Secretarial Assistant

OVERVIEW

Post Number : 6NAADM0705RP

Grade : G-4

Parent Sector : Sector For Administration and Management (ADM)

Duty Station: Windhoek

Job Family: General Administrative Support

Type of contract : Fixed Term Field

Duration of contract : 2 years, renewable

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 07-APR-2025

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

Only candidates with working rights in Namibia may apply for this position. 

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Working under the overall authority and direct supervision of the Windhoek Head of Office (HFO) and UNESCO Representative, the incumbent performs a variety of administrative and office support duties in order to contribute to the smooth and efficient running of the Office and the flow and management of information within the Office.

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

• Arranges appointments for the HFO, receives visitors, places and screens telephone calls and responds to routine requests for information.
• Reviews, records, distributes and processes incoming mail; follows up on impending actions; routes information and queries for response as appropriate. Responds or drafts responses to standard/ routine correspondence and other communications. Uses word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports, including formatting more complex letters, reports, technical documents, newsletters and other material. Proofreads documents and edits texts for accuracy, grammar, punctuation and style, as well as for adherence to established standards for format.
• Searches, assembles, compiles and organizes information and reference materials from various sources for reports; creates spreadsheets and presentations; prepares graphs, charts and other visual aids.
• Provides secretarial, administrative and logistics support to meetings, committees, conferences etc.; prepares and types invitation letters; compiles and distributes working documents and other material; takes notes of internal meetings; makes travel and hotel arrangements and prepares travel authorizations/ claims for the supervisor and/or the participants; compiles, calculates and prepares cost estimations; prepares standard limited components of budget/ expenditure.
• Performs general administrative tasks (e.g., leave and attendance recording, input and retrieval of information in the automated systems; budget follow-up etc.).
• Maintains and updates the Office electronic and paper records/files (e.g. information databases, mailing lists, participant lists); classifies and codes material; provides information to colleagues on records management standards and practices; and facilitates file transfers and retrievals.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Completed secondary, technical diploma and/or vocational school.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least 3 (three) years of relevant work experience in administrative, secretarial support and/or closely related fields.
• Experience of agenda management and logistics.
• Experience in preparation of reports, briefs and speeches, and file management.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Sense of integrity, confidentiality, commitment and reliability.
• Good analytical and problem solving skills.
• Ability to provide quality and timely support and services.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of MS office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and database packages.

LANGUAGES

• Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Experience within an UN agency or other international organization.
• Experience in the field of administrative and secretarial support.

LANGUAGES

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

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.

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 starting annual salary for this position is NAD 307, 533.

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

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