Programme Management Assistant

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.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Strategic Planning and Monitoring Unit (SPMU) within the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG), which reports to the Under-Secretary-General for Policy. The Administrative Assistant will report to the Head of Unit (Director).

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Programme Management Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provides administrative, logistical, and secretarial support to the Director of the Unit and staff of the Unit, including the preparation of draft memoranda, notes, and letters for the signature of the Director, Under-Secretary-General, Chef de Cabinet, Deputy Secretary-General, and Secretary-General.
• Assists in the preparation of necessary documentation required for reports and correspondence, responds to complex information requests and inquiries relevant to the work of the Unit and EOSG, and drafts responses to a diverse range of correspondence and other communications.
• Ensures availability of background materials for Directors and senior staff attending meetings.
• Systematically manages stakeholder information by organizing, maintaining, and working with contact management information systems (CRM software solutions).
• Liaises with the offices of various senior officials across both the Secretariat and the wider UN system regarding on-going programmes, meetings, retreats, and other administrative matters.
• Provides administrative and logistical support to EOSG in the preparation of meetings, including through circulation of invitations, monitoring of attendance, and coordination of technical arrangements, in particular related to the requirements of remote and hybrid meetings, retreats, and events.
• Conveys directives, reports, status updates, and other relevant information and brings sensitive and urgent matters – including operational issues – to the attention of the Director.
• Ensures the effective and efficient flow of information by processing incoming and outgoing correspondence, overseeing the information flow within the Unit, assisting in the maintenance of correspondence logs, processing requests for clearance, monitoring and following-up on pending actions, and liaising with the Executive Office on administrative matters.
• Provides personal assistance to the Director of the Unit by maintaining the calendar and processing appointment requests; organizes travel arrangements and prepares other administrative requests for the Director and other staff of the Unit.
• Assists staff of the Unit in community management by maintaining SharePoint pages, contact databases, and mailing groups.
• Assists staff of the Unit in digital communication efforts and event planning by drafting communication materials (in particular social media assets), liaising with colleagues for programmatic inputs informing digital communication efforts, and coordinating event planning processes related to speaker invitations, guest list management, venue, etc.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

  Competencies Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial, and human resource rules and regulations in work situations. 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.

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.

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount for 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.

Education High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources, or a related area is required.

Experience providing assistance to senior officials is required.

Experience in applying United Nations regulations, rules, and procedures is desirable.

Experience with Microsoft SharePoint applications is desirable.

Experience with client relationship management (CRM) systems is desirable,

Experience in digital communications is desirable.

Experience in project management and coordination is desirable.

Experience in planning and organizing special events is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

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

Special Notice This position is temporarily available for 365 days.

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.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a pre-requisite 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.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

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

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.