Executive Assistant to the CEO & SRSG

Background information - Job specific

This Vacancy Announcement is being published by UNOPS - ECR Geneva on behalf of the SEforALL Initiative

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an International Non-Governmental Organization operating a world-wide multi-stakeholder platform focused on the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal #7.  Launched as a UN initiative in 2011 by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, SEforALL is widely acknowledged for its achievement in raising global awareness of the world's sustainable energy challenges, ensuring they were included in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. SEforALL is directed by its CEO and supports the work of the CEO as she carries out her duties as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General (SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, as well as her role as the co-chair of UN-Energy.  These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.  The Secretary General’s advisory committee on Sustainable Energy for All will be supported by the SRSG and SEforALL.

The ambitions of SDG7 on ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030 are extraordinary.  Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris agreements involves transformation at a scale never undertaken by humanity before. Swift action needs to be taken by leaders in governments, companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions and communities, entrepreneurs and civil society.  As a global team, SEforALL crafts interventions that support these leaders in accelerating the delivery of actions.  All interventions comprise one or more of SEforALL’s competencies: (i) to marshal the evidence, (ii) to benchmark progress towards SEforALL objectives, (iii) to amplify the voices of the energy poor; (iv) to tell stories of success, and (v) to connect stakeholders to each other and to solutions. All interventions systematically draw on strategic insight, build on compelling communications, and are delivered through and include action-oriented partnerships.
http://www.seforall.org/

Context of Assignment:   The United Nations Secretary General, having initiated Sustainable Energy for All, appointed a Special Representative (SRSG) for Sustainable Energy as well as a high-level Advisory Board which he leads, as its co-chair, in guiding the activities of and remaining personally engaged with the initiative. Under the guidance of the Advisory Board, SEforALL has been set up as an independent legal entity, incorporated in Austria as an International Organization under Austrian Law (“Quasi-International Organization”); it is managed by an Administrative Board who appointed the UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy (SRSG for SEforALL) as its Chief Executive Officer. In delivering on her global, political, institutional and organizational leadership functions, the Chief Executive Officer engages with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, advocating, speaking, advising, lecturing and teaching, negotiating, and engaging on boards and high-level panels, while also leading the SEforALL senior management team and organization.   With her partners and stakeholders located across the world and engaged in a multitude of parallel global coordination processes, on topics ranging from sustainable development and infrastructure investment more generally through to sustainable energy ad climate change more specifically, the CEO heavily relies on the smooth functioning of her Executive Office.  The Executive Office, to whom the CEO delegates many of her day-to-day managerial and administrative responsibilities, plays a central role in enabling SEforALL, its leadership and its partners, in operating effectively and efficiently.

Supervision

Supervisor: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and SRSG

Functional Responsibilities

The Executive Assistant will interact with a wide range of people globally, across government, private sector, NGOs and international organizations, at the working level as well as at the highest leadership level.   The Executive Assistant handles confidential information on a regular basis and with greatest discretion. S/he has a highly developed sense for diplomacy and tact and uses both regularly.  Without much ongoing supervision and guidance, the Executive Assistant will take routine and non-routine decisions on administrative processes and steps, where necessary in close collaboration and alignment with the team.

The Executive Office includes an Executive Assistant (Scheduler) and the Governance Officer, also located in SEforALL’s Vienna Office, as well as the CEO’s Special Assistant and Special Advisor who report directly to CEO and are based in the Washington DC office.

Coordination of the Executive Office

• Maintains a system of communication to and from the Executive Office, and among the Management Team more broadly, and a wide network of external parties ensuring diplomacy, confidentiality, and the timely and effective exchange/flow of information.
• Coordinates the Executive Office’s administrative responsibilities by liaising and collaborating with regard to all workflows that may require the Office’s administrative attention or engagement, such as financial management, donor coordination, human resource management, information technology, building management, and key relationships, in particular with regard to the SEforALL Administrative Board and Advisory Board.
• Works closely with the CEO’s Special Assistant in coordinating the follow-up on decisions and requests by the CEO while working closely with the Management team more broadly, and with their staff to ensure deliverables are completed and regularly briefs the CEO on ongoing projects and tasks. 
• Supervises and collaborates with administrative staff in the Executive office, in particular with regard to their responsibilities on travel management and scheduling, but also with regard to follow up management for the CEO. 
• Provides administrative assistance as needed, during meetings, conferences, workshops, retreats, by securing the venue, setting up logistical support and drafting minutes as required.
• Uses diplomacy and tact in all interactions and carefully crafts their interventions in reflecting views and engagements of the Chief Executive Officer
• Performs other administrative duties as required.

Management of Communications, incoming and outgoing, for the CEO

• Screens all incoming communications.  Works with the Scheduler and relevant SEforALL teams in ascertaining the purpose of a contact, evaluating priority and timing, and having meetings arranged as necessary.  Receives visitors as required. Works with the scheduler to ensure all relevant documentation for meetings are available, organized and provided to the CEO.
• Drafts correspondence, independently and at the request of the CEO. Prepares, and instructs others to prepare, relevant background information for use by the CEO; drafts correspondence, minutes, memoranda, briefs and reports; drafts letters and routine correspondence.   Reviews, and supervises others in reviewing, all outgoing correspondence from the DG’s office for format, completeness, style, procedural and grammatical accuracy.

