Personal Assistant to the Executive Director, G-6,(Nairobi )

ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION: UN-HABITAT

DUTY STATION:Nairobi

FUNCTIONAL TITLE:Personal Assistant to the Executive Director

FUNCTIONAL LEVEL:GS-6

DURATION:6 months

CLOSING DATE:9 January 2011

BACKGROUND
This position is located in the Office of the Executive Director, UN-Habitat at the Nairobi duty station. Supervised by the Chief and working directly with the Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Executive Director (ED), the staff member provides administrative, management and secretarial support of a high level and quality to the ED and between that office and the rest of the agency.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant’s responsibilities will include the following duties:

Manages the ED’s calendar of appointments
Prepares materials relevant to the subject matter ahead of the ED’s meetings and ensures that the ED is available at the appointed time
Supervises screening of all telephone calls, enquires with tact and discretion and directs calls to officials under whose competence a particular call / enquiry falls
Maintains, in consultation with the Chief of the Office, the long-term calendar of the USG and ED and ensures its dissemination to Senior Management and outlying offices
Organises all administrative requirements with respect to the USG and ED’s official travels by making travel arrangements and ensuring travel documents are in order
Prepares correspondence as required on general administrative or specialized tasks that may be of a confidential nature within the assigned area of responsibility as assigned by the USG and ED and Chief of the Office
Establishes and maintains the filing system for the USG and ED
Prepares a budget and maintains petty cash for the smooth operation of the office of the Executive Director
On behalf of the ED, processes and follows-up on actions related to the administration of the Agency’s human resource activities, e.g., recruitment of staff and consultants, placement, promotion, relocation, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation of staff members, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures. Performs other related administrative duties, as required (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 seminars, conferences and translations).
May be responsible for guiding, training, and supervising the work of more junior General Service staff.
Ensures that the work to support the USG and ED is completed in a timely manner
COMPETENCIES

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.
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.
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& 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
Completion of secondary education required. Post secondary qualification or diploma level qualification in a secretarial, administrative or related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE
At least six years of experience in administrative services, finance, human resources or related area. Experience working for senior officials in the UN system involving contact with diplomatic personnel and various high offices of the Secretariat is an advantage.

LANGUAGE SKILLS
English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

OTHER SKILLS
Ability to work independently with a high degree of responsibility and minimal supervision.

UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org

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