Mail Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Mail Operations Unit, Special Services Section, Facilities and Commercial Activities Service in the Division of Administration of the Department of Operational Support. The incumbent will report to the supervisor of the Messenger Sub-Unit.

The overall objective of Mail Operations Unit is to ensure the efficient and effective provision of mail, messenger and pouch services. As a strategy, the Unit continues to provide secure, prompt, and cost-effective means for transmitting official correspondence and material through the worldwide pouch and postal service and messenger services within the Headquarters Complex. The Unit aims to harmonize the mail and pouch operational procedures and expand the use of bar-coding and tracking system to UN agencies, funds and programmes located in New York and Offices away from Headquarters.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Mail Assistant at this level will be responsible for the following duties:

• Receives incoming pouches, incoming mail, express mail, and parcels; verifies airlines and courier documents.
• Assists at the x-ray screening post with the incoming mail and pouch.
• Alerts the supervisor of tampered mail for appropriate action.
• Tracks the distribution of all mail, as well as pouch service.
• Logs incoming items and raise discrepancies to supervisor, e.g., missing pouches, incoming mail items, incorrect pouch numbers, misrouted pouches, etc.
• Ensures that all items received are logged onto computer for financial and statistical purposes. Prepares receipts and processes for distribution.
• Assists in tracing items and is accountable for actions taken.
• Ensures safety and security of items received in area, i.e., that all items are x-rayed and date-stamped prior to distribution.
• Assists supervisor in opening and inspecting items to ensure that all items received in pouch and mail units are official and in compliance with pouch and mail rules and regulations, maintain records.
• Ensures that outgoing pouch and courier shipments are processed to meet pick-up schedules, and that incoming pouches/courier shipments are processed in a timely manner, and that reports are completed on time.
• Ensures timely distribution of conference documents.
• Provides guidance to other staff on the proper use of diplomatic pouches or other mail service.
• Ensures proper coding, authorization, and addressing.
• Signs the credit memos and summary of enclosures.
• Records the quantity of mail in each category, e.g., registered, certified, mail from missions, personal, confidential or other for statistical purposes.
• Determines and apportion freight charges proportionate to usage by other UN agencies.
• Assists in training new staff. Operates tow motor, forklift or other equipment as needed.
• Delivers urgent mail, parcels, specials etc as needed, or ensures prompt delivery of urgent mail.
• Operates technical equipment such as computers, scales, personal digital assistant (PDA) and hand-held scanners.
• Prepares weekly activities report for management.
• Assists the sub-unit supervisor in planning and assigning long and short-term assignments to clerks and messengers.
• Drafts some correspondence.
• Prepares accounts, statistics and other reports.
• Maintains and updates various databases.
• Rotates services between sub-units and perform mail runs, servicing UN outlying buildings and intersub-unit support.
• Performs other duties of the units as assigned.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office procedures, mail and pouch manual, safety and security regulations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; 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.

CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of three years of experience in processing mail, pouch, registry operations or related area is required.
Experience in servicing high-level meetings and handling confidential documents is desirable.
Experience in mail shipping and tracking systems is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Staff members who were granted a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment as a result of having passed a predecessor test recognized by the Office of Human Resources Management, and who have continuously held such appointments, are not required to take the new test.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The incumbent of this position must be able to handle mail and packages weighing up to 35 lbs.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.