Secretary

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.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of the PHS team is to support Member States in the Pacific to attain universal coverage of health services for better and equitable health outcomes. Health sector development acts as the foundation that both underpins and unifies public health efforts aimed at combating diseases and building healthy communities in an efficient and equitable manner, especially for high priority, excluded and underserved population groups. A strong health system foundation enables effectiveness of individual programmes and efficient use of shared system resources for all programmes. A strong health system also promotes appropriate integration of pro-poor, equity-enhancing, gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

GENERAL

- Receive visitors and telephone calls with tact and discretion, and acts according to the nature and urgency of each, including redirecting as appropriate.

- Provide background information for appointments with official visitors and/or staff members.

- Monitor requests for goods and services, including receipt, payment and inventory requirements.

CORRESPONDENCE

- Draft general or administrative correspondence on the basis of instructions; finalize correspondence/reports for signature/clearance.

- Verify that outgoing correspondence is presented in accordance with WHO and department styles and checking language, grammar and accuracy prior to submitting for signature and clearance.

- Analyse incoming correspondence and requests in the light of background material, instructions, policies and precedents, researching, obtaining and attaching background information in anticipation of the responsible officer's needs, or redirecting them as appropriate; identify and highlight incoming documents and attach background information and identify areas requiring action by professional staff, drawing their attention to specific items.

- Ensure that technical reports and documents are in line with WHO standards, rules, practices and procedures, editing and correcting them as necessary prior to their submission for signature or clearance of relevant authority.

- Using appropriate tracking tools, follow-up on and ensure that target dates and deadlines are met, and that correspondence and queries are responded to in a timely manner.

HUMAN RESOURCES

- Ensure the timely appointment/renewal of contracts, initiating requests for temporary and fixed-term staff in the HR action plan.

PROCUREMENT

- Initiate, through Oracle/GSM procurement module, contracts for consultants, Agreements for Performance of Work (APW), Technical Services Agreements (TSA), and General External Services requests (GES). Monitor and record receipt of deliverables, and initiate and monitor payments as needed.

- Initiate, through Oracle/GSM procurement module, requisitions for goods procurement, and monitor and receipt of deliverables.

BUDGET & FINANCE

- Assist in the monitoring and progress review of projects and tasks in the GSM/Oracle work plan.

- Provide team members with timely information on project and task budget ceilings, award budgets, expenditure, and funds available, as required.

- Monitor income and expenditures for planning purposes.

- Promptly follow-up on financial, budgetary and any outstanding issues concerning the team/department, including ensuring timely processing of committal documents.

- Assist in the preparation of financial and technical progress reports to donors

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

- In close collaboration with other support staff, create and/or maintain filing systems; continual review of filing system to ensure information is up to date and effectively and efficiently used.

- Obtain documents and information from in-house and external sources as required; perform information searches (library, internet) as requested.

MEETING ADMINISTRATION

- Arrange, coordinate and lead administrative preparation for meetings, seminars, workshops, including letters of invitation, costs calculation and travel requests; assisting with preparation of documents, dispatching of materials and liaising with participants and others involved.

- Prepare presentation using PowerPoint and other software packages on own initiative or on the basis of instructions.

- Schedule weekly team and ad hoc meetings, according to schedules and need; take and prepare minutes.

- Obtain briefing and background materials for meetings, seminars, workshops, etc. to be attended by the team's professional staff, checking their availability and ensuring they have the appropriate briefing files and documents.

TRAVEL

- Using GSM/Oracle, prepare travel requests for official WHO travel. Make flight and hotel reservations, prepare travel files and deal with other related matters as requested or on own initiative.

OTHER DUTIES

- Perform other related duties as required or instructed, including providing support to other areas of work.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Completion of secondary school education or equivalent technical or commercial education Desirable: Training in secretarial tasks and/or in an administrative field is desirable.

Experience

Essential: Minimum three years of relevant experience. Desirable: Experience in administrative support positions in WHO or another UN agency an asset. Experience in Oracle-based or other ERP systems an asset.

Skills

The incumbent maintains and updates proficiency in the use of modern office technology through in-house courses, on-the-job training and/or self-training. He/she keeps abreast of changes in procedures and practices, rules and regulations, organizational structure, in the unit/team, the WCO and WHO, to be able to brief others and explain procedures. Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse educational and cultural backgrounds and maintain a high standard of professional and personal conduct.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Producing results Knowing and managing yourself

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable:

REMUNERATION

WHO offers staff in the General Services category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at FJD 28,489 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.