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

Job ID: 31256
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Practice Area - Job Family: Management - ADMINISTRATION
Education & Work Experience: C-HS Graduate or Equivalent - 4 year(s) experience
Languages: Required - English, Hausa
Grade: G4
Vacancy Type: FTA Local
Posting Type: Common System
Bureau: Africa
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

Background

• Under the guidance and supervision of the Deputy, Head of Office 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 DHoO, 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
Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the DHoO’s office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of the DHoO’s calendar, contacts with high-ranking visitors, arrangement of appointments and meetings, acting as an interpreter when required and/or taking minutes.
• Maintenance of protocol procedures.
• Preparation of high quality briefing materials for DHoO’s appointments, meetings, missions.
• Preparation of informal translations.
• Management of DHoO’s missions and representation schedule.
• Maintenance of rosters of high-level partners, telephone lists.
• Preparation of correspondence, directives, comments on behalf of the DHoO for his/her signature and making follow-up when required.
• Use of automated office management systems for effective functioning of the DHoO’s office.

Ensures provision of effective communications support to the office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials. Use of automated filing system.
• Coordination of the information flow in the office, follow up on circulation files.
• Facilitation of information sharing between UNCT and the UN Coordination Unit.
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to Head of Office.
• Screening of all incoming calls and correspondence.
• Presentation of proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks in the office and streamline office procedures between the supervisor’s office and subordinate division.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Organization of specialized trainings for secretaries.
• Organization of trainings to UN staff on coordination, administration and protocol issues.

Impact of Results:

• The key results have an impact on the efficiency of the DHoO’s office. Accurate analysis and presentation of information strengthens the capacity of the DHoO’s office and promotes the image of UN/UNDP as an effective contributor to the development of the country. Incumbent’s own initiative is decisive in results of work and timely finalization.

Requirements, Skills and Experience
Education:

• Secondary Education with specialized secretarial training.
• University Degree or equivalent would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

• 4 years of progressively responsible secretarial, administrative, programme experience is required at the national or international level.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in the UN and national language of the duty station.

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
• Documents ‘best practices’ in organizational change and development within and outside the UN system
• 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

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
• Maintains databases

Core Competencies

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity  
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Self-development, initiative-taking
• Acting as a team player and facilitating teamwork
• 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.