Administrative Assistant II

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This requisition is for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The PAHO Caribbean Office for Subregional Program Coordination (SPC-CRB) is responsible for providing subregional technical cooperation to: strengthen PAHO’s engagement with Caribbean Subregional integration mechanisms, mainly the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its various bodies and organs; build synergistic partnerships with the subregional institutions such as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), among others; and provide technical backstopping to Caribbean Country Offices as required. PAHO’s subregional technical cooperation emphasizes public health issues that benefit from economies of scale and for which agreement on proposed collective responses and actions can produce a far greater impact rather than individual country responses. The Subregional Program also provides direct technical cooperation to Caribbean countries (in coordination with the respective Country Office) and plays a role in coordinating among the different PAHO country offices.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of the Advisor, Human Resources for Health and the general supervision of the Subregional Program Director (SPD/CRB), the incumbent is responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following assigned duties:

1. Provide administrative support to Technical Advisors and other staff as directed, including initiation and follow-up of procurement actions, travel, meeting arrangements, support for recruitment of staff and contingent workers, and other administrative functions as required; maintain calendars of appointments and deadlines; assist in implementing the overall administrative support functions within the office;
2. Prepare correspondence and other materials in English on own initiative or from verbal instructions, for signature; proofread for style, punctuation, grammar, spelling and adherence to the Organization’s standards and policies; recommend revisions to correspondence and other documents to ensure that they are clear and accurate in content;
3. Assist in the preparation of technical presentations, technical reports and articles by reviewing, correcting and/or rewriting texts to improve clarity, conciseness and coherence; prepare and verify the content of tables, graphs, and charts; follow up on the submission of reports and correspondence in order to meet established deadlines;
4. Assist in logistical and operational processes and activities within the office, as well as with other offices throughout the Organization;
5. Support procurement planning, monitoring and implementation in the SPC-CRB office; create requisitions and purchase orders in PMIS and process payments to suppliers;
6. Assist in the planning, coordination, and implementation of internal and external meetings, conferences, seminars, or other events, including virtual events/meetings; prepare related communications and documentation;
7. Establish and maintain electronic files and reference materials; conduct research of files, reports, and other sources to obtain material requested and, when necessary, compile summaries thereof;
8. Initiate and monitor the status of actions and documents for the appointment and recruitment of professional and general service staff, consultants, short-term professionals and contractors; carry out the necessary steps in the PASB Management Information System (PMIS) to successfully complete HR actions; initiate HR, budget and finance related actions in PMIS for staff and contingent workers;
9. Update budget and financial information in the PMIS system; monitor the status of budget execution and project financial resources in the corporate information system and other databases for reporting needs;
10. Assist in the implementation of the SPC-CRB Biennial Work Plan (BWP); initiate administrative transactions for financial and HR actions; review and monitor budgetary and financial information in the PMIS system; monitor the status of budgetary execution and the project’s financial resources in PMIS and other databases; verify the execution of funds in accordance with the approved budgetary allocations;
11. Assist in travel planning and organizing travel arrangements for the department and support technical advisors and contingent workers when needed by obtaining travel concurrence, airline tickets, and security clearance; gather and validate relevant background information for duty travel; assist with all necessary processes in PMIS, including spend authorization, purchase of airline tickets and expense reports;
12. Support supervisor(s) with leave tracking and absence coverage for the office;
13. Brief and train new staff on administrative procedures and practices and give guidance, as required;
14. Perform other related duties; including backstopping for other administrative team members, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Essential: Certificate of completion of high school.

Desirable: Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) or Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) certification would be an asset

If your candidacy is retained for an interview, you will need to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an accredited/recognized institution in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the following link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp and the College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process.

Experience:

Essential: Five years of administrative work experience.

Desirable: At least two years of experience in an international organization would be an asset.

SKILLS:

PAHO Competencies:

• Overall attitude at work: Maintains integrity and takes a clear ethical approach and stance; demonstrates commitment to the Organization’s mandate and promotes the values of the Organization in daily work and behavior; is accountable for work carried out in line with own role and responsibilities; is respectful towards, and trusted by, colleagues and counterparts.
• Teamwork: Collaborate and cooperate with others / Deal effectively with conflicts: Works collaboratively with team members and counterparts to achieve results; encourages cooperation and builds rapport; helps others when asked; accepts joint responsibility for the teams’ successes and shortcomings. Identifies conflicts in a timely manner and addresses them as necessary; understands issues from the perspective of others; does not interpret/ attribute conflicts to cultural, geographical or gender issues.
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: Relate well with diversity in others and capitalize on such diversity: Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behavior to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
• Communication: Express oneself clearly when speaking / Write effectively / Share knowledge: Quality and quantity of communication targeted at audience. Listens attentively and does not interrupt other speakers. Adapts communication style and written content to ensure they are appropriately and accurately understood by the audience (e.g., power-point presentations, communication strategies, implementation plans). Shares information openly with colleagues and transfers knowledge, as needed.
• Knowing and managing yourself: Remain productive /Manage stress / Continuously learn: Remains productive even in an environment where information or direction is not available, and when facing challenges; recovers quickly from setbacks, where necessary. Manages stress positively; remains positive and productive even under pressure; does not transfer stress to others. Seeks informal and/or formal learning opportunities for personal and professional development; systematically learns new competencies and skills useful for job; takes advantage of learning opportunities to fill competencies and skill gaps.
• Producing Results: Work efficiently and independently / Deliver quality results / Take responsibility: Prioritizes work and makes planning/Organizational adjustments as necessary; seeks clarification from supervisor on timelines, as needed. Uses feedback and inputs from supervisor to achieve results. Produces quality results and has frequent discussions with supervisor to achieve results. Is action-oriented and sees tasks through to completion. Shows understanding of own role and responsibilities in relation to expected results. Solicits and accepts direction and guidance from supervisor and team members and takes responsibility for own work and actions, as appropriate.

Technical Expertise:

• Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to prepare/originate formal and informal correspondence and other written products in English.
• Proficiency in the use of computer software in accordance with assigned responsibilities (see IT Skills).
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and carry out administrative processes such as: meetings, recruitment of staff, personnel matters, preparation of formal publications, budget and expenditures records, acquisition of supplies.
• Ability to research, analyze and organize information in order to prepare charts, graphics, reports, etc.
• Ability to coordinate, monitor and control administrative services affecting several programs/projects and involving the allocation of work, implementing operational procedures, evaluating priorities, coordinating and supporting internal day-to-day activities, etc.
• Ability to work independently; ability to multi-task and to re-prioritize at short notice.

Languages:

Very good knowledge of English.

IT Skills:

Demonstrated ability to effectively use current technology and software, as well as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Other IT skills and knowledge of software programs such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Word are considered essential. Experience with web site development and maintenance would be an asset.

REMUNERATION

Monthly Salary: (Net of taxes)

BBD $5,689.58.00 (Salary is non-negotiable)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice WILL be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Candidates will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. A written test and/or interview will be held for this position as a form of screening.
• The post description is the official documentation for organization purposes.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and e-Manual.
• For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org
• PAHO/WHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.
• PAHO/WHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.
• PAHO/WHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoing will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.
• PAHO/WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are encouraged.
• All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this post.
• Administrative/support positions in Barbados are open to Bridgetown metropolitan area residents only. Candidates must be Barbadian citizens or be a permanent legal resident in the country.