Staff Assistant

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Description

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This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support in the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). PBSO was established to assist and support the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and administer the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). Based on the founding resolutions (A/RES/60/180 and S/RES/1645(2005)) establishing the Peacebuilding Commission, the Secretary-General created PBSO which comprises of the Peacebuilding Commission Support Branch, the Policy, Planning and Application Branch and the Financing for Peacebuilding Branch. PBSO is headed by an Assistant Secretary-General (ASG). This position is under the general supervision of the Special Assistant and the ASG. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) focuses primarily on five action areas in international peace and security, ensuring sound analysis and early warning, preventing conflict and engaging in peacemaking, managing political crises and violent conflicts, sustaining peace, and enhancing partnerships. The Department’s mandate is to prevent and resolve conflict through inclusive political solutions.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Staff Assistant will be responsible for the following:

• Provide direct assistance to the ASG; act as a first point of contact and referral for incoming communications (written and verbal); and, in close coordination with the Special Assistant, manage the ASG’s diary, schedule, and travel;
• Independently handle inquiries and requests for information, liaise with senior officials internally and externally, including Permanent Missions, United Nations entities, NGOs etc.; and correspond with internal and external stakeholders and interlocutors on behalf of the ASG;
• Screen and prioritize all incoming correspondence, including by email; compile relevant background documents and references; identify issues requiring attention and refer to relevant officers for follow-up; monitor and follow-up on actions to be taken; • Bring sensitive and urgent matters to the attention of the ASG/senior officials;
• Maintain the ASG diary/schedule; monitor and communicate changes accordingly; carry out quality control function for outgoing documents; proofread and edit texts for adherence to format, grammar, punctuation and style;
• Establish/improve administrative procedures and systems to ensure smooth functioning of the Office of the ASG, including filing (paper and electronic) systems;
• Undertake necessary administrative tasks for the OASG, including time and attendance monitoring (staff and consultants), Annual Leave management, arranging mission travel and visas, service and supply requisitions, telecommunications charges, etc.;
• Organize official meetings, workshops and briefings, handling necessary arrangements (e.g. room reservations, guest/participant lists, invitations, catering, seating arrangements, background documentation, special equipment, etc.);
• As required, research, compile and summarize background materials for use in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, etc.; scan reports from specialized agencies, as well as newspapers, magazine, periodicals and other information sources to identify articles of interest;
• Maintain liaison with the Branches of PBSO regarding ongoing activities and other administrative matters; on behalf of OASG help maintain the flow of information, including by conveying directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information;
• Use standard office software (MS Word/word processing, Excel/spreadsheet, Powerpoint/presentation) to produce a wide variety of complex documents, reports, spreadsheets and presentations;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible work experience in general office support, administration or a related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in a front office environment is required. Experience making travel and accommodation arrangements for senior officials is required. Experience working with different offices of the UN Secretariat or a comparable international organization is desirable. Experience working with high ranking officials of the UN or a comparable international organization is desirable. Experience dealing with high ranking officials in the diplomatic community is desirable. Experience using enterprise resource planning information systems such as Umoja or similar tools in the United Nations or similar international organization is desirable.

Languages

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

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/233616?language=en

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