Executive Assistant

Overview

Post Number: BSP 044

Grade: G-6

Parent Sector: Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: General Administrative Support

Type of contract: Fixed Term

Duration of contract: 2 years, renewable

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 20-JAN-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Only candidates who are entitled to work in France may apply to this position

Overview Of The Functions Of The Post

UNESCO’s Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) drives the Organization’s strategic planning and reporting, resource alignment, and programme coherence while building robust partnerships to support its mission. BSP develops UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy and Biennial Programme, ensuring alignment with global priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, BSP coordinates corporate partnerships, oversees the mobilization of voluntary resources, and manages grant agreements. It also promotes results-based management, oversees programme monitoring, and supports capacity building, ensuring that UNESCO’s initiatives are both effective and responsive to global needs.

Under the overall authority and the immediate supervision of the Director of UNESCO’s Bureau of Strategic Planning (DIR/BSP), the incumbent provides effective executive, administrative, and communication support to the Bureau Director, ensuring the smooth functioning of the Bureau Director’s front office. This includes managing the flow of information, coordinating schedules, and handling high-priority administrative tasks.

Responsibilities

1. Calendar management and scheduling
   • Arrange/rearrange appointments and maintain supervisor's schedule with appropriate consultation, as required.
   • Effectively prioritize and resolve related conflicts and competing demands, as well as consult on who should participate in any respective meeting.
   • Serve as first point of contact and liaison with senior officials internally and externally.
   • Receive high ranking visitors, place and screen telephone calls, and answer enquiries on behalf of the Director of BSP in collaboration with the entire front office.
2. Preparation of materials and briefings
   • Ensure the supervisor has timely and relevant briefing materials and background documentation for meetings, missions, and other engagements. This includes compiling and summarizing information for the preparation of briefs, speeches, and reports.
   • Ensure quality control for outgoing documents, proofread and edit texts for adherence to protocol, format, and style.
3. Correspondence management and inter-office communication
   • Oversee all correspondence, including logging, prioritizing, assigning, and responding as appropriate. This includes working closely with colleagues within the Bureau, CAB Correspondence team, and other departments to ensure timely and accurate responses, while also drafting replies to standard inquiries and coordinating the review of more complex communications.
   • Coordinate the dissemination of corporate communications, directives, and guidance from the Director’s office to staff, ensuring the right information reaches the appropriate parties at the right time. This includes providing guidance on office procedures and automated systems to new or temporary staff.
4. Organizing Administrative Functions Of The Office
   • Establish internal procedures and tracking systems for documents and correspondence.
   • Verify that administrative work meets corporate standards and deadlines, monitor progress on priority issues as determined by the supervisor.
   • Establish and maintain filing and reference systems according to UNESCO and ADM/DIT/ARC rules.
   • Perform other functions such as purchase of stationery, managing leave, attendance records, and travel management (i.e. keeping a list of numbers of travel days of BSP staff), as well as other tasks as requested by the supervisor.
5. Mission travel and meeting logistics
   • Provide administrative and logistical support for high-level meetings, managing agendas, invitations, and documentation, as needed.
   • Make necessary arrangements for supervisor’s travel, meetings, and events, including venue, reservations (e.g. travel/hotel/room), participant lists, etc.
   • Work closely with in-house corporate services (e.g. BFM, HRM) to resolve related logistical issues, ensuring smooth travel and meeting preparations for the supervisor.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

• Accountability (C)
• Communication (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)
• Professionalism (C)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Completed secondary, technical or vocational school education.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 8 (eight) years of relevant work experience in the area of general administration, which may include finance and budget, HR, and/or logistics.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong service orientation and ability to deal efficiently with partners at different levels.
• Strong sense of discretion, tact and diplomacy.
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to take initiatives, establish priorities and monitor own work plans.
• Capacity to work effectively within tight deadlines and flexibility to adjust work schedules.
• Ability to work as part of a team and provide quality and timely support and services.
• Professional integrity and good sense of judgement, including commitment and reliability.
• Good IT skills, including MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and database package.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English or French and good knowledge of the other language.

Desirable Qualifications

Education

• Diploma in Public/Business Administration or related fields.
• Training/certification in administration and/or related disciplines such as accounting, finance, and procurement (CIPS or other).

Work Experience

• Relevant experience in similar functions within the UN system or any international organization/institution.

Skills and Competencies

• Proficiency in word processing, financial spreadsheet applications and ERP systems (such as SAP).
• Knowledge of UNESCO’s rules, regulations and procedures as well as financial/administrative practices, and other similar systems (IRIS, DUO, SISTER, CRM).
• Understanding of UNESCO’s structure, Governing Bodies, Institutes, Commissions, etc.

Languages

• Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and/or Spanish).

Benefits And Entitlements

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 48,526 Euros €.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview.

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Please note that UNESCO is a non-smoking Organization.