MEETINGS SERVICES 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. More about G-5 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Meetings Management Section, Central Planning and Coordination Division, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM), New York. The Meetings Management Section plans meetings of New York-based calendar bodies and coordinates with Conference Services at Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi in drafting the official calendar of conferences and meetings of the United Nations. The Meetings Services Assistant reports to the Senior Meetings Services Assistant.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority and under the supervision of Senior Meetings Services Assistants, the Meetings Services Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: • Supports the programming team in the allocation and coordination of conference services provided to calendar and non-calendar meetings, and interacts with a wide range of clients, such as the technical and substantive secretariats of meeting bodies, Permanent Missions to the UN, and UN system entities; • Provides information, responds to requests for scheduling of meetings and services; • Ensures accuracy and consistency of data in the gMeets system, and verifies the electronic records of all meetings; • Keeps up to date records on data pertaining to meetings of all categories, such as regional and other major groupings, as well as non-calendar meetings and events • Assists in the processing of cost recovery for extra-budgetary meetings and events; • Maintains filing and reference system of meeting statistics; • Produces daily and weekly programme of meetings/conferences; • Informs relevant offices/persons of changes in the daily programme of committees and meetings/conferences; • Coordinates the use of interpretation booths for interpretation in non-UN official languages; • Participates in coordination meetings for scheduled intergovernmental meetings and conferences; • Liaises with service providers and coordinate the provision of required conference services for scheduled meetings; • Assists in the filing of the preliminary list and annotation of agenda items, the list of participants, and daily material concerning the proceeding of committees and meetings/conferences; •Undertakes research and provides reference materials for preparation of briefs, background notes for meetings/conferences; •Assist in the preparation of reports on the management of meetings/conferences; •Liaise with the Meetings Servicing Unit to ensure proper floor plan of seating arrangements in accordance with meeting requirements and UN protocol • Prepares monthly statistics on meetings in different categories; • Prepares for committees and meetings/conferences to be held away from Headquarters in coordination with the technical and substantive secretariats, and services such meetings/conference onsite when required; • Drafts routine correspondence for signature; • Maintains filing and reference system for committees and meetings/conferences; • Replaces, senior programme staff as needed; • Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of conference servicing policies, procedures and practices. Ability to research, select, organize and summarize information. Ability to understand and assist with established Calendar of Conferences and Meetings and with the uses and capabilities of conference servicing technologies in identifying relevant data. 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. Technological awareness: Ability to use IT tools for conference planning and programming; Prepares statistics and data analysis pertaining to conference services and meeting management; keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology. Client Orientation: Ability to identify and provide services as required by clients while following established conference services policies; 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.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of experience in conference/meeting support or related areas is required. Experience in using IT tools and database, preparation of statistics and data analysis is required. Experience in multilateral setting or intergovernmental organizations is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Applicants for positions subject to local recruitment are required to be authorized to work in the country regardless of where they live at the time of applying for the job opening. Selected candidates/staff members will be responsible for any costs related to their travel and relocation in the context of onboarding to report for duty. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

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.