Mail Assistant

Contract

This is a G-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 4 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-4 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting

The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established to provide operational advisory services to operating entities across the Secretariat, including other departments, offices away from headquarters, field missions, and regional commissions. The Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS) under the Division of Administration (DOA) operates the Headquarters complex, striving to provide effective and efficient planning, management, maintenance and operation for all existing physical facilities and assets at the UN Headquarters, New York. FCAS also supports office and conference facilities, property management, travel and transportation services, archives and records management, mail and pouch operations, catering, giftshop and the United Nations Postal Administration. The Mail Operations Unit (MOU) under the Special Services Section (SSS) in FCAS ensures the continued provision of efficient, effective and high-quality mail operations. The position is located in the MOU of the SSS within the FCAS under the DOA in the DOS. The incumbent directly reports to the sub-unit Supervisor under the general supervision of the Unit Chief.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority and depending on location, the Mail Assistant at this level will be responsible for the following duties: • Delivers all regular, registered and certified mail and packages weighing up to 35 lbs. to the intended recipient office/individual. • Receives incoming pouches, incoming mail, express mail, and parcels; verifies airlines and courier documents. • Collects all incoming registered mail from Post Office. • Alerts the supervisor of tampered mail for appropriate action. • Tracks the distribution of all mail, as well as pouch service. • Logs incoming items and raise discrepancies to supervisor, e.g., missing pouches, incoming mail items, incorrect pouch numbers, misrouted pouches, etc. • Ensures that all items received are logged onto computer for financial and statistical purposes. Prepares receipts and processes for distribution. • Assists in tracing items and is accountable for actions taken. • Ensures safety and security of items received in area, i.e., that all items are x-rayed and date-stamped prior to distribution. • Sorts and categorizes mail to facilitate processing. • Assists supervisor in opening and inspecting items to ensure that all items received in pouch and mail units are official and in compliance with pouch and mail rules and regulations, maintains records. • Ensures that outgoing pouch and courier shipments are processed to meet pick-up schedules, and that incoming pouches/courier shipments are processed in a timely manner, and that reports are completed on time. • Ensures timely distribution of conference documents to regular and high-level meetings. • Provides guidance to other staff on the proper use of diplomatic pouches or other mail service. • Ensures proper coding, authorization, and addressing. • Signs the summary of enclosures. • Records the quantity of mail in each category, e.g., registered, certified, mail from missions, personal, confidential, or other for statistical purposes. • Determines and apportion freight charges proportionate to usage by other UN agencies. • Assists in training new staff. Operates tow motor, forklift or other equipment as needed. • Delivers and ensures prompt delivery of urgent mail, parcels, specials etc. as required. • Prepares weekly activities report for management. • Drafts some correspondence. • Performs data entry and generates statistical reports as and when required. • Performs other duties within the Unit as required, including but not limited to mail delivery services to outlying buildings in support of UN offices.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office procedures, safety and security regulations. Knowledge of mail tracking systems and ability to utilize personal digital assistant equipment and manage desktop applications for producing labels, creating reports, and compiling statistics. Knowledge of meetings services protocols and procedures to support high-level meetings. Ability to draft and compose client-based correspondence, with an understanding of the rules and procedures governing mail and pouch operations. Ability to operate tow motor, forklift, or other equipment. 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. • 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. • CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of three years of experience in processing mail, pouch, registry operations or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to one year for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in meetings services and handling confidential documents is desirable. Experience in mail shipping and tracking systems is desirable. Experience in administrative activities including statistical data collection and corresponding with clients is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until 31 December 2024. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. • While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. • This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. • Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. • Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. • 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. • This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

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.