STAFF ASSISTANT

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the General Services Unit of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Staff Assistant reports to Building Management & Maintenance Unit. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the five regional Commissions of the United Nations. It was founded in 1948 with the purpose of contributing to the region's economic and social development. Its mission includes the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies and the provision of advisory services, expertise and training to Governments, as well as support for regional and international cooperation and coordination activities. Please visit our website at www.eclac.org for further information. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Staff Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: • Performs, under minimal supervision, the full range of office management and administrative support functions, typically provides direct assistance to a senior officer or manager responsible for a major programme, such as a branch or division. • Maintains liaison with the Executive Office and with senior officials in other units regarding on-going programmes and other administrative matters; monitors processes and schedules related to the unit’s output, products, tasks, etc. • Ensures smooth and efficient information flow within the unit; prepares and processes confidential information; assists in the development of office administrative systems and procedures. • Research, compiles and summarizes background materials for use in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, etc. • Provides assistance in the coordination of service-wide activities (meetings, training, etc.), special projects and events. • Orients new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provides general assistance to other office support staff, as required; may coordinate the work of office support staff in providing meetings servicing/administrative support to various sessions of commissions and other bodies. • Attends meetings, prepares minutes, monitors follow-up activities. • Responds or drafts responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications; uses standard word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports. • Manages, updates and further develops internal databases; updates website; generates a variety of standard and non-standard statistical and other reports from various databases. • Carries out quality control function for outgoing documents; proofreads and edits texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style. • Responds to complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answers requests requiring file search, etc.). • Assists in the preparation of presentation materials using appropriate technology/software. • May provide some specialized support to unit (e.g. technology support, editing, desktop publishing, etc.). • Maintains calendar/schedules; monitors changes and communicate relevant information to appropriate staff inside and outside the immediate work unit. • Performs a variety of administrative duties (e.g. leave recording, meeting organization, reservations, office supply and equipment orders, etc.), including preparing and/or processing administrative requests/documents (e.g., travel requests, expense claims, vouchers, visa applications, etc.). • Maintains files (both paper and electronic) and databases for work unit. • 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. • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures. • Performs other duties as assigned. Competencies• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures. Ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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. • 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. • ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent is required. NOTE: For positions in the General Service category, candidates are required to clearly indicate in their Applicant Profile (AP) relevant information confirming completion of High School. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceAt least 5 years of experience in general office support 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. At least 2 years of experience with budget and procurement functions using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems such as UMOJA is required. At least 2 years of experience in collection and analysis of budgetary information, managing reports, planning and support decision making, regarding all aspects related to budget is required. At least 2 years of experience in the administration of contracts for outsourced services is desirable. 1 year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and Spanish are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).