for the Director in line with UNICEF procedures;
• Supports effective administration of meetings and events attended by the Director
• Assists in coordinating the agenda of staff meetings
• Serves as notetaker for meetings and ensures timely circulation and follow-up action
• Supports the Director in presentations for internal and external meetings; research issues, prepares briefing notes, slides and subject files and gathering relevant documentation
• Researches, complies and summarizes materials for use in reports, briefs, speeches
• Independently handles a wide range of complex information requests and inquiries
• Responds or drafts responses to a diverse range of correspondence and communications
• Exercises quality control for all outgoing documents; proofreads and edits text for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style
• Supports the Director with external communications including drafting tweets and other social media posts and updating websites
• Processes the Director’s expenses, preparing all relevant information and receipts, ensuring accuracy and tracking reimbursements.

Coordination and planning

• Supports the Director in preparing, drafting and reviewing e-mail communications with the Executive Committee and the High-Level Steering Group and maintains electronic filing for all documentation related to the EOF governance structure
• Supports the organization and logistics of EOF governance meetings including with the Executive Committee, the High-Level Steering Group and sub-committees
• Ensures Director’s clearance of external communications with the EOF governance structure, and other partners, such as donors, UN agencies, NGOs, foundations and governments
• Ensures Directors’ endorsement for recruitments, financial commitments, human resource commitments and legal agreements

Events/Logistics

• Supports team building events by making logistical arrangements, engaging with facilitators, caterers and hosts
• Supports effective administration of virtual and in-person events organized by the Secretariat; including leading logistics, supporting external communications, taking minutes
• Arranges times through liaising with participants over availability
• Liaises with budget focal points and section over costs and needs

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A secondary education degree with a university-level course in business administration or equivalent specialized training in operations is highly desirable.
• A minimum of 6 years of relevant administrative work experience is required, including as an executive assistant, managing complex diaries, organizing complex international travel, and communicating with senior stakeholders.
• Experience working in a diverse and complex environment is highly desirable.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

The appointment for this position is limited to EOF, a UNICEF hosted fund. While UN staff regulations and rules, as well as UNICEF policies and procedures, apply to you during your appointment, certain provisions therein may apply to you differently due to the limited scope of your appointment. In particular, you will not be subject to rotation exercise as per the Executive Directive on Staff mobility and rotation (CF/EXD/2015-002) or any revision thereof. In addition, during your appointment in EOF, you will not be considered eligible for conversion to a Continuing Appointment as per UNICEF Administrative Instruction on Continuing Appointment (CF/AI/2017-002) or any revision thereof. In the event that your post is abolished, the priority granted, and other support provided to staff on abolished posts in staff selection processes will only be extended to posts within EOF and not to other posts in UNICEF.

UNICEF candidates: To return to a UNICEF appointment outside EOF, you will need to be selected in a competitive recruitment exercise. Upon selection for a UNICEF post outside of UNICEF-hosted funds, the period you have served with the UNICEF-hosted fund will count towards the calculation of the tour of duty in your duty station and eligibility for a continuing appointment.

External Candidates: To secure a UNICEF appointment outside EOF, you will need to be selected in a competitive recruitment exercise. Upon selection for a UNICEF post outside of UNICEF-hosted funds, the period you have served with the UNICEF hosted fund will count towards the calculation of the tour of duty in your duty station and eligibility for a continuing appointment.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates irrespectively of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background or any personal characteristic are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.