Senior Administrative Assistant

OVERVIEW

Post Number : CLD-279

Grade : G-6

Parent Sector : Sector For Administration and Management (ADM)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Administration

Type of contract : Fixed Term

Duration of contract : 2 years

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 21/01/2021

 

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

 

Long Description

(Only candidates who are entitled to work in France may apply to this position)

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

 

The post is located in the Division of Conferences, Languages and Documents  and works under the overall authority of the Director and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Support Unit. S/he serves as the principle assistant in the Support Unit and assumes a proactive and lead role in providing support in a range of specialized areas and in the interpretation and application of complex administrative, HR and financial rules and procedures.  S/he may assign work and provide guidance to lower level support staff and/or brief and advice staff at various levels on administrative matters.The incumbent will have the following tasks and responsibilities:

Long Description

General Accountabilities

• Plan, coordinate and perform administrative support functions in areas such as human resources, finance, and program and budget.
• Prepare, on own initiative, correspondence, reports and documentation on general administrative or specialized tasks, which may be of a confidential nature;
• Provide interpretation and guidance on work processes and the application of administrative/HR/Financial rules and procedures, and advise/assist other staff in these areas.
• Arrange for and/or attend meetings on a variety of administrative matters, make recommendations for new or revised procedures and practices, interpret and evaluate the impact of proposed changes, and advise the supervisor on their implementation. 
• Recommend process and system related modifications and improvements to administrative support and financial monitoring and control provided by the Support Unit to ensure its efficient functioning.
• Carry out quality control of all outgoing documents and verify work of other staff members, ensuring accuracy and adherence to UNESCO standards.

 

HR Accountabilities

• Monitor and follow up on non-routine or complex cases, which may be of a confidential or sensitive nature; study administrative and personnel issues and provide information as required.
• Suggest most appropriate and financially sound solutions for the engagement of personnel/individual contractors/consultants in compliance with relevant UNESCO Rules and Regulations and AIIC/AITC-UNCEB provisions.
• Liaise with central services (HRM, BFM, OPS, KMI etc) to discuss and obtain additional information, clarifications, and policy interpretation as and when necessary.

Long Description

 

Financial Accountabilities

• Assist in the preparation and coordination of financial activities under RP and OPF funds. 
• Compile and consolidate data from various sources into financial statements and prepare worksheets. Monitor expenditures, review payments and reconcile accounts.
• Investigate anomalies and erroneous charges and take corrective action and/or propose/discuss solutions with the Chief of the Support Unit.

 

Budget Accountabilities

• Assist in controlling the Division’s accounts and proposing relevant adjustments for optimal budget utilization.
• Perform operations for authorizing and making expenditures under all types of funding, prepare, consolidate budget data, and update databases.
• Control and/or prepare cost estimates and follow up with concerned work units/colleagues.
• Prepare budget-related reports and statistics ensuring that data is correct; identify irregularities and undertake transactions to correct errors/omissions and support the preparation of program and budget and work plan documentation.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

 

Education

• Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational education.

 

Work Experience

• Minimum 8 years of relevant work experience in the administrative area.

 

 Skills & Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including drafting skills.
• Excellent organizational and coordination skills; ability to establish priorities and monitor own work plans; flexibility to adjust work schedules and priorities.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, to deal with complex situations and to provide quality and timely support and services.
• Strong service/client orientation.
• Ability to contribute to teambuilding.
• Professional integrity and good sense of judgement.
• Discretion, tact, diplomacy.
• Excellent IT skills (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.); good knowledge of SAP.

 

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English or French and good knowledge of the other language.  

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

 

Education

• Specialized training/certification in administrative or related fields.

Work Experience

• Experience in an international environment.
• Professional work experience in the field of chargeback operations. 

 

Skills/Competences

• Knowledge of UNESCO's Financial and Administrative rules, regulations, procedures and standard practices.
• Knowledge of UNESCO Conference and Documentation tools (DMS, DCPMS, eMeets) as well as other corporate applications (Contract Management, Sister).
• Knowledge of UNESCO special accounts functioning.

 

 Languages

• Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

 

For more information in benefits and entitlements, please consult ICSC website.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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UNESCO applies a zero tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.

UNESCO is committed to achieve and sustain gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non-and under-represented Member States (last update here) are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.