PROGRAMME ASSISTANT

Paris

Organization: UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Location: Paris
Grade: Administrative support - GS-4, General Service - No need for Higher Education - Locally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Administrative support
- Project and Programme Management
- Culture
Closing Date: Closed

Under the authority of the Director of the Division for Heritage (CLT/HER) and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Europe and North America Unit of the World Heritage Centre, the incumbent shall exercise the functions of Programme Assistant and provide secretarial and specialized administrative support to the Chief and other Professionals therein working on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention with the logistical, and operational aspects of the programme.

In particular, the incumbent will\:

Provide secretarial services to the Europe and North America Unit, ensure timely preparation of letters and communications (reports, working documents, etc.) in English and/or French; draft general correspondence in accordance with the standard formats and procedures established within the World Heritage Centre and UNESCO, informally translate correspondence, provide information related to the World Heritage Convention in response to various types of queries from different stakeholders, prepare briefing notes and presentations for the supervisors, arrange day-to-day appointments and meetings of the Chief of the Europe and North America Unit, and maintain the Unit’s files and reference systems, as well as electronic filing up to date.
Prepare and ensure timely execution of contracts, including for International Assistance Requests, prepare contract amendments and follow up all measures concerning payments, draft reminder letters and ensure follow-up on the terms of contracts.
Provide secretarial support in the preparation of UNESCO statutory documents related to the World Heritage Convention and to the UNESCO Governing Bodies, maintain a calendar for the Unit’s timely delivery of these documents.
Assist in the preparation and organization of the statutory meetings of the World Heritage Committee, its Bureau, of the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, prepare and monitor logistics linked to meetings, workshops or conferences.
Ensure planning and travel arrangements (bookings arrangements, travel orders, travel records for staff, calculate travel costs) for missions, training or expert meetings organized by the Europe and North America Unit, travel for the Chief and other Professionals of the Unit and for experts participating in these meetings funded by UNESCO.

Education

Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational education.

Work Experience

A minimum of three years work experience in administrative and/or secretarial tasks.
Experience in administrative support at national and/or international levels.

Skills and competencies

Excellent coordination skills.
Excellent drafting skills in English and/or French.
Discretion, initiative and service oriented to provide quality and timely support and services.
Good interpersonal skills, including ability to draft correspondence and correct documents.
Excellent IT skills with proficiency in the use of MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel. PowerPoint, etc.),
Ability to identify and negotiate best conditions for travel.

Languages