Executive Associate to the Director

To respond effectively to complex development challenges, partnership is at the heart of everything UNDP does. In the organization, the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) leads and supports UNDP in cultivating, building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances with Member States, UN sister agencies, private sector and civil society, that are essential for successfully achieving its mission of advancing the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. 

The UNDP Geneva Representation Office (GRO) is an integrated partnership office, led by BERA, working across programmatic and representational functions. It contributes to UNDP’s mission by engaging and forging partnerships with a wide range of partners in Geneva and across Europe to support the attainment of the SDGs. As emphasized during the 2020’s review of UNDP’s External Relations, in addition to leading donor relations with Switzerland and France and contributing to intergovernmental processes with Member States’ Permanent Missions, the Office has a specific responsibility for the development of partnerships with UN sister agencies and other international organisations headquartered in Geneva, as well as with the private sector and with civil society.

The Executive Associate to the Director of the UNDP Office in Geneva provides substantive support, coordination, administrative and logistical support to the Director. She/he supports the Director in close collaboration with all UNDP Geneva Units. She/he has a broad range of specialized activities and tasks.  As the first point of contact for internal and external partners, the Executive Associate leads the organization of the Director’s activities (both substantive preparation of programme as well as operational organization) and is required to maintain the highest standards of calm, efficiency, personal communication, discretion, independent judgment and promote a client approach.  In working closely with senior UN staff, VIPs and the full range of representatives of UNDP’s constituencies, the Executive Associate must deal with a heavy volume of requests and a wide range of highly sensitive matters, under constant time pressure.  Throughout, her/his priority is the facilitation of the Director’s workload to ensure the balance the Director needs to reconcile the demands on the time.

The Executive Associate provides advice to other colleagues of the Geneva office and works in close collaboration with the operations and programme teams of the office and UNDP HQ for resolving complex related issues and information delivery. In the absence of the Human Resources Associate, and when needed, she/he undertakes HR functions relevant to the UNDP Geneva community as a backup. 

She/he manages and follows up on conferences /meeting participation in Geneva in close collaboration with Heads of Units in the office and at HQ, ensuring materials are prepared ex ante, and follow-up is completed, as well as related information management activities. She/he manages a calendar of key events as well as their related content, including supporting internal and external communication related to them. 

She/he attends and records the key meetings, such as the Senior Management Team meetings, and other key events, and ensures outcome of the meetings and events is shared and followed up as needed.
 

Ensures effective support to the Director, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• In close consultation with the Director, liaises with callers, determines priorities, balances with time available and ensures that all demands are met as appropriately and efficiently as possible; provides feedback to callers, including in writing, and ensures timely responses for requests for appointments;
• Provides follow-up on the Director’s directives, judges priorities and brings urgent matters to the attention of the Director;
• Supports communication efforts with Permanent Missions, UN Agencies and other key partners in Geneva; 
• plans, coordinates and organizes high-level meetings and telephone/video conferences between the Directorate and UNDP HQ, high-level officials, UN partners, academic partners, journalists, etc.;
• Note-taker in regular meetings of the Geneva office and ensures follow-up;
• Maintenance of protocol procedures, with particular attention to guidelines relevant to high-level officials.

Supports preparation and implementation of various events, focusing on the achievement of the following results  

• Leads and oversees the organization and implementation of workshops, seminars and technical meetings at the national, regional and international levels;
• Presents researched information and prepares briefing folders for the Director’s participation in conferences and for missions principally to France and Switzerland, Headquarters and elsewhere, as relevant;
• Prepares programmes of meetings. Assists in preparing back-to-office reports and their dispatch. Follows up on the back-to-office reports, field visits and analysis of progress reports.  Follows up on performance indicators/success criteria targets and milestones; liaises with counterparts in other agencies/organizations for obtaining relevant agenda and meeting documents, and ensures briefing packages are provided in a timely manner by UNDP colleagues;
• manages requests for presentations received from universities and schools, and identifies speakers and venues for the presentations.

Provides support with the HQ Executive Office, Bureaus & Regional Bureaus for official visits to France and Switzerland of the Administrator and ASGs, as well as UNDP Resident Representatives, focusing on the achievement of the following results:         

• Supports relevant logistic arrangement and prepares programmes of meetings for their visits to Geneva-based agencies and organizations, and liaises with counterparts in the French and Swiss Government administrations for their visits to Paris and Bern supporting the partnership team;
• Collaborates closely with specialized agencies and organizations in sharing data and drawing on their expertise in support of UNDP.

Supports knowledge and content management both on internal and external platforms, focusing on achievement of the following results:      

• Develops and maintains user-friendly management information systems, with focus of generating content from key meetings and events;
• Provides input to the UNDP Geneva external website to ensure up to date information on relevant sections;
• Monitors and updates regularly the mailing list of Permanent Missions, organizations/agencies including focal points in thematic areas, NGOs, finance, academics and Swiss/French Government focal points;
• Updates regularly the Organigramme of the office (BERA, BPPS, CB, BMS);
• researches the information network for latest information on subjects of interest to UNDP’s resource mobilization;
• Trains new support staff and provides guidance, when needed;
• Manages and updates regularly:  the List of Visitors, the list of Achievement & Activities which facilitates tracking of events and results throughout the year, as well as the yearly plan of key events which enables quick reference when needed.

Ensures effective administrative and logistical support to the BERA Directorate in the Office, focusing on achievement of the following results:          

• Perform Buyer role in Quantum and preparation of POs for travel activities;
• Organization of shipments, preparation of documents for UNDP shipments (received/sent), Preparation of all necessary documentation, implementation of follow-up actions;
• Support to organization of procurement processes including preparation of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their preliminary evaluation. Preparation of Pos;
• Arrangements of travel and hotel reservations, preparation of travel authorizations;
• Administrative support to conferences, workshops, retreats;
• Collection of information for DSA, travel agencies and other administrative surveys, support to organization of common services;
• Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials;
• Participation in the training for the operations/projects staff on administration.
   

Achieve Results:

• Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively:

• Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 

Learn Continuously

• Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility 

• Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 

Act with Determination       

• Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner

• Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

• Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Communications - Advocacy Strategy & Implementation             

• Ability to implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change

Business Management - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management       

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customer’s needs. 
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns

Business Management - Partnership Management          

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Business Development - Knowledge Generation               

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

Administration and Operations - Events Management   

• Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering and transportation and cash disbursements, etc.