SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT

Senior Admin

Overview

Manage and maintain the SRSG's office activities and correspondence

You have:

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• A high education degree on social, communication, economic or political sciences, or related area, is desirable.
• A minimum of eight years progressive experience working for a high-ranking UN Official is required.
• A minimum of eight years working experience in UN field operations of the UN Common system is required.
• Working experience in post conflict settings is required.
• Experience in providing personal assistance and administrative support in the front office of senior management is required.
• Field experience working in the Latin America and Caribbean region is desirable.
• English is required.
• French and Spanish are desirable.

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 in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), BINUH. The incumbent will be based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and will report to the SRSG.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Senior Staff Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: Manage and maintain the SRSG’s calendar, appointments, meetings, and official engagements, including with senior government officials, diplomats, and visiting delegations. Screen, prioritize, and manage all incoming and outgoing correspondence, including confidential and sensitive materials (e.g. code cables, political and management correspondence). Draft, format, edit, and finalize correspondence, notes, submissions, and other documents for the SRSG, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timeliness. Ensure effective follow‑up on decisions and action points arising from meetings and communications. Serve as a key liaison between the SRSG and Mission components, UN Headquarters, and UN agencies on administrative issues. Organize and coordinate the SRSG’s official travel, including itineraries, visas, clearances, and logistical arrangements. Provide administrative support related to attendance, leave monitoring, travel claims, requisitions, and other administrative processes within the OSRSG. Support workflow management and prioritization in the SRSG’s Office, contributing to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Front Office Ensure proper record‑keeping and secure handling of sensitive information in accordance with UN rules and standards • Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism - Thorough knowledge of and application of relevant operational, administrative and protocol policies to ensure adherence to relevant guidelines and procedures and overall quality of outputs; Proven tact and discretion in dealing with highly confidential and sensitive matters, as well as excellent interpersonal skills; Demonstrated initiative and ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given. 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. 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; Amounts of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

A high education degree on social, communication, economic or political sciences, or related area, is desirable Additional technical training in secretarial or administration is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of eight years progressive experience working for a high-ranking UN Official is required. A minimum of eight years working experience in UN field operations of the UN Common system is required. Working experience in post conflict settings is required. Experience in providing personal assistance and administrative support in the front office of senior management is required Field experience working in the Latin America and Caribbean region is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French and Spanish are desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

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LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level II

Desirable Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingFrenchUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IISpanishUN Level IUN Level IUN Level IUN Level I

Assessment

Previously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and as such, will not be invited for such an assessment.

Special Notice

Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions. This "Recruit from Roster" job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. 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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 16 hours ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: careers.un.org