Executive Assistant-Senior Associate

The Executive Assistant - Senior Associate will be part of a dynamic and agile support team in the Executive Office, which supports the Executive Director, the two Deputy Executive Directors, and the Chief of Staff.

The Executive Assistant - Senior Associate will provide dedicated support to the Deputy Executive Director - Delivery and Partnerships, managing her meeting calendar, correspondences, logistics, and administrative matters.

The incumbent will play a pivotal role in ensuring effective and timely support to the Deputy Executive Director - Delivery and Partnerships and will have to have an agile mindset and be able to apply good judgment to manage competing priorities with a minimum level of supervision.

The incumbent will engage directly with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Strong communication skills are essential, and the incumbent will be expected to display strong UN values throughout all areas of work. 

The Executive Assistant - Senior Associate also supports the Executive Office by performing a variety of administrative processes and contributing to other priorities of the team to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the Executive Office.

The Executive Assistant - Senior Associate, like other members of the Executive Office Support Team, reports to the Management Advisor. Performance management objectives and assessments will be done in consultation with the Deputy Executive Director.

• Manage the calendars for the Deputy Executive Director
• Manage the planning and coordination of the Deputy Executive Director’s missions, including drafting agendas in collaboration with country offices and other high-level stakeholders.
• Prepare and maintain a calendar of proposed conferences and meetings to be attended by the Deputy Executive Director.

• Communicate effectively and liaise with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the Deputy Executive Director, following appropriate protocol.
• Adhere to appropriate approval processes for documents that require the Deputy Executive Director’s signature.
• Respond to and/or direct inquiries to appropriate units for timely action/response.
• Draft, on behalf of the Deputy Executive Director, routine correspondences.
• Maintain lists of contacts of internal and external stakeholders
• Build knowledge of practices of diplomatic protocol, including practices developed within the United Nations System.
• Capture and digest information and prepare presentation slides, when needed.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Executive Office.

• High School Diploma is required.
• University Degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) is desirable and may substitute some of the required years of experience.

• Seven (7) years of relevant experience (or less depending on academic credentials) in providing support and assisting senior-level management positions.
• Experience in public relations and communications with senior officials, representatives of diplomatic missions, and NGOs is desirable.
• Experience in UN/UNOPS rules and procedures will be an added advantage.

• Fluency in English language is required.
• Fluency in other UN official languages is desirable.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

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

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Contract type: Staff
Contract level: G-7
Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability