Org. Setting and Reporting
These positions are located in OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand. OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.
Both incumbents will work under direct supervision of the Senior Administrative Assistant and will report to the Regional Administrative and Finance Officer.
Responsibilities
Within limits of delegated authority, the Team Assistants will be responsible for the following duties, but not limited to:
• Perform a wide range of office support and administrative functions.
• Respond or drafts responses to routine correspondence and other communications; uses standard word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports.
• Monitor processes and schedules related the unit’s outputs, products, tasks, etc.; where applicable, assist in the verification of receipt and accuracy of requisite documents, approvals, signatures, etc. to ensure compliance with relevant legal, financial and other requirements.
• Research, compile and organize information and reference materials from various sources for reports, work plans, studies, briefings, meetings/conferences, etc.
• Generate a variety of standard statistical and other reports, work orders, etc., using various databases.
• Proofread documents and edit texts for accuracy, grammar, punctuation and style, and for adherence to established standards for format.
• Screen phone calls and visitors; respond to moderately complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answer requests requiring file search, etc.), and as necessary, refer inquiries to appropriate personnel for handling.
• Provide secretarial, administrative and logistics support to meetings, boards, committees, conferences, etc.
• Assist in organizing conference/workshop including participants’ travel arrangement.
• Assist in the maintenance of websites by scanning, converting and posting a variety of documents onto the site.
• Assist in the preparation of presentation materials using appropriate technology/software.
• Maintain calendar/schedules; monitor changes and communicates relevant information to appropriate staff inside and outside the immediate work unit.
• Perform data entry and extraction functions.
• Review, record, distribute and/or process mail and other documents; follow up on impending actions.
• Update and maintain large distribution lists; monitor, prepare and distribute various materials, reports, where possible using electronic formats; handle arrangement for printing and translation as necessary; coordinate shipment arrangements, courier services, etc.
• Perform general administrative tasks (e.g. leave and attendance recording, arrangements for meetings and other events, reservations, budget follow-up, etc.), to include preparing and/or processing administrative requests/documents (e.g. requisitions, purchase orders, travel requests, contracts, expenditure authorizations, visa applications, etc.).
• Maintain files (both paper and electronic) and databases for work unit.
• Assist in providing software and office equipment support.
• Provide guidance to less experienced staff on general office processes and procedures, computer applications, etc.
• Assist in gathering information and providing summary for procurement process as required.
• Assist in gathering information to process Consultant / Individual Contractor contracts as required.
• Assist in inventory record and physical verification exercise.
• Serving as a Note Taker for the internal meetings or interviews for junior posts as required.
• Perform other related 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. 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.
• 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.
A relevant first-level university degree in combination with one year of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of three years of required experience.
Job – Specific Qualification
Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Staff members who were granted a fixed-term, continuing or permanent as a result of having passed a predecessor test recognized by the Office of Human Resources Management, and who have continuously held such appointments, are not required to take the new test. Please indicate what year and duty station if you passed the test.
Work Experience
A minimum of three years (or one year if graduated with a bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in general office support or related area is required.
Experience working with Microsoft Office is required.
Experience working in the United nations Common System, international organization or international setting is required.
Experience working with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, such as SAP or Peoplesoft, is desirable.
Experience in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in procurement module is desirable.
Experience in organizing international meetings, workshops, conferences both on-site and online using meeting tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom is desirable.
Experience in processing Consultant / Individual Contractor contracts using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
system is desirable.
Experience of working with data and presentation of data, including page design in Microsoft SharePoint, is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage. Knowledge of Thai is desirable.
Assessment
Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.
Special Notice
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.
Applicants may apply and be considered for locally recruited positions no matter where they are currently located (including the current serving staff members at other duty stations), provided they are locally available upon appointment. Selected candidates/staff members will have to relocate at their own expense to report for duty. In accordance with SR 4.4(c), they shall not be eligible for the international allowances or benefits indicated under staff rule 4.5 (a). If they do not already have the right to work in the duty station, appointment is contingent on issuance of a visa from the local authorities.
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 post is funded from extra budgetary resources. The initial appointment is for a period of one year. Extension of appointment is subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds.
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.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.