UNHCR: Executive Assistant

<strong>ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT </strong>

Guidance will be given by the supervisor (often Regional Representative, Director of Buureau/Division). The Executive Assistant liaises with colleagues within the same office, at HQ, and in the field, on matters of non-routine significance in order to prepare documents for the supervisor and manage the flow of information.

Regular contacts with external parties, including UN office, donors and International organizations, are made to provide the supervisor's contacts with background information on relevant topics prior to meetings, to respond queries on behalf of the supervisor at his/her  discretions and to obtain assistance of others on matters of relevant to the office.

<strong>FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT </strong>

<strong>Accountability </strong>

- The supervisor is provided support by managing the flow of information and communications, prioritizing and highlighting issues that need addressing.
- Background documents for meetings are prepared in time.

<strong>Responsibility </strong>

- Assist in managing the flow of information to the supervisor, in identifying priority matters that need to be urgently addressed by the supervisor and in proposing actions; analyze supporting documentation and summarize most relevant points for the supervisor; contribute to ensuring that appropriate action is taken by responsible Section Heads on matters brought to the attention of the supervisor.
- Assist in following-up on policies and instructions presented by the supervisor. Keep the supervisor aware of developments in UNHCR's major world-wide operations and of policy issues related directly to UNHCR or to humanitarian issues under the broader UN system.
- Assist the supervisor in the preparation of statements that represent UNHCR's overall policies and which highlight specific areas of concern. Propose and draft substantive correspondence for the supervisor.
- Confer with Section Heads to secure timely and authoritative information relevant to matters requiring action, decisions or the signature of the Regional Representative.
- Ensure that the supervisor is prepared for meetings and missions by drafting talking points, by researching relevant information; and by establishing contacts (within and outside UNHCR) on the subject matters to be discussed.
- Accompany the supervisor to meetings and on missions in order to prepare notes on the discussions, ensure follow-up in matters raised, and support the supervisor with any relevant input.
- Support the supervisor in efforts to raise the profile of UNHCR and the agency's concerns within the context of the broader United Nations system.
- Contribute to coordinating drafts of position papers and other documents relevant to the activities of the Office.
- Ensure that high-level visitors are appropriately addressed, that they receive background information as necessary, and that protocol is respected.
- Perform other related duties as required.

<strong>Authority </strong>

- Prioritise tasks and organize work independently.
- Select and make pertinent abstracts and search for information.
- Have access to sensitive and confidential information.

<strong> ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED </strong>

- University Degree in Political Science, International Relations, Law or other related fields.
- Minimum 4  years of professional job experience relevant to the functions or in related fields.
- Proven drafting and editing skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- A proven ability to act with discretion and diplomacy is essential for this function.
- Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of  UN working language of duty station and working knowledge of English.)

<strong> DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS &amp; COMPETENCIES </strong>

- Good knowledge and experience of  large scale UNHCR operations. C004L2 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 2
C003L2 - Communication Level 2
C002L2 - Teamwork &amp; Collaboration Level 2
C001L2 - Accountability Level 2
C005L2 - Client &amp; Result Orientation Level 2
C006L2 - Organizational Awareness Level 2
M004L2 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 2
M003L2 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 2
M002L2 - Managing Performance Level 2
M001L2 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 2
M005L2 - Leadership Level 2
M006L2 - Managing Resources Level 2
X001L2 - Analytical Thinking Level 2
X002L2 - Innovation and Creativity Level 2
X003L2 - Technological Awareness Level 2
X004L2 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 2
X009L2 - Change Capability and Adaptability Level 2
X006L2 - Policy Development &amp; Research Level 2
X007L2 - Political Awareness Level 2
X008L2 - Stakeholder Management Level 2
X005L2 - Planning and Organizing Level 2 The incumbent should have a good knowledge and experience of UNHCR operations.

S/he should have proven drafting and editing skills, excellent communications and writing skills in English and French, and proven ability to act with discretion and diplomacy.

S/he must also be proficient in both the English and French languages. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is characterized by on-going conflict, poor or non-existent infrastructure and highly challenging logistics, all of which make access to refugees and other populations of concern to UNHCR quite difficult.
In 2017 and beyond, the Regional Office (RO) in Kinshasa will continue to support the Government to provide international protection and humanitarian assistance to some 460,000 refugees living in the various provinces of the DRC and in the countries covered by the DRC regional operation.
DRC operation also assists some 2. 2 million IDPs throughout the country through the leadership of the Protection Cluster.
The RO in Kinshasa provides support to two sub-offices and 12 field offices/units within the country.  It also oversees operations in the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Sao &amp; Principe.
The Executive Assistant (EA) liaises with all colleagues within the Office and in the wider area of operations, on matters of routine significance in order to prepare documents for the Regional Representative (RR) and manage the flow of information.
The EA also maintains regular contacts with UNHCR HQs, external parties, including UN Agencies, donors, international and national non-governmental organizations, refugees as well as other stake-holders to provide background information on relevant topics prior to meetings, as well as to reply promptly to requests for information. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.  Living conditions therefore vary between UNHCR field duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water.  Accommodation is relatively very expensive in Kinshasa. There are several supermarkets in town but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer much cheaper alternative as fruits and vegetables are abundant.  Kinshasa is currently considered as a family duty station since 1 January 2015, despite the fact that most facilities and amenities are still basic.

The official unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It is practically impossible to exchange traveller¿s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), it is recommended to open a US Dollar bank account, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and payments will have to be made in cash.

Kinshasa is a UN security level 2 duty station. Demonstrated knowledge of computer programmes, including Word, Excel, etc. and ability to use communication tools such as power point, infographics, etc. would be assets.

<strong>DATE</strong>: Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the March 2017 Compendium is Tuesday, 11 April 2017 (midnight Geneva time).

<strong>LIEU</strong>: Kinshasa

<strong>LANGUES</strong>

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.

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