Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the agency working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable and inclusive human settlements development, including in a context of rapid urbanization and achievement of adequate shelter for all. The mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The position is located in the Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC which is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Project Offices in Rio de Janeiro, Bogota and Mexico City. The Staff Assistant will support the Regional Representative and Programme Management Officer with administrative process to ensure the smooth running of operations in the Regional Office. Under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

• Performs, under minimal supervision, the full range of office management and administrative support functions for the Regional Office; typically provides direct assistance to a senior officer or manager responsible for a major programme, such as a branch or division. • Maintains liaison with the UN-Habitat’s Executive Office and with senior officials in other units including UNON regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters; monitors processes and schedules related to the unit’s outputs, products, tasks. • Ensures smooth and efficient information flow within the Regional Office and Project Offices; prepares and processes confidential information; assists in the development of office administrative systems and procedures. • Researches, compiles and summarizes background materials for use in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, as requested by the Supervisors. • Provides assistance in the coordination of service-wide activities (meetings, training), special projects and events and supports the Project Offices with this. • Provides and supports as required, staff and non-staff personnel for all issues related to travel including but not limited to calculation of air fare and entitlements, rates and travel schedules for specific itineraries, initiates requests for visas, reviews travel claims and documentation for completeness, accuracy, reasonableness, validity and conformity with UN Rules, amongst others. Participates in the selection process of candidates as required, both staff and non-staff personnel including UN Consultants and individual contractors, including evaluating and screening applications of such candidates, and any other tasks as delegated by management. Assists in the filling of staff and non-staff and consultants and individual contactors for all categories, Oversees the maintenance of vacancy announcement files and tracking status of vacancy announcements. • Orients new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provides general assistance to other office support staff, as required; may coordinate the work of office support staff in providing meetings servicing/administrative support to various sessions of commissions and other bodies. • Attends meetings, prepares minutes, monitors follow-up activities as and when required. • Responds or drafts responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications. • Manages, updates and further develops internal databases; updates website; generates a variety of standard and non-standard statistical and other reports from various databases. • Responds to complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answers requests requiring file search). • Assists in the preparation of presentation materials using appropriate technology/software. • Maintains calendar/schedules; monitors changes and communicate relevant information to appropriate staff inside and outside the immediate work unit. • Performs a variety of administrative duties (e.g. leave recording, meeting organization, reservations, office supply and equipment orders), including preparing and/or processing administrative requests/documents (e.g., travel requests, expense claims, vouchers, visa applications). • 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. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. • Maintains files (both paper and electronic) and databases for work unit. • Performs other related duties as assigned by the Supervisor and as per the needs of the Office.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision making and convey resulting information to management. 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. 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. 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 high school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

Five (5) years of experience in general office support or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience with an International Organization such as the UN is desirable. Experience working with an ERP system is desirable. Experience working with multi disciplinary teams is desirable. 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 the post advertised, fluency in English and Portuguese is required. Knowledge of Spanish 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 an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This is a project post. Appointment against this post is on a local basis and is open for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension subject to legislative body funding availability. 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. 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. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Internal Applicants: When completing the 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. 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. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Need Help?” 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.