UNICEF Hiring for Administrative Assistant, G-5, New York, USA #21632 at New York, United States Full Time

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The work of UNICEF secretariat (UNICEF) is overseen by an Executive Board (EB) which is its governing body, providing intergovernmental support and oversight to the organization, in accordance with the overall policy guidance of the United Nations General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

The UNICEF Office of the Secretary of the Executive Board (OSEB) is responsible for maintaining an effective relationship between the EB and the UNICEF. Under the guidance of the President of the EB and UNICEF Executive Director, OSEB services all aspects of the work of the EB, including the formal sessions, informal consultations and briefings, EB Bureau meetings, and field visits by the Executive Board members. OSEB also provides editorial and technical services for all documentation related to Executive Board sessions and meetings, decisions, reports of sessions and the country programme document repository.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Deputy Secretary, the incumbent is responsible for

i) Supporting and contributing to the efficient, appropriate, timely and accurate information flow with the President, vice presidents, and members and observers of the Executive Board;

ii) Supporting EB meetings, briefings, and consultations both outside and during the formal session of the EB;

iii) Contributing to the arrangements for the field visit of the EB; and

iv) Supporting the Deputy Secretary.

Key Tasks and Accountabilities

• Assists the supervisor in ensuring efficient information flow to the Executive Board members and to the Bureau of the Executive Board; maintains and continuously updates the contact and mailing lists for the Executive Board members, as well as the UNDG contact list and WhatsApp groups; maintains and updates as often as necessary the annual calendar of the Executive Board (joint and informal calendars and zoom link calendar); drafts and sends out invitations and other documents to Executive Board and Bureau members, as required;
• Monitors OSEB generic mailbox for Country Programme Document commenting period and beyond, forwards messages appropriately to the relevant focal points and, where relevant and to the degree possible, responds to queries from the Executive Board members and observers, from other UN agencies and from UNICEF staff. Determines priorities in what should be brought to the attention of the supervisor and consults the supervisor accordingly.
• Prepares for the monthly meetings of the Bureau of the Executive Board, including a) consults the Bureau members on their availability, b) is responsible for the logistics arrangements for the meetings both in person and online/via zoom, c) provides necessary information to the assistants of the relevant Deputy Executive Directors and seeks confirmation on their participation in the meetings, d) prepares background documentation for the meetings, e) prepares templates for the minutes of the Bureau meetings for completion and finalization by the supervisor.
• Makes preparations for the Pre-sessions and informal briefings for the Executive Board members and observers including a) logistics arrangements for the informal briefings, b) coordinates with the substantive divisions regarding the presentations and documentation for distribution at the meeting c) prepares background materials for the meetings, d) assists the supervisor and the Secretary of the Executive Board during the informal briefings, and e)prepares lists of participants during the briefings and uses them to update the contact list as necessary, f) hosts Zoom meeting, monitors participant registration and archives recordings.
• Makes the necessary preparations for the annual orientation briefing for new members of the Executive Board, including all above mentioned actions, distribution of UNICEF Banners and other branding materials, and coordinates with IT team to support connections for remote participants.
• In preparation and during the Executive Board sessions, responsible for preparing the credentials form, receiving the credentials from the members and observers of the Executive Board and for preparing the list of participants and speakers on the basis of the information received; supports the team in the move to and from the UN Secretariat, and provides support to Secretary and Deputy Secretary on the podium.
• Compiles statistics on Board meetings’ participation for OSEB retreat and OSEB annual report. Maintains schedule of appointments and meetings for the supervisor, provides support to the supervisor on administrative matters including travel arrangements, prepares documentation and presentations for meetings, searches for information for a wide variety of sources based on the request by the supervisor; and ensures efficient filing system to retrieve information rapidly.
• Makes arrangements for the field visits of the Executive Board members including a) prepares information notes for the participants for each field visit, b) coordinates and liaises with the Executive Board members regarding the travel arrangements, including flight selection, visa application etc. c) coordinates practical and logistics arrangements with the focal points in the UNICEF Country Offices, d) prepares background materials for the participants, e) makes necessary arrangements for the preparatory briefings for the Executive Board members.
• Performs other duties, as required.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Education:
• Secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to International Relations, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing and related field.

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a relevant field may replace three years of related work experience.
• Experience:
• At least 5 years of progressive responsible work experience in an administrative capacity – knowledge of UNICEF rules, and regulations asset.
• Previous working experience with UNICEF or another UN agency is an asset.
• Language:
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset

Skills

• Good oral and written communication skills
• Experience in protocol is an asset
• Ability to act with discretion and diplomacy is essential for this function.
• High standards of integrity and confidentiality
• Considerate and tactful, understanding of protocol
• Good sense of judgment and self-awareness
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a multicultural team
• Initiative
• Drive for results
• Computer literacy

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.