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.
Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any task or function in the organization. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions during their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
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.
This post is located within the Strategic, Evaluation and Partnership Section (StEPS), Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support (DES-PS) of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Administrative Assistant reports directly to the Chief of the Strategic, Evaluation and Partnership Section (StEPS), and will be under the overall supervision of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support.
Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:
Support the preparation of agreements with donors and partners:
Review agreements and provide comments; Prepare draft agreements' cover clearances; Review agreement budget breakdown; Maintain up-to-date information on XB income; Prepare detailed graphs on resources mobilized by year, division and by donor that are used in ESCWA annual reports; Register new MOUs within the Agreement Database and follow-up on any needed update.
Support to all ESCWA divisions in project functions:
Provide continuous and intensive support to substantive divisions on functions related to Umoja GM module (creation of grants and projects, creation of Internal Orders, setup and release budget, redeployment of funds, grant execution (Shopping carts, Purchase orders, travel, etc...); Ensure the usage of correct coding block and availability of funds; Provide financial reports on grants and project when needed.
Support Section's work on Evaluation:
Support in the planning and design of evaluations of Subprogramme, DA, XB and other thematic issues and facilitate the implementation and follow-up of these evaluations; Coordinate and undertake the collection of documents, participant and stakeholder lists and/or case studies for each evaluation; Support and follow-up with evaluators to facilitate access to documents and stakeholders and facilitate fieldwork as needed; Maintain and update the Tracking tool of evaluations' recommendations.
General administrative and logistical requirements:
Draft responses to routine correspondence and other communications related to the work of the Section to both internal and external audiences; Undertake English and Arabic translations of documents, presentations, speeches and promotional materials; Research, compile and summarize background materials from various resources in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, etc; Perform other related administrative duties (e.g. operational travel programme; monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services; physical space planning; identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems; organizing and coordinating conferences - RCM); Help in identifying resource persons/organizations in the region; Prioritize and organize data and information using available database systems; Serve as focal point for the Photo gallery web-based tool; Serve as focal point for Unite Docs; Update of StEPS internet, intranet (i-seek) and LibApps; Serve as Public Information Focal Point to the ECIU.
Human Resources Management:
Initiate, review, process and follow-up on actions related to the administration of the unit’s human resource activities; Respond to enquiries and provide information and advice to staff regarding their entitlements, administrative procedures, processes and practices, conditions of service, duties and responsibilities; Oversee the maintenance of job opening and keep track of status of job openings; Review and process personnel actions through Umoja and Inspira; Monitor staffing table and prepare relevant statistical data/charts.
Professionalism - Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. 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 7 years of experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources or related area. Knowledge of Umoja and other related systems is desirable.
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.
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, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
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.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The screening and 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, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: 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 a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.