Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen (OSESGY). The incumbent will be based in Amman, Jordan and will report to the Administrative Officer in the Office of the Chief of Mission Support.

Responsibilities

Within the limits of delegated authority, the staff Assistant will be responsible for performing the following duties:

Assists in the overall administration of the section/unit i.e. provides substantive and administrative assistance in managing priorities and workflow of the manager and of the work unit; assists in coordinating and monitoring of multiple and diverse activities and work processes to ensure that management directives and decisions are properly carried out and products delivered in a timely manner.
Serves as a communications link between supervisor and senior staff; on behalf of supervisor, keeps others informed by conveying directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information; brings sensitive and urgent matters to the attention of the manager.
Provides assistance in time management and scheduling on behalf of the manager with appropriate consultation as required; effectively prioritizes and resolves related conflicts and competing demands.
Screens and prioritizes all incoming correspondence; compiles relevant background documents and references; identifies issues requiring the manager’s attention and refers others to the relevant officer for appropriate disposition; monitors and follows-up on actions to be taken.
Independently handles a wide range of complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answer requests requiring file or other research); responds, or drafts responses, to a diverse range of correspondence and other communications.
Provides assistance in improving administrative procedures and systems to ensure smooth functioning of the department, including filing (paper and electronic) systems.
Oversees work of junior office support staff; establishes priorities and deadlines, assigns work and reviews outputs upon completion; trains office support staff in administrative, protocol and other relevant procedures.
Organizes official receptions, meetings, etc., handling all necessary arrangements (e.g. room reservations, guest/participant lists, invitations, catering, seating arrangements, background documentation, special equipment, etc.).
Prepares, processes, and classifies confidential information.
Handles a wide range of administrative duties/processes (e.g. leave and attendance records, timesheets, travel arrangements, visa applications, expense statements, telecommunications charges, equipment purchase, service and supply requisitions, conference room bookings, etc.).
Exercises quality-control functions for all outgoing documents; proofreads and edits texts for adherence for format, grammar, punctuation and style.
Uses standard word processing package to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports.
Provides administrative, coordination and protocol support to OCMS by assisting with matters involving the Government of Jordan including processing of visas, residency permits and other protocol-related requirements for OSESGY personnel and mission-related activities.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: 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. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 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 (5) years of progressively responsible experience in general office support, administrative services or a related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in using an enterprise resource planning system, such as Umoja/SAP, including the processing of official travel is required. At least three (3) years of experience providing administrative support to a senior official or front office in the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization is desirable. Experience supporting visa, residency permit or other protocol-related processes and liaising with host-country authorities is desirable. Experience providing secretariat or administrative support to formal committees, including preparing documentation, recording decisions and monitoring follow up actions, is desirable.

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II
Arabic	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 informal interview.

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available for 364 days. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. 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.

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.

STAFF ASSISTANT