• Provides ongoing suggestions for improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of the Executive Office’s communications. 
• Regularly handles confidential information and displays the utmost discretion in doing so and in being seen to do so.
• Champions the use of SEforALL’s Partner Relationship Management database in deploying the system exhaustively and effectively both for updating and using contact information but also for project and process management

Education and Work Experience:

• A first (or higher) level university.
• Three to five years of experience in supporting an executive function and managing an executive’s office, operating in and contributing to a fast-paced environment that requires high flexibility and a commitment to results.  Specific experience in establishing and/or improving business processes relating to an executive office.
• Specific experience in managing executive communications, in terms of screening incoming communications and proposing outgoing communications, in drafting and reviewing correspondence, proof-reading and editing text, creating and updating high volumes of time-sensitive material. 
• Experience in operating across multiple time zones and with distributed teams.
• Administrative experience of working in an international environment is a must. Experience in an entity that works with the United Nations or  other multilateral institutions an asset. Experience in working with SEforALL or similar organizations engaging with the energy and climate change agenda an asset.  Experience in working with or knowledge of Vienna based international organizations a plus.
• Experience in managing and (co-) supervising others and delivering results through them a must.

Languages:

Complete fluency in English and very strong written and verbal communication skills (English) required. Knowledge and ability to work in another UN language a plus (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish). Knowledge of German an asset but not required.

Technical Competencies:

Relationship Management: Ability to interact with senior UN staff, government officials and business people and civil society representatives.

Communications: Excellent written, synthesis and research skills, including drafting ability and extensive knowledge of word processing and application of software package as databases and Power Point Presentations. Familiarity and appreciation of social media and a clear communicator. Communication and drafting ability.  Ability to develop contacts and foster collaboration with direct counterparts.

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 and is able to work to deadlines and maintain effectiveness under pressure.  Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to details and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines.  Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time.  Proactive approach to managing workflow, with keen ability to multi-task and to respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of issues, some of which come up in ad hoc and unexpected ways.  Ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment where adaptability will be a premier.

E-literacy:  Excellent e- skills, including the ability to use modern office technology and related software. Practical knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software is required. Ability to undertake internet research, compile information and find solutions online is essential.

Diplomacy, Tact, and Confidentiality.  Displays a highly developed ability to use diplomacy and tact in his/her interactions with partners, colleagues and counterparts, including the awareness of when to use which engagement approaches, and the ability to direct others in handling sensitive issues with diplomacy and tact.  Is aware of the confidential nature of much of the information s/he is involved in and deploys behaviors that reaffirm the trust that others put in him/her.

Core Competencies:

Teamwork: Works well and collaboratively within the Chief Executive’s office as well as with colleagues across work units, and with organizational and government partners. Supports colleagues in establishing a team culture, encourages others to participate in teamwork and share responsibility for decision-making and results. 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.  Demonstrated ability to work with teams representing a wide variety of staffing levels that also cut across agencies and partners.  Able to engage without direct authority to deliver timely and high-quality products.  Strong team player capabilities.

Knowledge, Learning and Communication:  Shares best practice in office management and scheduling, and beyond, and makes sure knowledge and lessons are picked up across units and with clients and partners, articulating ideas verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling way across audiences of varied levels.

Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making:  Gathers inputs, assesses risk, considers impact and articulates benefits of decisions for internal and external stakeholders over the long term.

Leadership.  Able to lead others towards delivery of results – be they direct reports or indirect reports.  Experience in using tested structures and tools to do so.

Personal. Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.  Demonstrates behavior of professional and personal ethics transparency and openness to encourage respect and similar behavior from colleagues in the work place. Demonstrated corporate knowledge as well as self-development and initiative taking.  Sensitivity to other people’s cultural and religious norms and the ability to easily blend with others, based on mutual respect and tolerance.  Must have shown to have the ability to be discrete and maintain confidential information. Exhibits diplomacy, loyalty, tact and commitment to SEforALL’s goals and the goals of sustainable development more broadly. Sense of humor an advantage.

SEforALL values

Partnership. SEforALL’s global team operates within and across partner driven networks, building on its strong relationship with the UN. SEforALL’s global team catalyzes connections, coordinates activities with others, collaborates on common objectives and leverages opportunities to deliver more as a platform than it can do individually.

Agility. SEforALL’s global team is adaptive in its approach so it can stay focused on its goal in an evolving economic and political environment. It brings people together that don’t normally talk to each other and frames the questions differently so it can help leaders unlock action and finance.

Diversity. SEforALL’s global team recognizes the diversity of needs across countries and communities and commits to working with all actors in delivering solutions that respond to these differentiated needs.

Equity. SEforALL’s goal is for “all.” SEforALL’s global team strives for a sustainable energy transition that is just and equitable and leaves no one behind.

Results. SEforALL global team focuses on helping leaders make the most progress, fastest in areas that make a meaningful contribution to SEforALL’s objectives. It is solutions-oriented. It values evidence and data. It understands the scale and urgency of the sustainable energy challenge and the need for a holistic systems-based approach.

Trust. SEforALL’s global team treats information carefully and respects what it is entrusted with as it serves partners and their success.

-   SEforALL offers exciting high-impact assignments, a collegial and creative work environment, and the opportunity for committed professionals to thrive and grow within flat hierarchies and in the pursuit of an inspiring mission.

-   SEforALL provides competitive compensation packages at its locations in Vienna and Washington and modern workplace arrangements in terms of flexibility and results orientation;

-  Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

-  Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.

-   Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

-   SEforALL reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post.

-   Please note that this position is open for all nationalities.