Special Assistant to Deputy Director

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, under Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), Geneva office supports UNOPS offices in the region, providing management and financial/programmatic oversight of Global and Country specific Portfolios and Clusters including hosting services, fund management, management advisory services, implementing projects, procuring goods and services and managing human resources.

The Special Assistant to Deputy Director works under supervision of and reports to the UNOPS Geneva Deputy Director. S/He will be assisting UNOPS Geneva Deputy Director in the day-to-day activities pertaining to the overall office functioning and project implementation, will act as an interface between the UNOPS Geneva Deputy Director and projects and portfolios under UNOPS Geneva, as well as perform various administrative functions for the UNOPS Geneva Deputy Director. 

Substantive support to the Deputy Director

• Conduct research, review and analysis of information and documents for the Deputy Director;
• Synthesize and summarize information for the Deputy Director to facilitate decision-making;
• Prepare and/or coordinate preparation of briefing papers, speeches and detailed presentations and other materials as needed for the Deputy Director’s internal and external use;
• Facilitate the flow of communication with UNOPS Geneva teams and the Office of the Regional Director;
• Assist the Deputy Director on strategic communications, reputational and crisis management;
• Coordinate planning of visits and meetings.
• Participate in the development of UNOPS Geneva work plans, reports on progress and other relevant documents and outputs

Manage the Deputy Director’s relations with internal and external partners

• Assist the Deputy Director for the relevant internal and external meetings by preparing / coordinating and compiling inputs and talking points;
• Support the planning of the Deputy Director’s missions;
• Serve as the key interlocutor for the Deputy Director with the offices of high-level officials in the UN System and external partners.

Manage the operational aspect of the Deputy Director’s Office

• Serve as the chief aide and liaison to the Deputy Director and as the primary manager of his/her daily agenda including scheduling his/her appointments and travel plans;
• Act as first line ‘information filter’, helping manage information flow to and from the Deputy Director;
• Develop and maintain a tracking system to assist the Deputy Director in following up on pending issues;
• Draft and/or assist in the drafting of correspondence at the request of the Deputy Director;
• Attend key meetings at the request of the Deputy Director and prepare notes for the file; 

Leads Special Projects:

• Initiate, plan, assist in special assignments/projects for the Deputy Director, and serve as his/her representative at meetings with other managers for planning and coordination purposes.

Knowledge management and innovation

• Contributes to the lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Participate in the relevant UNOPS Communities of Practice
• Perform other related duties as required.

• A Master’s Degree in International Relations, Business Administration or related field is required.
• A bachelor's degree with a combination of 2 additional years of relevant experience may be accepted  in lieu of the master's degree.

• With master's degree a minimum 3 years Or with bachelors degree 5 years of relevant work experience at the national or international level in executive / management level support in delivery of development advisory services, partnerships and representation, in the United Nations system, NGOs, or public-sector organizations;
• Proven knowledge of the UN system and procedures, with prior work experience in a country office or regional office an asset.
• Good knowledge of the UN system is desirable.
• Computer literate, in particular MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

• Willingness to 'get the job' done with a positive attitude to take on a wide range of tasks.
• Demonstrated excellent research and analytical skills that can be applied to gather data and generate knowledge relevant to decision-making functions
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a multicultural environment and under time constraints and to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience working in the development sector at the national and international level, administration, drafting reports, preferably for the United Nations system

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• 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.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

APPLICANTS SHOULD INCLUDE A COVER LETTER.

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.