Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). DPIDG focuses on supporting countries in improving effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels for internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Staff Assistant reports to the Director of DPIDG. More information on DPIDG is available at https://publicadministration.desa.un.org

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority and under the overall guidance of the Director of DPIDG, the Staff Assistant is responsible for the following duties: • Perform, under minimal supervision, the full range of office management and administrative support functions; typically provide direct assistance to the Director and senior officers or managers in DPIDG. • Maintain liaison across the Division and with the Executive Office and with senior officials in other units regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters; monitor processes and schedules related to the Division’s outputs and tasks. • Ensure smooth and efficient information flow within the Division; prepare and process confidential information; assist in the development of office administrative systems and procedures in line with guidelines. • Research, compile and summarize background materials for use in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, etc. • Assist in the coordination of Division-wide activities (meetings, training, etc.), special projects and events. • Brief new staff of relevant administrative procedures and practices and provide general assistance to other office support staff, as required. • Attend meetings, prepare minutes, monitor follow-up activities. • Prepare draft response to correspondence and other communications addressed to the Director, use standard word processing package to produce large documents and reports. • Manage, update and further develop internal databases; update website; generate a variety of standard and nonstandard statistical and other reports from various databases. • Carry out quality control function for outgoing documents; proofread and edit texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style. • Respond to information requests and inquiries. • Assist in the preparation of presentation materials using appropriate software. • May provide support to other branches within DPIDG as requested. • Maintain calendar/schedules; monitor changes and communicate information to appropriate staff inside and outside the Office of the Director. • Perform a variety of administrative duties such as leave recording, meeting organization, reservations, office supply and equipment order including preparing and processing administrative requests/documents such as travel requests, expense claims, visa applications, etc. • Maintain paper and electronic files as well as database for the Division. • Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures 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 ensuing the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 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.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of experience in administrative and general office support or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience working in an international organization is desirable. Experience using a graphic design tool or other related software is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

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.

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.