Vacancy Timeline

1 Week

Job Description

Background

UNDP is committed to recruiting staff who are diverse in terms of gender, nationality and culture. We also encourage applications from people from ethnic minorities, indigenous communities and people with disabilities. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.  

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and/or abuse, any form of harassment, including sexual harassment, and/or any form of discrimination. All selected candidates will be required to undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The Executive Assistant to DRR works in close collaboration with UNDP staff, UN Agencies, national authorities, and partner institutions to ensure the efficient flow of information, actions on instructions, agendas. Internally, the Executive Assistant ensures that strategic decisions are followed through and that all units and clusters follow the guidance by the DRR/SM Team. 

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Resident Representative (RR), the Executive Assistant ensures effective and efficient functioning of the RR’s office, full confidentiality in all aspects of assignments, maintenance of protocol procedures, and management of information flow and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made. The Executive Assistant  promotes a collaborative, client-focused, high quality and results-oriented approach in the operations of the RR’s office. 

The Executive Assistant to the RR works in close collaboration with UNDP staff, UN Agencies, national authorities, international organizations, and other stakeholders and external entities to ensure efficient flow of information and follow through on actions, instructions, commitments and agendas.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Example of Duties:    •     Maintain the supervisor’s calendar and contacts with high-ranking visitors, arrange appointments and meetings, take minutes, act as an interpreter, and/or prepare informal translations when required. 

•    Maintain protocol procedures as well as profiles, rosters and telephone lists of high-level partners and contacts.

•    Compile research and prepare high quality briefing materials for supervisor for appointments, meetings, missions, and for use in discussions. 

•    Manage Resident Representative missions and representation schedule.

•    Prepare correspondence, directives, and comments on behalf of RR for his/her signature and follow-up when required.

Example of Duties:    •    Assist in maintaining paper and electronic filing systems to ensure safekeeping of confidential materials and accessibility of documents. 

•    Coordinate information flow in the office, and follow up on circulation files.

•    Facilitate information sharing between the RR’s Office, UN Country Team, and the UN Coordination Unit.

•    Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, and actions taken; and coordinate the collection and submission of reports to the RR.

•    Screen all incoming calls and correspondence.

Example of Duties:    •    Provide  contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

•    Assist in rganizing specialized training for secretarial and/or support staff.

•    Assist in organizing training for UN staff on coordination, administration and protocol issues. 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None 

Competencies

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core : Full list of UNDP Core Competencies can be found here  

Achieve Results

    LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline. 

Think Innovatively

    LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 

Learn Continuously

    LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.  

Adapt with Agility 

    LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 

Act with Determination     LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner

    LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.  

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

    LEVEL 1: Appreciates/respects differences, aware of unconscious bias, confronts discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies) 

Thematic Area    Name    Definition

Administration & Operations    Documents and records management    •    Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving

Administration & Operations    Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings)    •    Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

Business Management    Communication    •    Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience

•    Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Business Management     Customer Satisfaction/Client Management    •    Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 

•    Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 

•    Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 

•    Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Development    Knowledge Generation    •    Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Office administration

Scheduling and calendar management

Information sharing

Advising on protocols

 

Required Skills and Experience

•    Secondary Education is required with specialized secretarial training.  

•    A university degree in Social Sciences, Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance or equivalent will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

•    Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible secretarial, administrative, and/or programme experience is required at the national and international level is required. 

•    Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), and in handling web-based management systems such as ERP is required.

•    Experience in UN operations, structure, and administrative procedures is desirable.

•    Experience in support of senior executives and/or senior levels officials in the United Nations is desirable

•    Fluency in Portuguese and French is required. 

•    Working knowledge of English is desired•    

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Required

Please add in your application your highest diploma; your certifications and your last three PMDs (if applicable); 

Please (apply)/(complete the online P11 form) in the language in which the vacancy is published. Applications in another language are discouraged.

Veuillez (postuler)/(remplir le formulaire P11) dans la langue dans laquelle l'offre d'emploi est publiée. Les candidatures dans une autre langue ne sont pas encouragées.

Applications from women are strongly encouraged. 

Important information for applicants 

All NPSA positions are subject to local recruitment. 

Information for applicants concerning the UNDP Roster 

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying for this position for other similar positions within UNDP, at the same hierarchical level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements. 

Workforce diversity 

UNDP is committed to diversity in its workforce and encourages all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, culture, religion and ethnic origin, to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. We strongly encourage applications from women.