SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT

Contract

This is a FS-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Field Service. It usually requires 8 years of experience, depending on education. More about FS-5 contracts and their salaries.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). The incumbent will report to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the SRSG, the Senior Staff Assistant provides high quality administrative, management and secretarial support to the SRSG and ensures the effective and smooth flow of work within the SRSG's office. Within the limits of delegated authority, the Senior Staff Assistant will perform the following duties: •Prepares and coordinates the daily agenda of the SRSG and the tentative agenda of his/her future commitments; •Receives and requests appointments, receives high-ranking visitors and coordinates their visits with the Special Assistant; •Follows up on invitations, changes of dates and/or venues of meetings and deadlines for submission of speeches, presentations, credentials, press articles, etc; •Schedule appointments/meetings based on workload and protocol requirements and prepare relevant material for such appointments/meetings; •Notify all relevant professional staff of the daily appointments and coordinate the attendance of the necessary staff; •Screen all telephone calls/enquiries and direct them to relevant officials; •Make all internal and external calls relevant to the SRSG's programme and/or as requested by the SRSG; •Organize all administrative requirements with respect to the SRSG's official travel by making travel arrangements and coordinating all administrative, logistical and security requirements, and remit relevant travel documentation to the Travel Unit upon SRSG's return; •Ensure that all concerned parties are informed of the SRSG's scheduled activities; •Anticipate SRSG's requirements for background material and ensure compilation of briefing material for appointments, meetings, or missions are complete and up-to-date; •Maintains an overview of the work of the SRSG's office to ensure that timely administrative support is provided in general and specialized areas; •Prepare correspondence and justifications as required on general administrative or specialized tasks that may be of a confidential nature within assigned areas of responsibility as assigned by the SRSG; •Establish and maintain a filing system for SRSG's correspondence and files, drafts and dispatches routine correspondence as instructed, as well as memoranda of an administrative nature; •Provide administrative support related to the recruitment of staff for the Office of the SRSG; •Monitor attendance, sick leave and annual leave of staff reporting to the SRSG; Refer and highlight issues which require immediate attention of the SRSG; •Coordinate the secretarial service of the office, distributes special assignments to other staff in the unit and clear correspondence for the supervisor's signature; •Take dictation, using either shorthand or directly on computer on a variety of subject-matters and transcribe, ensuring that spelling, punctuation and format are correct, and where necessary, maintaining a high-level of confidentiality; •Operate crypto devices and equipment to send and receive code cables; •Maintain policy, confidential (code cables) and general management files; •Perform any other duties that may be assigned. Competencies Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, which should include budget/work programme, human resources and database management; Knowledge of the UN systems and Staff Regulations and Rules; Proven capability to put all the above knowledge to work, working independently with a high degree of responsibility; Proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word) and other IT applications is required. Computer skills including all packages and data base management is an advantage. 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. Planning and 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. Education A high school diploma or equivalent is required. Additional technical training in secretarial or administration is desirable. Work Experience A minimum of eight (8) years of progressive work experience in secretarial, administration or related field working for a senior official is required. Experience working in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team is required. At least five (5) years of work experience in conflict or post-conflict field operations is desirable. Experience operating cryptographic devices for handling confidential communication is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Basic knowledge of either Albanian and/or Serbian is desirable. Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice 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. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. 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. 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.