ABOUT THE COMPANY:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is mandated to protect and assist men, women and children forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict or persecution. UNHCR is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced and stateless people. The Agency provides protection, shelter, food, water, medical care and other life-saving assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers around the world. The dream of most refugees is to return home. If and where possible, UNHCR helps refugees make this dream a reality. When refugees cannot go back home, we work to find solutions for them, to rebuild their lives in another country. Since its formation by the United Nations General Assembly in 1950, UNHCR has helped millions of refugees restart their lives and has received the Nobel Peace Prize twice.

JOB SUMMARY

The Administrative Assistant will provide administrative assistance to the immediate supervisor and/or Head of the Office, and/or to the Unit as a whole to ensure that routine services and activities within the administrative domain are properly implemented. As per specific instructions, the incumbent may require liaising with other internal or external entities, to ensure effective delivery of services and achievement of objectives. The assignments are mostly standard tasks including limited interpretation of subject matter and information exchange between staff in the office, at the duty station and external officials of other institutions to ensure mutual understanding. The incumbent’s workload and the assignments will remain under constant guidance and direction of the supervisor.
The Administrative Assistant is a position within an office/Division/Bureau that requires basic knowledge of administrative rules, procedures as well as operational standards of a UNHCR office. The nature of certain administrative/personnel functions require discretion and confidentiality.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all Administrative Assistant: please refer to the organizational context).
– Arrange appointments/meetings both internal and external, some involving high ranking officials.
– Receive visitors, place and screen telephone calls, respond to routine requests for information and take notes at meetings as and when required.
– Maintain hard and electronic office files and records; classify and code material relating to a variety of topics;
– Receive, review, sort and distribute all incoming and outgoing correspondence, office pouch and material, highlight priority items and attach necessary background information. Maintain a follow up system.
– May be required to maintain/update confidential files.
– Draft routine correspondence, memoranda and reports. Format more complex documents by using the appropriate technology.
– Facilitate implementation of Personnel administrative formalities and processing of documents in relation to official travels, leaves and movements of staff. Support staff members with processing personnel-related documentation.
– Maintain office inventory and stocks of office supplies. Monitor the asset management track to ensure all admin procurements and disposal of UNHCR property are done and recorded accurately.
– Assist the supervisor to monitor and record expenditure/disbursement of funds.
– Following instructions from the supervisor make logistic and administrative arrangements for seminars, workshops, and briefings that may be required by the Office/Division.
– May regulate and monitor routine provision of services and/or shifts from providers, as and when applicable;
– Monitor office/compound facilities and equipment and in consultation with the supervisor take appropriate action to ensure proper functioning at all time.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
– Perform other related duties as required.

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
G4 – 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Business Administration, Finance, Office Management,
Human Resources or other related field
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Not specified

Functional Skills
*IT-Computer Literacy
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

How to Apply
Step 1: Please re-read this job description from the beginning to the end.
Step 2: Click the APPLY FOR JOB button at the end of this job advert.
Step 3: After going to parent website, please read instructions carefully and ensure you apply as soon as possible.

Good luck!