Executive Assistant

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

In Nigeria, UN Women’s work is guided by its three-pronged mandate: 1) Normative support to the Nigerian government, including Federal and State Ministries of Women Affairs, in championing initiatives and implementing policies, systems and practices that advance women’s rights; 2) Programmatic interventions across four priority areas: Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action (WPSHA), Economic Empowerment and Resilience, Leadership and Political Participation, and Ending Violence Against Women; 3) Coordination of gender-focused networks and platforms within the UN system and development community to promote and advance gender equality in line with the development and humanitarian objectives. Over the years, Nigeria has been contending with incessant violent conflicts across the six geopolitical zones. These include attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, farmer-herder conflict, resource-based conflict in the Niger Delta region, as well as a general increase in incidences of armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom. The humanitarian crisis in North-East Nigeria remains one of the world's largest and most complex humanitarian crises. Though women constitute about 50% of the country's population and contribute in many informal ways to conflict resolution, they continue to be poorly represented in formal peace and security processes.

Reporting to the Country Representative, the Executive Assistant is responsible for providing a variety of executive administrative support to the Country Representative with full confidentiality in all aspects of assignment, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow, and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made.

The Executive Assistant to the Country Representative works in close collaboration with UN Women staff, UN Agencies, and national authorities to ensure an efficient flow of information, actions on instructions, and agendas.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide executive support to the UN Women Country Representative

• Manage the UN Women Country Representative’s calendar and schedule of appointments and meetings;
• Arrange travel and hotel accommodations for the UN Women Country Representative; 
• Answer and screen calls for the Country Representative with tact and discretion;
• Maintain roster of Country Office contacts.

Provide administrative support to the UN Women Country Representative

• Provide administrative support for meetings, events, and workshops;
• Organize and attend meetings, prepare minutes and summaries;
• Assemble briefing materials and prepare PowerPoint presentations for the Country Representative for meetings, missions, and other key events.

Provide effective communication and information management support to the Country Representative’s Office

• Facilitate the flow of information and communication between the UN Women Country Representative’s Office and other units within or outside of UN Women;
• Review, prioritize, and route correspondence to and from the UN Women Country Representative Office; take proactive follow-up action and keep the Country Representative informed;
• Respond to and/or direct inquiries to appropriate units for timely action/response;
• Draft routine correspondence and interoffice circulars;
• Maintain and organize up-to-date files for easy access and retrieval. Ensure the safekeeping of confidential materials.

Provide support to the Country Representative Office’s external relations activities

• Facilitate the Country Representative’s interaction with various external partners through written, verbal, and electronic communication, and through collaborative and proactive relationships with counterparts and colleagues in partner offices;
• Meet and greet officials/visitors;  
• Ensure protocol matters, receive high-ranking visitors/officials, and coordinate logistical arrangements related to visits.

Contribute to knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Provide administrative support for effective knowledge management and sharing within the office and other offices/HQs;
• Build and share knowledge and experience related to administrative and operations support.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to manage data/schedule, documents, correspondence, and reports, and maintain protocol and information flow;
• Knowledge of administrative rules and regulations;
• Ability to perform work of a confidential nature;
• Ability to create, edit, and present information in clear format, using appropriate IT functionality;
• Ability to administer administrative processes.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Completion of secondary education is required;
• A bachelor’s degree in business administration or public administration is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience with administrative, secretarial, or program experience;
• Experience in the use of computer applications, software packages such as Microsoft Office, and web-based management systems; is an asset;
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable

Application

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

In accordance with the UN Staff Regulation (c) A fixed-term appointment does not carry any expectancy, legal or otherwise, of renewal or conversion, irrespective of the length of service;

Notes:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)