Administrative Assistant

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The main objectives of the Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (MCA) department are\:

- to support high-burden countries to ensure evidence-based policies and strategies are in place to achieve universal access to high quality health services for maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (MNCAH);

- to increase coverage and quality of effective MNCAH interventions among pregnant women, newborns, children and adolescents, and; to create mechanisms to measure the impact of those strategies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Administration\:

- Assist with the oversight of technical correspondence and documents for signature/clearance.

- Coordinate responses to email and general enquiries received in the Director's office, including drawing Director's attention to urgent items and deadlines, providing background material already received, redirecting or delegating items, responding directly, or preparing a reply for Director's signature, when appropriate.

- Review, as appropriate, outgoing correspondence prepared for the Director's approval, checking spelling, grammar, formatting, style and protocol according to WHO guidelines.

- Coordinate and manage the smooth running of the administrative functions in the Department.

- Responsible for arrangements related to office space in the department including allocation of office for all MCA workforce members and its related registration in WHO application.

- Represent the Department at meetings of Administrative Assistants organized at Cluster level, and brief staff of the Department accordingly.

- Participate in Department Management Committee meetings.

- Provide advice and guidance to all staff in the department on procedural and administrative matters following WHO rules and regulations and MCA practices, through sharing of information, sending reminders and/or preparing guidance notes.

 

Budget, Finance and Programme Management\:

- Act as project administrator for the Director Office activity workplan.

- Act as administrative focal point for budgetary and financial matters in the department; in close coordination with the Budget and Finance Assistant, the Management Officer in the Cluster's Management Office, the Director, departmental Finance Officer, Coordinators and their support staff.

- Provide administrative support to the operational planning and development of team projects (work plans) and assist in the distribution through GSM, monitoring and implementation of financial resources.

- Monitor expenditures, follow up and process committal documents/expenditure batches to change switch to different awards or tasks when required.

- Prepare routine and ad hoc financial reports using GSM and other related documents to assist the Director in taking appropriate decisions and to ensure that funds are utilized optimally.

- Ensure that expenditures comply with work plans, financial rules and regulations and award agreements.

- Initiate transactions in GSM upon requests, follow up actions on financial and budgetary matters and coordinate the mid-term reviews and the end of year of biennium closure of accounts exercise for the Department. Provide support and input to the Director on planning, resources allocation and human resources management.

- Brief staff, at all levels in the Department, on budget, financial procedures and practices and monitor the correct use of the WHO Financial Rules and Regulations by staff in their implementation of funds.

- Through the GSM, prepare appropriate draft contracts for individuals or companies i.e. APW's, TSAs, PA etc.

- Brief staff in the department on the functioning of the GSM and the correct completion of off line forms used to initiate budgetary/financial actions in GSM.

 

Provision of support to MCA Budget and Finance\:

- Monitor status of awards utilization in the department and following up with the teams to ensure use of funds before end date of award.

- Monitor the submission of technical, management and financial reports on time to donors, reminding teams as necessary and record in GSM when action is taken.

- Prepare and process Award Activation Requests (AAR), Information Award Amendment Requests (I-AMR) and financial Award Amendment Requests (F-AMR) and Award Distribution(ADR).

 

Human Resources\:

- Act as administrative focal point for HR monitoring and actions in the Department ; in close coordination with the Human Resources Assistant, the Management Officer in the Cluster's Management Office, the Director, and their support staff.

- Monitor the staffing situation in the Department and ensure appointment/renewal/separation of contracts for fixed term and short term staff are carried out in a timely fashion, maintaining and updating the Departmental HR plan accordingly.

- Initiate and follow up on HR actions with the HR Assistant in the Cluster Management Office and through GSM perform contract management actions (initiate positions, staffing actions).

- Responsible for initiating advertisement requests through Stellis.

- Brief staff, at all levels in the Department, on HR procedures and practices and monitor the correct use of the WHO HR Rules and Regulations when staff are being hired in the Department. Monitor and follow-up on secondments and JPOs and ensure their integration the HR plan.

- Take necessary action with regard to the recruitment of interns.

- Review workload of general service staff in the department and propose changes to maintain/increase efficiency.

- Collaborate in the selection of general service staff within the department including participating in the interviews and preparing recommendation reports.

- Serve as Leave and IDSS Administrator for the department.

 

Perform other duties as requested.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential\: Completion of secondary school education or equivalent, technical or commercial school.
Desirable\: Higher education would be an advantage.

Experience

Essential\: A minimum of eight years' experience in administrative and financial management in an international organization, including operational planning, human resources management. Experience in coordinating administrative issues at team and/or Departmental level. Demonstrated experience in drafting reports and high-level written communications in English. Experience in handling and ensuring the quality of large volumes of detailed work quickly under time constraints. Proficiency in the use of standard office software such as MS Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Internet, Outlook.
Desirable\: Experience in WHO or another UN agency.

Skills

The incumbent maintains and updates proficiency in the use of modern office technology through in-house courses, on-the-job training or self-training, in particular for word-processing, Excel and program, budget and finance applications. He/she studies changes in procedures and practices, rules and regulations, organizational structure, in the department, the cluster and WHO, to be able to brief others and explain procedures. Knowledge of general HR policy theory and procedures. Training in UN/HR systems is an advantage. Proven skills in drafting and editing required.

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. Intermediate knowledge of French.
 

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 CHF 80,912 (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 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.