SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development. A key agreement opened for signature at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention has three objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal, Canada and is administered by UNEP. This post is located in the Secretariat of the CBD, within the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES). Under the overall guidance of the Executive Secretary and the direct supervision of the Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, the incumbent will carry out the following functions:

Responsibilities

A. Managing Correspondence: a) Serves as focal point for all incoming and outgoing communications. b) Ensures the smooth flow of correspondence to and from the Office of the Executive Secretary, bringing urgent matters to the Executive Secretary’s attention immediately, with background documentation. c) Translates routine correspondence from French to English and from English to French. d) Independently drafts, reviews, edits and proofreads documents, such as notes, memoranda, letters, notifications, etc., submitted for the signature of the Executive Secretary, paying particular attention to accuracy, grammar, punctuation and style and for adherence to established standards of format. e) Responds to or prepares routine correspondence and other communications in English and French. f) Oversees and provides guidance to other staff within the Secretariat on the filing system for correspondence and documentation, including that of a confidential and political nature. g) Drafts, reviews, edits, provides guidance to staff on, and disseminates, official communications. h) Prepares relevant background material and documents for meetings and conferences in which the Executive Secretary is involved and communicates information to appropriate participants B. Organizing Meetings: a) Maintains the Executive Secretary’s calendar and schedule of appointments. b) Schedules appointments taking into account meetings already scheduled and possible overlaps. c) Suggests priorities among pending requests and invitations. d) Modifies appointments as requested (frequently at last-minute). e) Ensures that recurring key meetings take place in the expected frequency and arranges all logistics for these meetings and, when appropriate, drafts agenda and meeting minutes. f) Monitors deadlines for completion of requested tasks and draws the Executive Secretary’s attention to pending deadlines. g) Liaises with participants of meetings in which the Executive Secretary is involved. h) Responds to moderately complex information requests and inquiries, including of a sensitive nature, or refers calls/visitors to appropriate staff member. i) Using discretion and tact, filters telephone calls and visitors for the Executive Secretary, requesting access when appropriate for the latter. C. General Administration: a) Undertakes all administrative functions pertaining to the Executive Office’s needs. b) Reviews the data available in the various databases of the Secretariat and bring evolving trends or anomalies to the attention of the Executive Secretary. c) Makes all travel arrangements for the Executive Secretary, including visa formalities, ticketing and actions in Umoja. d) Prepares the Executive Secretary’s schedule of meetings before official missions and adjusts schedule as needed during missions. e) Ensures that the Executive Secretary is provided with necessary information in a timely manner and maintains the Executive Secretary’s “bring forward” file. f) Keeps abreast of ongoing matters/issues in the Office of the Executive Secretary. g) Identifies diverse issues/problems as they arise and raises them with the Executive Secretary. h) Coordinates extensively with UNON and UNEP staff and outside officials about all of the above duties. i) Takes initiative and independently carries out routine matters, which do not require the intervention of the Executive Secretary. j) Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. k)Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. l) Performs additional duties as requested.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures. The ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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. Commits to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. 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. 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 the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education

Completion of a high school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Supplementary training in administration, project management or another relevant field is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in general office support, administration or related areas is required. The minimum ten (10) years of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. A minimum of ten (10) years of administrative and senior secretarial experience are required. A minimum of five (5) years of experience within the United Nations common system or a similar international organization is desirable. Experience working in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as Umoja, is desirable. A minimum of one (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English and in French is required. Knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable. Note: Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a substantive assessment which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this post is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. External candidates will be considered only when no suitable internal candidate from the duty station is identified. The candidate is responsible for any travel expenses incurred to take-up the appointment. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. Internal Applicants – when completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Contact Us” link.

United Nations Considerations

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. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. 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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The 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 according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. 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 reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.