SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a G-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-7 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting The incumbent provides administrative and secretarial support directly to the Secretary-General.

As a member of the Secretary-General's Front Office Team, the incumbent performs duties, tasks and responsibilities in support of the day to day activities and running of the Front Office of the Secretary-General, by providing administrative and secretarial support in an accurate and timely manner, in managing priorities and work flows, with a view to facilitating to the extent possible, the Office's preparedness and effectiveness in accomplishing highly sensitive duties under the guidance of the Director of the Office.

Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities of the Senior Administrative Assistant are:

Provide support to the Secretary-General in matters relating to the Secretary-General's participation at consultations and meetings. Ensure that all meetings and appointments are coordinated smoothly; invite insiders and note takers from EOSG and other Departments and ensure their timely attendance; receive dignitaries and UN officials upon arrival and informs the Secretary-General in a timely fashion; coordinate the presence of the Media and UN photographers; liaise with UN Protocol regarding VIP movements, delegation access, presentations and gifts etc; prepare the Secretary-General's guest book for signature by visiting dignitaries and booking conference rooms for large meetings of the Secretary-General and request relevant technical support;

Assist in the coordinating and facilitating of actions on special tasks assigned by the Secretary-General and ensure directives and decisions are properly carried out and products delivered in a timely manner;

Provide communication links within the Executive Office of the Secretary General (EOSG) in the management of the use of the Secretary-General's time;

Handle a large volume of telephone calls, some of a politically sensitive nature; Place calls to all levels within Secretariat and outside of the Organization using tact and discretion particularly in dealing with confidential information and matters; Screen calls in various aspects, including in relation to the schedule and or requests for appointments or meetings with the Secretary-General;

Organize internal meetings, including sending invitations to participants, preparing and updating participants lists, providing meeting participants with background information and with connection details (in case of virtual meetings), printing background materials;

Assist in managing the calendar of the Secretary-General, providing updates when necessary and handling of social invitations and requests for interview with press and media;

Receive and escort guests and visitors in close coordination with the Security Detail to ensure necessary clearances are arranged;

Assist in the screening of incoming and outgoing documentation and correspondences using internal correspondence logs to register and record actions taken; screen and review formats of letters/messages submitted for approval and signature of the Secretary-General;

Receive and maintain a register of gifts and personal communications to the Secretary-General which includes the preparation and packing of gifts for transfer to storage and coordinating the collection and storage thereof as appropriate with Facilities Management;

Accompany the Secretary-General when required, to meetings and trips, ensuring close contact with the Front Office and provide up to date information on trip related matters to ensure a smooth travel of the Secretary-General;

Improve, organize and maintain an up to date filing system and chron files of the Office;

Act as back up to other members of the Front Office Team when needed;

Handle a wide range of administrative duties for the office, including but not limited to, requisitioning of office supplies, travel requests, travel documents, attendance, information technology supplies, etc;

Provide guidance and training to other junior team members when and as needed.

Competencies •Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of the work, policies and procedures of the Organization; Knowledge of current events and issues in the various areas of the Office. Knowledge of internal policies, processes and procedures related to general front office support, communication, and dissemination of information. Ability to greet visitors of the Secretary-General in a kind, welcoming and friendly manner, being courteous and respectful at all times; Ability to monitor the situation in a calm, polite and confident manner and handle appropriately. Ability to interact with other high-level constituents. Ability to identify issues,formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

•Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

•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& 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.

•Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable

Education High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in working in and supporting high level front office activities is required. Experience in organizing and supporting meetings and conferences is required. Experience in handling high volume incoming and outgoing correspondence in a high paced setting is required. Experience with registering in and managing databases is desirable

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required; Working knowledge of another official United Nations 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 temporarily available for an initial period of 365 days with possible extension. 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 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.

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 Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST

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.

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.