Org. Setting and Reporting

The post is located in the Market Access Section of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division in the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The incumbent will be under the direct supervision of the Economic Affairs Officer (P4) in the Market Access Section. The incumbent is expected to accomplish the tasks independently in consultation with the Chief of the Unit. The incumbent will focus on the specific area of Agricultural Quality Standards within the Trade subprogramme.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Economic Affairs Officer, Secretary to Working Party 7 (WP.7), the incumbent will :

– Service and follow-up on tasks for meetings of the UNECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards (WP.7) and its four Specialized Sections: Help organize official meetings (including remote meetings) and online webinars as needed to ensure delivery of mandated work; Prepare meeting documentation forecasts for Section and submit documents; Liaise with UNOG administrative service, security unit registration, take care of conference room and logistical arrangements; Revise documents during meeting to reflect negotiated review, contribute to report drafting; Gain an understanding of online meeting tools for effective use by UNECE secretariat and delegates during meetings;

– Support work for promotional efforts of UNECE on Agricultural Quality Standards and their use, and support XB and UNDA projects (e.g. work on food loss prevention) in the UNECE region and worldwide: Provide support for budget, workshop planning, financial and project delivery reporting for extrabudgetary and UN Development Account (UNDA) projects; Perform all Umoja administrative and logistical tasks related to capacity-building meeting/workshop/seminar/exhibition organization and associated consultancies, participant travel and payments; Assist with execution of capacity-building projects and organization of donor-funded training courses on UNECE agricultural quality standards; Provide support for informal (online) meetings on specific technical issues as requested;

– Edit and coordinate meeting documents, publications and promotional as well as communication materials for the Agricultural Quality Standards programme: Edit and format meeting documents in accordance with “in-house” guidelines and submit for translation; Prepare adopted agricultural standards for electronic publication after adoption by Working Party experts; Edit and coordinate work on electronic publications, training and promotional materials, in cooperation with Agricultural Quality Standards team, consultants and working party experts;

– Support communication activities of the Agricultural Unit: Ensure that all materials are correctly uploaded to Division web site; Maintain contact lists for dissemination of electronic information or publications as requested; Edit and coordinate work on press releases, publicity items and social media contributions in coordination with the Agricultural Standards team.

– Assist Section and Division with administrative tasks: Help other sections with meeting preparations and other work as required; Provide support to work on performance output reporting (Umoja) and administrative procedures (Umoja): Provide support to the work of the Steering Committee on Trade Capacity and Standards (SCTS), and other trade-related bodies; Provide support to the Chief of Section and Director of the Division, including on cross-divisional and UNECE-wide activities.

Competencies

Professionalism: Excellent mastery of full suite of MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 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.

Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

At least five (5) years of experience in project/programme management or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Three (3) years’ experience within the United Nations Common System or similar international organization is desirable.

Experience in latest word processing, spreadsheet and web related software is desirable.

Experience with Access or other relational database software is desirable.

Experience in ERP systems is desirable.

Experience in meeting arrangements in an international environment is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat and Russian is a working language of ECE. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of Russian is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

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

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.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

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.