Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division, Department of General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM), New York. The Senior Meetings Services Assistant reports to the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer and other senior staff in the Division.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Senior Meetings Services Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Reviews resolutions and decisions of assigned committees and meetings/conferences.
• Drafts procedural notes for the chairpersons of assigned committees and meetings/conferences.
• Ensures that all preliminary logistic arrangements are made in advance for the efficient conduct of committees and meetings/conferences, including posting on websites and electronic platforms.
• Drafts announcements and procedural summaries for publication in the digital United Nations Journal.
• Services meetings/conferences of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council to ensure the proper conduct of meetings in accordance with the rules of procedure, customary protocol and established practice. Proposes solutions to problems and leads projects for enhancing efficiency and level of services provided in the conference room.
• Ensures that all required services, including the availability and distribution of documents, are available in order for committees and meetings/conferences to convene according to the schedule and in the desired format..
• Reports on the proceedings of committees/commissions and meetings/conferences and submits reports, if required, to the supervisor.
• Drafts correspondence and notes for signature;
• Prepares for and participates in meetings for the elections of members of General Assembly and ECOSOC subsidiary bodies;
• Maintains and updates filing and reference system, including electronic database, regarding procedures and reference materials for the meetings serviced by the Division;
• Works with senior officers and coordinate with host countries on scope and requirements and provides logistical support for committees and meetings/conferences to be held away from Headquarters, other UN Offices or Regional Commissions.
• Participates in preparatory meetings with relevant offices and delegations regarding procedural and organizational arrangements for the sessions of committees/commissions and meetings/conferences.
• Provides input to floor plan of seating arrangements in accordance with meeting requirements and UN protocol.
• Undertakes research and provides reference materials for preparation of briefs, notes and statements for the chairperson of committees/commissions and meetings/conferences.
• Maintains databases of meetings, including e-Speakers, based on requests and actual conduct of meetings, and publishes the list indicating, venue, date and other relevant information.
• Assists in preparing tentative schedule of meetings for current and future years.
• Prepares statistics on meetings held at headquarters and offices away from headquarters.
• Maintains an accurate record of speakers and/or an attendance record and coordinate with delegations on their position on the list of speakers.
• Makes arrangements for and coordinates video and teleconference activities at headquarters.
• Responds to queries from delegations and Secretariat.
• Participates in the recruitment of temporary assistants and schedules and supervises their work.
• Trains and provides supervision to new and lower-level staff in the Division.
• Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Serves as a focal point for coordination, monitoring and expedition of data analysis activity.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of the Organization’s conference policies, procedures and practices, in particular as they apply to the meetings of the General Assembly, the Economic and social Council, their subsidiary bodies and United Nations conferences or those of a similar international organization. Ability to research, select, organize and summarize information required for the preparation of meetings. 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.
• Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology

Education

High school diploma or equivalent.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years experience in conference support and meetings servicing or related area is required.

Experience in conference support to intergovernmental bodies and in dealing with policies, procedures and practices of intergovernmental bodies is required.

Experience in using web-based conference management tool is required.

A minimum of three years of experience in the United Nations system or similar large scale intergovernmental organization is desirable.

A minimum of one year of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of an additional official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates will involve a competency-based interview, which may be preceded by an assessment exercise.

Special Notice

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Applicants for positions subject to local recruitment are required to be authorized to work in the country regardless of where they live at the time of applying for the job opening. Selected candidates/staff members will be responsible for any costs related to their travel and relocation in the context of onboarding to report for duty.

Applicants, who successfully go through a competitive recruitment process and are recommended for selection and/or inclusion in the roster of pre-approved candidates for subsequent job openings at the same level and with similar functions, may have their application information and roster status shared with other UN Organizations. Such applicants may be contacted by other UN Organizations for similar job openings, subject to the confirmation of their interest. Placement on the roster is no guarantee of a future selection.

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.