Org. Setting and Reporting

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) forms part of the United Nations Secretariat and, like the other regional commissions, operates under the supervision of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. ESCWA comprises 21 Arab countries in Western Asia and North Africa. ESCWA provides a framework for the formulation and harmonisation of sectoral policies for member countries, a platform for congress and coordination, a home for expertise and knowledge, and an information observatory. ESCWA activities are coordinated with the divisions and main offices of the Headquarters of the United Nations, specialised agencies, and international and regional organizations, including the League of Arab States and its subsidiary bodies, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. This position is located in the Information and Communications Technology Section (ICTS) within ESCWA’s Resource Management and Service Development Division (RMSDD). ICTS is part of the global UN ICT community headed by Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) and partners globally to continue to modernize, transform and innovate ICT in the UN, while strengthening governance and optimizing resources. ICTS/RMSDD provides ICT services and support to ESCWA and UN entities. It includes management of ICT infrastructure and information security; acquisition and management of ICT equipment (inventory and assets); customer support through the Integrated Service Desk and fax unit; videoconference service provision; development, deployment and support of enterprise applications, local applications, Web applications, Mobile applications; reporting, analytics and dashboarding. The incumbent will report to the Chief of ICTS.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority and under the overall guidance of the Chief, ICTS, and direct supervision by the team leader, the Team Assistant (Data Analysis) will be responsible for the following duties: • Provides general office support services to help ensure the smooth functioning of an organizational unit. • Uses standard word processing package to produce a variety of routine task documentation, reports, tables, charts, graphs, etc., in accordance with institutional standards. • Proofreads written products for completeness and grammatical and typographical accuracy. • Maintains calendar/schedules; monitors changes and communicates relevant information to appropriate staff inside and outside the immediate work unit. • Reviews, records, routes and/or processes mail or other documents; gathers pertinent background material; tracks and monitors follow-up action as required. • Receives phone call and visitors, and responds to routine inquiries and information requests, including drafting routine written responses, or routes to appropriate personnel for handling as required. • Maintains files (both paper and electronic) and databases for work unit. • Updates and maintains large distribution lists; assemble documents, reports and other materials for global dissemination, where possible using electronic formats; coordinates courier services. • Performs basic data entry and extraction functions and interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides reports with ongoing monitoring and refinement. • Checks accuracy of simple calculations, python codding, data, etc. • Identifies and analyzes errors and inconsistencies in data, “clean data” using statistical and simple machine learning procedures and provides timely resolutions. • Develops data analytics and creates simple data visualizations. • Contributes to develop pipelines. • Performs a variety of administrative duties (e.g. leave recording, meeting organization, reservations, office supply and equipment orders, etc.), including preparing and/or processing administrative requests/documents (e.g. travel requests, expense claims, vouchers, visa applications, etc.). • Photocopies a variety of documents and other materials. • Delivers urgent mail/messages. • 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. • Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support. Knowledge of administrative policies, processes and procedures. Ability to apply data analysis techniques for problem solving. Ability to explain data solutions in easy-to-understand terms. 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. • 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. • TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of 2 years of experience in general office support or related area is required. No experience requirement for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in applied data analytics, data engineering, information management, statistics, project management, stakeholder management or related area is required. Experience in python, R, is required. Experience in ETL is required. Experience in data analysis methods, techniques and technologies is desirable. Experience with self-service analytics and data visualization applications (MS PowerBI, Qlik, Tableau or similar), or business intelligence tools (SAP Business Objects, etc.) is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. In addition, Arabic is a working language at ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include assessment(s) which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• This position is available for one year from the date of appointment/assignment. Extension of the appointment/assignment is subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval, extension of the mandate, continued need for services, and satisfactory performance. • 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. • This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. • Candidates are fully responsible for all arrangements and costs for attending all assessments and interviews. All candidates shall receive the same notice period for attending the assessments and interviews. • The candidate is fully responsible for all costs and arrangements related to travel and relocation (including visas and permits) to the duty station and for continued employment at ESCWA. • Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any task or function in the organization. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions during their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. • 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. • Limitation of General Service Category: This position falls under the General Service category. If selected and you wish to be considered for a future position in the Professional category, please note that you must first separate from the Organization and acquire the required professional skills through academic training or professional experience to be considered as an external candidate. Alternatively, you can apply for and succeed in the YPP General Service to Professional category (G-to-P) competitive examination.

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.