Administrative assistant / Receptionist – Part-time external collaborator At Inter-Parliamentary Union

Under the supervision of the Director in the Division of Support Services (DSS), the Part-time External Collaborator will provide a full range of services linked to the reception during the absence of the Administrative Assistance/Receptionist, including the registration of incoming and outgoing communication and building facilities. The incumbent will perform these duties in an efficient, effective and client-oriented manner. He or she will be responsible for carrying out his/her duties in the following areas:

Duties and Responsibilities

Registration of incoming and outgoing communications

• Receive incoming and copies of outgoing correspondence, including letters and e-mails; and, exercising great discretion, sort, register, copy, forward, circulate and file correspondence, as appropriate;
• Establish, maintain and organize chronological files in accordance with instructions received;
• Upon request, search for correspondence and forward files to requesting services; keep a record of and monitor files in circulation;
• Send mass e-mails as per requests, maintain an up-to-date address list for this purpose in Zoho in coordination with the Documents Service.

Reception services

• As first point of entry of the organisation, welcome and register visitors, guests and dignitaries at the IPU Headquarters, attend to them, announce their arrival and conduct them to meetings;
• Keep the reception area welcoming and tidy.
• Receive inquiries by telephone or in person in French and English, answer them or refer to the appropriate staff for reply;
• Operate the switch board and transfer calls to the appropriate recipients. Record messages for the answering machine, as appropriate;
• Keep internal telephone list up to date;
• In coordination with the Human Resources Assistant, keep track of presence and absence records on the Kelio software on a monthly basis, flag and correct any anomalies and liaise with individual staff members. At year-end prepare list of outstanding holidays for finance and audit records;
• Receive and sign for goods delivered to the Headquarters;
• Perform other duties consistent with the role and responsibilities of the position.

Work implies interaction with the following:

• IPU personnel
• Parliamentary staff of Member Parliaments
• External suppliers

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to apply good judgement in the context of assignments given. Shows pride in work and in achievements; 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. Incorporates gender perspectives and equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Knowledge of the Organization: Is able to demonstrate knowledge about the Organization and takes on board its objectives.
• Technological awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology, especially with data bases; actively seek to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.
• Team work: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; is willing to learn from others’ ideas and expertise; 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: Establishes and maintains effective relations with Members of Parliament, external collaborators and colleagues. Receive guests with the attention needed and respond to queries with tact and diplomacy.
• Commitment to continuous learning: Actively seeks to keep abreast of new developments in the relevant field and to develop own skills.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Completion of secondary education with training in hospitality or equivalent;
• A minimum of three years’ experience at a reception desk in an office or hotel facility;
• Experience in working in an international setting is desirable;
• Complete fluency and excellent reading and writing skills in English or French, and working ability in both languages. Knowledge of additional languages (particularly Spanish and Arabic) is highly desirable.

Contract length

The consultancy is for the period of May to December 2022. Contract will be then issued to the Part-time External Collaborator on a single calendar year basis and renewed each year subject to annual review of performance and the availability of funds.

This mandate will represent a yearly average of 8 weeks of work.

Remuneration

This consultancy is being offered at CHF 284.20 per day of work.

Location

This position will be based in Geneva.