Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Mail Operations Unit (MOU) of the Special Services Section (SSS) within the Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS) under the Department of Operational Support (DOS). The Department of Operational Support (DOS) provides operational support to UN Secretariat entities globally, including advisory, operational and transactional support services and, where needed, exercises delegated authority on behalf of clients. DOS supports the entire UN Secretariat, consisting of almost 100 entities located around the globe. The Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS) operates the Headquarters complex, striving to provide effective and efficient planning, management, maintenance and operation for all existing physical facilities and assets at the UN Headquarters, New York. FCAS also supports office and conference facilities, property management, travel and transportation services, archives and records management, mail and pouch operations, catering, giftshop and the United Nations Postal Administration. The incumbent directly reports to the sub-unit Supervisor under the general supervision of the Unit Chief.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority the Mail Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Assists the Security Officer or other assigned staff to x-ray incoming mail and incoming pouches.
Maintains log of all mail pieces received and intended for the mail and pouch units.
Records the number of pieces received, and the quantity in each category, e.g., registered, certified, mail from missions, personal, confidential, or other.
Takes responsibility for the receipt of mail from courier agents, government, and foreign missions.
Delivers special mail and packages weighing up to 35 lbs after it has been x-rayed by security.
Assists in coding, sorting, processing, and looking-up addresses to ensure mail is clear and correctly addressed.
Compares incoming log sheets against the number of pouches or specials received from couriers, contractors, and the government postal service.
Advises supervisor, security, and courier or contractor immediately, if a pouch or mail item is missing or has been tampered with, or if suspicious packages or other mail is found lying unattended.
Opens and inspects parcels intended for forwarding to field offices to ensure compliance with pouch rules.
Assists unloading containers; assists in x-ray, presorts and delivers mail to specified units, agencies and missions and delivers balance to common sorting area.
Processes all outgoing official correspondence, publications, and informational material.
Checks that outgoing mail is official and is dispatched by the most efficient mode.
Returns to staff members, mail/pouch items deemed to be personal in nature.
Weighs the mail to determine the postage, and to frank accordingly.
Determines whether outgoing mail should be posted or sent through the UN diplomatic pouch network.
Tracks the distribution of all mail, as well as the pouch service.
Establishes the degree of mail priority based on considerations such as cost effectiveness and schedules.
Records and calculates the daily postage charges for individual UN offices.
Answer inquiries with regard to the rules and regulations for the messenger, postal and pouch services.
Verifies and signs the summary of enclosures.
Liaises regularly with postal and courier services to keep abreast of new developments in the industry.
Operates forklift or other equipment, as needed.
Rotates services between functional areas of the Unit.
Ensures prompt delivery of urgent mail.
Supports team members with data entry, collection, and creation of statistical reports. Performs ongoing monitoring and refinement of statistical reports for data analysis.
Responds to ad-hoc queries.
Utilizes the mail operations shipping and tracking system for the dispatch and reception of material.
Contact couriers daily to ensure the movement of the pouches and mail.
Trains new staff.
Communicates with clients and colleagues using Teams, email, telephone, etc.
Performs other duties within the Unit as required, including mail delivery services to outlying buildings in support of UN offices.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of general office procedures, and in particular those related to mail and pouch operations, safety and security regulations and other general administration matters. 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. TEMAWORK: 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. CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of experience in processing mail, pouch, registry operations or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience with safety and security procedures with regard to handling or processing mail and pouch is desirable. Experience in mail shipping and tracking system is desirable. Experience in mail and related administrative activities including statistical data collection, corresponding with clients and training junior colleagues is desirable.

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is funded by the Regular Budget. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to availability of funds. 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. Applicants who have reached the mandatory age of separation are not eligible to apply for job openings. 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. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. 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.