Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This post is located in Ecosystems Division at the Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan – Barcelona Convention Secretariat (MAP) in the Athens duty station. Under the overall guidance of the MAP Deputy Coordinator, and the direct supervision of the MAP Administrative/Fund Management Officer, the Meetings Services Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Organizes and coordinates preparatory meetings with relevant offices and delegations regarding procedural and organizational arrangements for the sessions of assigned committees and meetings/conferences. • Assists in drafting procedural notes for the chairpersons of assigned committees and meetings/conferences. • Ensures that all required services, including the availability and distribution of documents, and personnel are available in order for committees and meetings/conferences to convene according to the schedule. • Utilizes E-Dritis and ODS to track the status of and download documents. • Organizes and maintains reference material and background documents, including resolutions and decisions of main organs, in documents booth. • Maintains a database of meetings based on requests and publishes the list indicating the interpretation requirements, venue, date and other relevant information, on a monthly basis. • Prepares monthly statistics on meetings held at headquarters and offices away from headquarters. • Determines the material and human resources requirements of meetings and prepares the cost estimates for consideration by the requesting office. • Allocates conference facilities and meeting rooms. • Ensures reports of committees and meetings/conferences meet the UN document standards and coordinate with the documents control office for reproduction of reports. • Prepares floor plan of seating arrangements in accordance with meeting requirements and UN protocol. • Attends coordinating/planning meetings, representing the Unit/Section regarding organizational arrangements for committees and meetings/conferences and updates files accordingly. • Prepares for committees and meetings/conferences to be held away from Headquarters, other UN Offices or Regional Commissions, coordinates with substantive offices and, and prepares cost estimates. • Acts as Alternate Certifying Officer up to USD 10,000. • Reviews, records and prioritizes purchasing requests and obtains additional information/documentation as required; provides assistance to requisitioners in preparing scope of work and specifications of goods and services; proposes product substitutions consistent with requirements to achieve cost savings; determines the availability of funding sources. • Identify and recommend sources of procurement; interview potential suppliers • Produces tender documents (e.g. Invitations to Bids, Requests for Proposals and Requests for Quotation) based on the nature of the requirements and cost of procurement involved. • Finalizes purchase orders and contracts for approval by the Procurement Officer; may authorize purchases in line with delegated signature authority, and, if required, prepares submission to the Contracts Committee for review and subsequent approval by the authorized official. • Drafts correspondence and notes for signature. • Maintains and updates filing and reference system regarding procedures and reference materials for committees and meetings/conferences. • Responds to queries from delegations and Secretariat. • Replaces, as needed, senior staff in related functions. • Participates in the recruitment of temporary assistants and schedules and supervises their work. • Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. • Provides guidance/training, as needed, to junior staff. • Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the Organization’s conference policies, procedures and practices. Ability to research, select, organize and summarize information required for the preparation of meetings. Ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. 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.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in conference support, procurement, administrative services or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher Experience working in the United Nations System or any other international organizations is desirable. Experience in organizing and arranging conference services for intergovernmental meetings is desirable. Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook is desirable. One (1) or more years of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position fluency in English is required. NOTE: ”Fluency” equals a rating of ”fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and ”Knowledge of” equals a rating of ”confident” in two of the four area.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one (1) year and may be subject to extension. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. 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. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Contact Us” link.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.