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Partnership Assistant

Vienna

  • Organization: UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
  • Location: Vienna
  • Grade: Administrative support - Administrative Services and Support - Generally no need for Higher Education
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Administrative support
    • External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
    • Partnerships
    • Energy
    • Public, Private Partnership
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background Information - Job-specific

Background on SEforALL: Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an International Non-Governmental Organization operating a world-wide multi-stakeholder platform focused on the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal #7.  Launched as a UN initiative in 2011 by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, SEforALL is widely acknowledged for its achievement in raising global awareness of the world's sustainable energy challenges, ensuring they were included in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. SEforALL is directed by its CEO and supports the work of the CEO as she carries out her duties as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General (SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, as well as her role as the co-chair of UN-Energy.  These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.  The Secretary General’s advisory committee on Sustainable Energy for All will be supported by the SRSG and SEforALL.

The ambitions of SDG7 on ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030 are extraordinary.  Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris agreements involves transformation at a scale never undertaken by humanity before. Swift action needs to be taken by leaders in governments, companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions and communities, entrepreneurs and civil society.  As a global team, SEforALL crafts interventions that support these leaders in accelerating the delivery of actions.  All interventions comprise one or more of SEforALL’s competencies: (i) to marshal the evidence, (ii) to benchmark progress towards SEforALL objectives, (iii) to amplify the voices of the energy poor; (iv) to tell stories of success, and (v) to connect stakeholders to each other and to solutions. All interventions systematically draw on strategic insight, build on compelling communications, and are delivered through and include action-oriented partnerships. http://www.seforall.org/

Context of Assignment: SEforAll engages at the country level through its regional hubs, country focal points as well as other public, private and civil society partners.  SEforAll works with its partners to support countries to develop Action Agendas and Investment Prospectuses – tailored national plans that aim to identify strategic priorities, policy reforms and a pipeline of investments – to go further, faster to meet SE4All objectives.  The Global Team plays a role, with its partners, in supporting the effective development and implementation of such plans to attract the necessary finance. SEforALL additionally engages and supports key partners at the international and regional level – through the G20, the Africa Energy Leaders Group, and other fora – to further engagement and commitment at the political level to broker the partnerships and unlock the finance to advance action. SEforALL plays a role in facilitating the collation and sharing of knowledge and best practice across its multi-stakeholder partnership base.  An exciting and purposeful assignment is opening in SEforALL’s Partnership Team for an effective and dedicated professional with an interest in supporting and participating in the creation of an effective platform for SEforALL’s partners to thrive and contribute to sustainable energy for all.

Supervision

Title of Supervisor: Lead Partnership Specialist (LPS)

Content and methodology of supervision: The Partnership Assistant will be supervised through individual meetings with the supervisor, weekly team meetings, and through periodic performance appraisals. 

Functional Responsibilities

Working directly with the LPS and the Partnership team, the Partnership Assistant will be a dynamic and highly motivated professional providing effective support on a variety of partnerships strategies and development of new ones.  The Partnership Assistant will assist the LPS in all aspects of his duties and will interact with a wide range of people within and outside the UN system and SEforALL. The position requires superb problem solving capability backed with analytics, political understanding, process management, sound judgment, communication skills, and capacity to deliver. The Partnership Assistant will report to the LPS.

Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Lead Partnership Specialist (LPS), the Partnership Assistant’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to the following:

  • Partnership Team Positioning. Planning and executing the implementation of Partnership meetings and events; Maintaining calendar of events; scheduling; managing emails or requests from elsewhere; liaising with high-level participants in respect of all arrangements appropriate for the team as needed.
  • Workflow management. Support the Partnership Team in managing core workflow and outputs on a timely basis, ensuring that the LPS adequately captures important issues and is prepared for meetings. Undertake all Filing, maintaining KPI records, responding to information requests
  • Request follow-up: Support the LPS in responding to requests from various stakeholders by reviewing the requests and proposing course of action.
  • Meeting and Decision follow-up.  Help prepare, and attend as appropriate, meetings with the Partnership Team.  Ensure follow-up on decisions and commitments by working with the Partnership team and the relevant GEF units responsible for action and implementation.
  • Communications around the Partnership team. Collaborate with the Chief Communications Officer and the Communications Team to ensure appropriate external outreach around Partnership activities.  Specifically, liaise with the communications team to help manage public relations and media outreach and to ensure that the vision and strategy around Partnerships and Energy Efficiency are being effectively communicated and cascaded to staff and counterparts.
  • LPS briefings and products.  Take the lead on specific tasks as requested by the LPS which may include coordinating across SEforALL teams as necessary, ensuring that the LPS’s participation in internal and external events is well prepared.  Review and contribute to SRSG briefing material, correspondence, talking points for a wide spectrum of occasions to improve quality, relevance and timeliness.  Work closely with the Executive Leadership Team and other staff to ensure that all relevant views are integrated in notes, briefing materials and advice provided to the LPS. Contribute to the preparation of major documents for the LPS, key internal and external constituencies and other audiences, and support key initiatives and processes.
  • Travel.  Make sure, together with relevant staff, that all trip books include full travel arrangements and briefings and speeches and materials needed for successful mission travel. During the duty trip, ensure all tasks get done that are necessary for a smooth and successful interaction between the LPS and his counterparts. If attending meetings with the LPS or other staff, the Partnership Assistant will also finalize notes and minutes upon return from the duty trip and distribute as agreed, preparing the draft BTOMR on behalf of the LPS within two days of completing the duty travel, and ensure full hand over and proper follow up with the relevant staff and Front Office  upon return from duty travel to ensure that requests that arose during the duty trip are properly addressed.
  • Interact and lead “from behind” with a variety of partners inside and beyond SEforALL.  The Partnership Assistant will frequently interact with: Staff at all levels within SEforALL, in Vienna, Washington and New York; SEforALL partners including government officials, United Nations (UN) organizations, multilateral development banks, bilateral agencies, and partners in the private sector, civil society, universities and research institutes, etc.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

