Appointment against this post is on a local basis; candidates shall be recruited in the country of the duty station, irrespective of nationality and length of time the candidate may have been in the country. If no suitable candidate is identified, overseas candidates will be considered subject to a passing grade on the relevant entry-level examinations at the duty station. The candidate is responsible for any expenses incurred in order to take the examination and, in the event of an employment offer, any costs relating to travel and relocation to the duty station.
Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test when they are short-listed for a job opening. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST per applicable eligibility guidelines.
This post is located within the Economic Governance and Planning Section, Economic Development and Integration Division (EDID) of the Economic Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Staff Assistant reports directly to Chief Section and will be under the general supervision of the Director of EDID.
Within limits of delegated authority the Staff Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:
1.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.
2.Maintains liaison with the Executive Office and with senior officials in other sections regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters; monitors processes and schedules related to the section’s outputs, products, tasks, etc.
3.Ensures smooth and efficient information flow within the section; prepares and processes confidential information; assists in the development of office administrative systems and procedures.
4.Provides assistance in the coordination of service-wide activities (meetings, training, etc.), special projects and events.
5.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.
6.Attends meetings, prepares minutes, and monitors follow-up activities.
7.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.
8.Manages, updates and further develops internal databases; updates website; generates a variety of standard and non-standard statistical and other reports from various databases.
9.Carries out quality control function for outgoing documents; proofreads and edits texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style.
10.Responds to complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answers requests requiring file search, etc.).
11.Assists in the preparation of presentation materials using appropriate technology/software.
12.May provide some specialized support to section (e.g. technology support, editing, desktop publishing, etc.).
13.Maintains calendar/schedules; monitors changes and communicate relevant information to appropriate staff inside and outside the immediate work section.
14.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.).
15.Maintains files (both paper and electronic) and databases for work section.
16.Performs other duties as assigned.
- 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 ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.
- TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
- 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.
High school diploma or equivalent.
A minimum of five years of experience in general office support or related area.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. Arabic is also a working language of ESCWA. For this post, fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required.
Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test when they are short-listed for a job opening. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST per applicable eligibility guidelines.
In addition to the above, the shortlisted candidates will undergo a substantive written assessment related to the functions of the post and a competency-based interview. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, TRAINING OR ANY OTHER FEES). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS.