Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Under the direct supervision of the Operations Manager and overall supervision of the UN Women Representative, the Operations Assistant supports directly the Representative and the Operations Manager in everyday administrative activities by performing a variety of standard administrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Assistant promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach, with key functions being related to support to the Representative and Operational activities.

The operations assistant shall work in close collaboration with the operations manager and operations staff in order to ensure consistent service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provision of administrative and logistical support to the UN Women Representative

• Keep the Representative informed of incoming requests, correspondence and all matters requiring attention, provide sound input as appropriate to facilitate decision making and ensure follow-up action, as directed.
• Provide coordination support to the Representative by keeping record and ensuring action and follow-up when required in a timely and efficient manner, and serving as note-taker in regular meetings and exchanges.
• Manage the planning and organization of the Representatives agenda and official travel, including the timely preparation of official travel files, background documents and briefing notes, working closely with relevant staff preparing official travel reports.
• Maintain contact and communications lists for UN Women Country Office and for the Representative.
• Support external communication with partners across the UN and outside the UN in support of the Representatives ongoing partnerships.
• Manage and support the Representative’s calendar of activities, events and travel arrangements and other logistics.
• Maintain and organize up to date hard and electronic files for easy access and retrieval ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials.
• Coordinate the smooth functioning of meetings, including preparing and reserving meeting rooms, supporting logistical details, minute-taking.
• Draft and review official letters for the signature of the Representative and ensure quality control of draft letters submitted for the Representative’s signature, including formatting, grammar and spelling, correct salutations, in accordance with the UN Correspondence Manual.
• Facilitate the Representative’s interaction with various external partners such as ambassadors, donor country delegations, parliamentarians and high-level senior officials through collaborative and proactive relationship with counterparts and colleagues in those offices.
• Organize official events/hospitality for the Representative.
• Organize events and arrange logistic aspects involved in hosting visitors, as well as ensuring that all official meeting rooms are kept to standard.

2. Support to Operations Unit of the CO in Administrative, Travel and Procurement processes

• Support in office administrative tasks, translation, compilation of data, filing, proper and accurate maintenance of files, personnel folders and databases.
• Administrative support to organization of operations unit trainings, workshops, retreats.
• Assist in the preparation of budget and relevant data collection and provision of information for audit.
• Support implementation of procurement services with full compliance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• Support to maintenance and regular update of procurement database, as required by the Operations Manager.
• Act as Travel Focal Point for CO BIH, arranging of travel, preparation of travel authorizations, processing requests for air tickets, visas, identity cards and other documents.
• Administrative support to conferences, workshops, retreats.
• Collection of information for DSA, travel agencies and other administrative surveys, support to organization of common services.
• Organization of shipments, customs clearance arrangements, preparation of documents for UN Women shipments (received/sent).

3. Support implementation of operational strategies

• Support full compliance of administrative activities with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• Provide inputs to the CO administrative business processes mapping and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Provide inputs to the preparation and implementation of administrative team results-oriented work plans.

4. Support to knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Provide necessary administrative support for effective knowledge management and sharing within the Operations Unit.
• Participate in the training for the operations staff on administration.

Key results have an impact on the overall performance of the operations’ processes and success in the implementation of activities. Accurate analysis, data entry and presentation of information will support proper operations systems implementation and strengthen the capacity of the office and promote the image of UN Women.

Competencies

CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations, organizational policies and procedures related to the position and ability to apply it consistently in work tasks.
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions.
• Ability to extract, interpret, analyze data and resolve operational problems.
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work.
• Ability to support a team and team building skills.
• Strong IT skills and ability to apply it consistently in work tasks
• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Attention to details
• Maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors
• Maintains database of project files
• Provides data and information needed for preparation of project documents
• Excellent knowledge of office software packages
• 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

Required Skills and Experience

How to Submit the Application: