Executive Assistant

OVERVIEW

Post Number : 3JMADM0706RP

Grade : G-5

Parent Sector : Sector For Administration and Management (ADM)

Duty Station: Kingston

Job Family: General Administrative Support

Type of contract : Fixed Term Field

Duration of contract : 2 years, renewable

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 19-JUN-2023

 

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

 

Only candidates who are entitled to work in Jamaica can apply to this position

 

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

 

This post is located in the Kingston Field Office and works under the overall authority and direct supervision of the Office Director. This post coordinates and performs the full range of office and management support and administrative tasks, and provides direct assistance to the Director in order to ensure quality and consistency of the flow of office work and management of the information of the Office.

 

ADMINISTRATION 

 

• Respond to queries and correspondence, often of a sensitive, confidential or technical nature.
• Attend meetings, prepares minutes, monitors follow-up activities; makes arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications.
• Coordinate the work of other support staff, establishes priorities and ensures equitable distribution of work.
• Review, records, distributes and processes incoming mail and correspondence; follows up on pending actions; prepares draft technical responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications, often requiring knowledge of technical terminologies and/or detailed office procedures.
• Carry out quality control functions for outgoing documents; proofreads and edits texts for adherence to format, grammar, punctuation and style.
• May coordinate/ guide the work of other support staff and ensures equitable distribution of work.
• Screen requests for appointments with supervisor according to the nature of the requests and their urgency. 
• Coordinate with other units to ensure smooth running and expedition of work within the unit (e.g. following up contract extensions and requests for temporary staff).
• Orient new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provides general assistance to other office support staff as required.
• Search, compile, and organize background information and reference materials from various sources for reports, briefs and speeches. Generates a variety of statistical and other reports from various databases.
• Undertake additional activities that may be required to ensure the success of the work team.
• Periodically review the efficiency of office procedures and makes recommendations for improvement. Updates office websites, knowledge management tools/ databases etc.

 

LOGISTICS

 

• Maintain supervisor’s calendar; confirms mutually convenient schedules and arranges appointments or rearranges schedules disrupted by unexpected events; receives visitors; and places and screens telephone calls.
• Coordinate and leads secretarial support services for high-level meetings, service- or Office-wide training and special projects/ events.
• Perform a variety of administrative duties (e.g., leave and attendance recording, arrangements for meetings and other events, reservations, budget preparation and follow-up, etc.).
• Create and maintains the Office filing and reference systems.

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

 

EDUCATION

• Completed secondary, technical or vocational education.
   

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience in secretarial, administrative tasks in an international professional environment.  
• Experience working for a supervisor with senior managerial responsibility and/or high-level officials.
   

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent drafting skills in English.
• Excellent organizational and coordination skills.
• Capacity to deal efficiently and tactfully with different partners/institutions and other stakeholders at all levels in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work under pressure, to deal with complex and sensitive situations and flexibility to adjust work schedules.
• Sense of diplomacy, discretion and professional integrity.
• Excellent IT skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
   

LANGUAGES

• Excellent knowledge (oral and written) of English.
• Basic knowledge (understanding and informal translation) of French.

 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

 

EDUCATION

• Specialized training/certification in administration and/or secretariat.

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of UNESCO rules, administrative procedures and standard practices.
• Working experience in similar functions within the UN system or an international organization/institution.

 

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 full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

 

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 recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as 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. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities 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.