Executive Assistant at United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - UNOCHA

Type of Contract: Service Contract
Post Level: SB-3
Duration of Initial Contract: Initial contract is 9 months (up to 31 Dec 2015) with possibility for extension

Background

• Under the guidance and supervision of the Head of Office or Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator the Executive Assistant is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of secretary duties by performing, under minimal supervision, the full range of office management and administrative support functions; typically provides direct assistance to senior officers or managers such as a Head of Office consistent with UN rules and regulations.
• The Executive assistant leads and provides guidance to OCHA's Head of Office or Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, fostering effective collaboration within the teams, with relevant OCHA and UNDP counterparts at headquarters and in the field, and with other UN agencies, promoting a client-oriented approach and ensuring optimal performance and efficient delivery of services.

Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:

• Performs, under minimal supervision, the full range of office management and administrative support functions; typically provides direct assistance to a senior officer or manager responsible for a major programme, such as a branch or division.
• Maintains liaison with the Executive Office and with senior officials in other units regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters; monitors processes and schedules related to the unit's outputs, products, tasks, etc.
• Ensures smooth and efficient information flow within the unit; prepares and processes confidential information; assists in the development of office administrative systems and procedures.
• Researches, compiles and summarizes background materials for use in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, etc.
• Provides assistance in the coordination of service-wide activities (meetings, training, etc.), special projects and events.
• Orients new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provides general assistance to other office support staff, as required; may coordinate the work of office support staff in providing meetings servicing/administrative support to various sessions of commissions and other bodies.
• Attends meetings, prepares minutes, and monitors follow-up activities.
• Responds or drafts responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications; uses standard word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports.
• Manages, updates and further develops internal databases; updates website; generates a variety of standard and nonstandard statistical and other reports from various databases.
• Carries out quality control function for outgoing documents; proofreads and edits texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style.
• Responds to complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answers requests requiring file search, etc.).
• Assists in the preparation of presentation materials using appropriate technology/software.
• May provide some specialized support to unit (e.g. technology support, editing, desktop publishing, etc.).
• Maintains calendar/schedules; monitors changes and communicate relevant information to appropriate staff inside and outside the immediate work unit.
• Performs a variety of administrative duties (e.g. leave recording, meeting organization, reservations, office supply and equipment orders, etc.), including preparing and/or processing administrative requests/documents (e.g., travel requests, expense claims, vouchers, visa applications, etc.).
• Maintains files (both paper and electronic) and databases for work unit.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Impact of Results:

• The key results have an impact on the efficiency of the Management unit by ensuring good organization and management the Head of Office / Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator's daily agenda and programme and other general administrative matters to support the implementation of overall activities of OCHA Nigeria Office.

Competencies

Functional Competencies
Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Maintaining information and databases
• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Basic research and analysis
• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things
• Documents innovative strategies and new approaches

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures
• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Promoting Organizational Change and Development:

• Presentation of information on best practices in organizational change
• Demonstrates ability to identify problems and proposes solutions

Design and Implementation of Management Systems:

• Data gathering and implementation of management systems
• Uses information/databases/other management systems
• Provides inputs to the development of simple system components
• Makes recommendations related to work procedures and implementation of management systems

Client Orientation:

• Maintains effective client relationships
• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients
• Responds to client needs promptly

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

• Gathering and disseminating information
• Gathers and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems
• Prepares timely inputs to reports

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Self-development, initiative-taking
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Creating synergies through self-control
• Managing conflict
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Informed and transparent decision making

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• University Degree in Business or Public Administration desirable, but it is not a requirement

Experience:

• A minimum of six years of experience in general office support or related area of which at least three years are in an international organization is required. Experience working in a front office with senior management is required.

Language Requirements:

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