Staff Assistant, G6 (Temporary Job Opening)

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is based in the Office of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza. On 22 December 2023, the Security Council adopted resolution 2720 (2023), requesting the Secretary-General, with the objective of expediting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, to appoint expeditiously a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator with responsibility for facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying in Gaza, as appropriate, the humanitarian nature of all humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza provided through states which are not party to the conflict, and further requesting that the Coordinator expeditiously establish a UN mechanism for accelerating the provision of humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza through states which are not party to the conflict, consulting all relevant parties, with the goal of expediting, streamlining, and accelerating the process of providing assistance while continuing to help ensure that aid reaches its civilian destination, and demanding that the parties to the conflict cooperate with the Coordinator to fulfil their mandate without delay or obstruction. The Council also determined that the Coordinator will have the necessary personnel and equipment in Gaza, under the authority of the United Nations, to perform these, and other functions as determined by the Security Council, and requested that the coordinator report to the Security Council on its work, with an initial report within 20 days and thereafter every 90 days through 30 September 2024.

This temporary job-opening is being published for the position of Staff Assistant and is based in Amman, Jordan. Under the overall supervision of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator, the incumbent reports to the Chief of Staff.

Responsibilities

Under direct supervision of the Chief of Staff, the Staff Assistant will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Assists in the overall administration of the Office, i.e. provides administrative support in managing priorities and workflow for the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator (SHRC) and of the work unit; coordinates and monitors multiple and diverse activities and work processes to ensure that management directives and decisions are properly carried out and products delivered in a timely manner.
• Assists in time management, and scheduling of activities on behalf of the SHRC with appropriate consultation as required, and effectively prioritize competing demands.
• Compiles and analyzes basic data from a variety of sources (including Umoja), summarizing and presenting conclusions for review by manager.
• Serves as a communications link between supervisor and senior staff; on behalf of supervisor, keeps others informed by conveying directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information; brings sensitive and urgent matters to the attention of the manager.
• Screens and prioritizes all incoming correspondence; compiles relevant background documents and references; identifies issues requiring the manager’s attention and refers others to relevant officer for appropriate disposition; monitors and follows-up on actions to be taken.
• Independently handles a wide range of complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answer requests requiring file or other research); responds, or drafts responses, to a diverse range of correspondence and other communications.
• Establishes/improves administrative procedures and systems to ensure smooth functioning of the department, including filing (paper and electronic) systems.
• Oversees work of office support staff; establishes priorities and deadlines, assigns work and reviews outputs upon completion; trains office support staff in administrative, protocol and other relevant procedures
• Organizes official receptions, meetings, etc., handling all necessary arrangements (e.g. room reservations, guest/participant lists, invitations, catering, seating arrangements, background documentation, special equipment, etc.).
• Prepares, processes and classifies confidential information.
• Handles a wide range of administrative duties/processes, such as performing Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) roles related to leave and attendance records, timesheets, travel arrangements/administration, visa applications, expense statements, telecommunications charges, equipment purchase, service and supply requisitions, etc..
• Exercises quality control function for all outgoing documents; proofreads and edits texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style.
• Uses standard word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports.
• Manages, updates and further develops internal databases; updates website; generates a variety of standard and non-standard statistical and other reports from various databases.
• 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.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures. 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. Able to perform analysis, modelling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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.

• 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.

• CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in general office support or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to 5
years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Experience working directly with Senior Management within the United
Nations Common System or a comparable international organization is required.

Experience with travel arrangements and managing mission scheduling of senior managers using Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system such as UMOJA is desirable.

Experience in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams, is desirable.

At least one (1) year 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 oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

•This is a project-funded post. This is position is currently available through 30 September 2024, with the possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance and availability of fund.
• The contract will be administered by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of OCHA.
• This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. This position is a General Service position and will be based in Amman, Jordan. Candidates of the General Service category are required to be authorized to work in the country where this position is located.
• Appointment against this post is on a local basis.
• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving a 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

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.