  • Master’s degree or equivalent plus 1 year of experience in international development, a UN agency or the energy field.
  • Experience in a fast paced environment that requires high flexibility and a commitment to results.
  • Experience in operating across multiple time zones and with distributed teams.

  • Complete fluency in English with strong written and verbal communication skills are required. Knowledge and ability to work in another UN language desirable. (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

Core Competencies:

  • Ability to interact with senior level staff from different international organizations and countries.
  • Excellent written, synthesis and research skills, including drafting ability and extensive knowledge of word processing and application of software package as databases and Power Point Presentations; Familiarity and appreciation of social media and a clear communicator.
  • Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity. Demonstrate corporate knowledge, Self-development and initiative-taking. Ability to work in a multi-cultural and international environment based on mutual respect and tolerance.  Demonstrates good judgment and discretion when handling sensitive materials.
  • Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion and tact in handling sensitive issues.
  • A commitment to the goals of SEforALL and to sustainable development more broadly essential.
  • A good sense of humor.
  • Willingness to 'get the job' done with a positive attitude to take on a wide range of tasks.
  • Ability and willingness to adjust to ‘beyond the normal’ working hours and manage the work life balance effectively to accommodate differences in time zones.
  • Demonstrated excellent research and analytical skills that can be applied to gather data and generate knowledge relevant to decision-making functions.
  • 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 and is able to work to deadlines and maintain effectiveness under pressure.
  • Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to details and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines.  Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time.
  • Proactive approach to managing workflow, with keen ability to multi-task and respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of issues, some of which come up in ad hoc and unexpected ways.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment where adaptability will be a premier.
  • Excellent communication skills and proven drafting ability; ability to develop contacts, foster collaboration with UN and other stakeholders, deliver presentations, advocate for viewpoints and participate actively in internal as well as external debates and negotiations.
  • Ability to craft messages and communiques, and copy edit work to produce flawless written communications is required.
  • Excellent e- skills, including the ability to use modern office technology and related software.
  • Practical knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software is required. Ability to do internet research, compile information and find solutions online to information gaps is essential.
  • Work within a newly-formed team as well as with colleagues across work units, departments, divisions and with governments. Support colleagues, establish a team culture, encourage others to participate in teamwork and share responsibility for decision-making and results. 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.
  • Demonstrated ability to work with teams representing a wide variety of staffing levels that also cut across agencies and partners, and work with the Policy team to deliver timely and high quality products.  Strong team player capabilities.
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude. Demonstrates behavior of professional and personal ethics transparency and openness to encourage respect and similar behavior from colleagues in the work place. Sensitivity to other people’s cultural and religious norms and the ability to easily blend with others.  Must have shown to have the ability to be discrete and maintain confidential information. Exhibits diplomacy, loyalty and commitment to SEforALL’s goals. Sense of humor an advantage.

SEforALL Values

Partnership. SEforALL’s global team operates within and across partner driven networks, building on its strong relationship with the UN. SEforALL’s global team catalyzes connections, coordinates activities with others, collaborates on common objectives and leverages opportunities to deliver more as a platform than it can do individually.

Agility. SEforALL’s global team is adaptive in its approach so it can stay focused on its goal in an evolving economic and political environment. It brings people together that don’t normally talk to each other and frames the questions differently so it can help leaders unlock action and finance.

Diversity. SEforALL’s global team recognizes the diversity of needs across countries and communities and commits to working with all actors in delivering solutions that respond to these differentiated needs.

Equity. SEforALL’s goal is for “all.” SEforALL’s global team strives for a sustainable energy transition that is just and equitable and leaves no one behind.

Results. SEforALL global team focuses on helping leaders make the most progress, fastest in areas that make a meaningful contribution to SEforALL’s objectives. It is solutions-oriented. It values evidence and data. It understands the scale and urgency of the sustainable energy challenge and the need for a holistic systems-based approach.

Trust. SEforALL’s global team treats information carefully and respects what it is entrusted with as it serves partners and their success

www.seforall.org

Additional Considerations

-   SEforALL offers exciting high-impact assignments, a collegial and creative work environment, and the opportunity for committed professionals to thrive and grow within flat hierarchies and in the pursuit of an inspiring mission.

-   SEforALL provides competitive compensation packages at its locations in Vienna and Washington and modern workplace arrangements in terms of flexibility and results orientation;

-  Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

-  Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.

-   Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

-   SEforALL reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post.
This vacancy is now closed.
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