Org. Setting and Reporting

UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change.

If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you.

The Administrative Assistant reports to the Director, UNRWA Representative Office in New York

Responsibilities

– Provides secretarial, clerical and administrative support to the Director and other staff of the Office; assists the Office in contacts with UN organizations, international bodies, diplomatic missions, civil society and the public as required; drafts, reviews and edits correspondence, including Note Verbales to governments; handles public inquiries and requests for information as required; assists the Office in the organization of events and conferences including through booking rooms, arranging receptions, contacting providers and participants, as well as any other support needed; acts as liaison between UNRWA and the UN regarding the technical and administrative side of mandatory reporting by the Agency.

– Maintains efficient organization of the New York Representative Office, including personnel and attendance records files, supplies and equipment; supervises the flow of all incoming documentation, including UN documentation, and orders copies of documents as required; serves as Procurement Officer for orders (including supplies and computer software) placed by UNRWA and follows up as required; handles requests for security clearance, visas and UN ID cards issuance as well as other relevant UN documentation coordination.

– Prepares and dispatches pouches to UNRWA HQ and handles the receipt and documentation of incoming pouches; handles other mail functions, including dispatch and receipt of express mail parcels to/from UNRWA HQ and Fields; distributes UNRWA documents originating in the duty station, HQ and Field Offices to recipients on mailing lists maintained by the Liaison Office; distributes press releases to the electronic mailing list and emergency appeals/letters/ invitations to Member States on different subjects; assists in formatting and distributing electronic external and internal newsletters from the Liaison Office.

– Keeps Representative Office accounts and facilitates payment of bills (telephone, office equipment and supplies, etc.); maintains operation of the office Imprest Fund; checks statements of account incoming; deposits contributions received into UNRWA account at a local bank, informs Finance Department and External Relations and Communications Department accordingly and acknowledges receipt of these contributions as necessary.

– Actively helps the Office in organizing the visit of UNRWA staff and others that come to New York on behalf of UNRWA, including by booking hotels, scheduling meetings and any additional support as required; supports the Office staff in the organization of their visits to the Middle East and elsewhere and with the necessary paperwork in the aftermath.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default.

– Planning and Organizing
– Coping with Pressure and Setbacks
– Relating and Networking
– Learning and Researching
– Following Instructions and Procedures
– Ability to use personal computers and standard software applications such as MS Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Chimpmail, CANVA and other applications.

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

Education

– Completed secondary school certificate, is required.
– Diploma in administration or secretarial support and / or a university degree form an accredited educational institution in Business Administration or a related field, is desirable.

Work Experience

At least six years of progressively responsible administrative work experience in an international, governmental or commercial organization, or embassy/ mission to the UN or UN agencies, is required.

Some experience with budgetary matters and bookkeeping., is required.

Familiarity with UN/UNRWA systems and practices, is desirable.

Completed secondary school certificate, is required.

Diploma in administration or secretarial support and / or a university degree form an accredited educational institution in Business Administration or a related field is desirable

Languages

– Excellent command of written and spoken English, is required.
– Working knowledge of another UN language, is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension.

The Administrative Assistant GS-6 at UNRWA Representative Office in New York is a local post.

Applicants have to complete the Personal History Profile (PHP) in inspira in order to be considered. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience as per the requirements in the Job Opening, in order to be considered.

UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environmental sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025.

A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for an appointment to the same post or a similar post.

NB: work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live.

For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/

United Nations Considerations

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her.

UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups.

At UNRWA, 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. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

UNRWA Considerations
UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA 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. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List.
UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

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.