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 Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR) of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in the United Nations Secretariat. The incumbent reports to the Team Leader of the International Meetings and NGO Team. The Division for Palestinian Rights serves as the Secretariat of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and supports the Committee in implanting its Programme of Work, including through the organisation of conferences and seminars at United Nations Headquarters and abroad and the liaison with Nongovernmental Organisations and Civil Society.

Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Team Leader "International Meetings & NGO", the Meetings Services Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Assists in the preparation of international meetings and conferences both at and away from HQ, as well as virtual events, including administrative arrangements for invited experts and servicing staff, travel arrangements for external participants; research biographical data on experts and drafts biographical summaries for publication; assists in liaising with Foreign Ministry officials, UN agencies, hotel management and protocol on meeting arrangements; assist in documents submission through utilisation of UNITE Docs and ODS.

  • When organizing virtual meetings, ensures the virtual platform is functioning and up to date, ensures all functions are tested; ensure meeting participants are informed, registered and connected; is knowledgeable about troubleshooting before and during the virtual event.
  • Takes responsibility for attending training to acquire necessary skills to assist in organizing virtual meetings.
  • Arranges, through pouch service, all pertinent documentation, reference materials and stationery supplies to arrive at destination in adequate time for meeting.
  • On-site, assists in organization of registration of participants; preparation of relevant documents such as list of participants; liaising with meetings participants, in particular from among civil society; performing other administrative and financial tasks for meetings/conferences including preparation of cost estimates.
  • Prepares the floor plan of seating arrangements in accordance with meeting requirements and UN protocol
  • Organizes and coordinate preparatory meetings with relevant offices and delegations
  • Assists in drafting procedural notes for the chairpersons of international meetings and conferences both at and away from HQ.
  • Engages delegates, including at ambassadorial level, to manage list of speakers, requests for the floor and seating arrangements.
  • Liaises with Member States and Observer Delegations (ambassadorial level), expert speakers, including eminent personalities, representatives of civil society and the media in preparation of international meetings, as well as regular Committee meetings.
  • Maintains a database of international meetings and conferences, as well as expert speakers. participants at in person and virtual events
  • Identifies the material resources requirements of meetings and prepares cost estimates for consideration by the requesting office.
  • Allocates conference facilities and meeting rooms.
  • Undertakes research and provides reference materials for preparation of briefs, notes and statements for the chairperson of committees and meetings/conferences.
  • Ensures reports of committees and meetings/conferences meet the UN document standards and coordinate with the documents control office for reproduction of reports.
  • Attends coordinating/planning meetings, representing the Unit/Section regarding organizational arrangements for special committees and meetings/conferences and updates files accordingly.
  • Drafts correspondence and notes for signature.
  • Takes responsibility for the records management, retrieval and electronic archiving system on meetings/conferences, devises and maintains electronic and paper filing systems.
  • Responds to queries from Delegations and the Secretariat.
  • Replaces, as needed, senior staff in related functions.
  • Assists in the recruitment of temporary assistants and/or interns and schedules and supervises their work.
  • Provides guidance/training, as needed, to junior staff and/or interns.
  • Performs other duties as required.

  Competencies - Professionalism: Knowledge of the Organization's conference policies, procedures and practices. Ability to research, select, organize and summarize information required for the preparation of meetings. Demonstrates ability to draft official communications to a high standard. 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.

  • Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

  • 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.

  • Technological awareness: Using new technology, hardware, and software packages to complete key tasks. Keeps abreast of available technology. Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the Office. Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks. Shows willingness to learn new technology. Provides support to others in how to use and apply new technology

  Education High school diploma or equivalent is required.

  Work Experience A minimum of five (5) years' experience in servicing international meetings within the context of an intergovernmental or international organization is required.

  Experience in the administrative servicing of meetings or conferences at the main seat of an organization or abroad is required.

  Experience making administrative arrangements, including travel, for meeting participants is required

  Experience in protocol work for intergovernmental organs, such as at the United Nations is desirable.

  Experience in drafting documents and correspondence is desirable.

  Experience in documents management is desirable.

  Experience in working for an office dealing with the Middle East is desirable.

  Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

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

  Special Notice 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. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

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.

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.