Background
The position is located in the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO) in Kosovo and reports to the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) / Development Coordinator (DC).
With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as its core, and in response to the General Assembly Resolution 71/243 on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of operational activities for development of the UN system, the UN SG’s report of December 2017 “Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: Our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet” puts forward a comprehensive proposal on further improvements to the resident coordination system to ensure more coherent, accountable and effective support to the 2030 Agenda. This was further reinforced by the General Assembly resolution 72/729 of 1 June 2018, which gave the Secretary General the mandate to implement the repositioning.
A reinvigorates Resident Coordinator system is at the center of a repositioned United Nations development system, and while the system has been instrumental in driving coherence on the ground over the past four decades, it is now insufficiently robust to respond to needs of the 2030 Agenda. The report stresses that Resident Coordinator Offices will need to be adequately staffed to ensure sufficient substantive capacities to lead UN country teams.
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the RC/DC, the Executive Associate to the RC/DC ensures effective and efficient functioning of the RC/DC office, 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 Associate to the RC/DC works in close collaboration with RC/DC staff, UN Agencies, other UN entities and international community as well as with local authorities to ensure efficient flow of information, actions on instructions and agendas.
Duties and Responsibilities
Functions / Key Results Expected
Summary of key functions:
- Effective and efficient functioning of the RC/DC’s office
- Effective communications and administrative support to the office
- Effective facilitation of knowledge building and management
Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the RC/DC office focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Management of the supervisor’s calendar, contacts with high-ranking visitors, arrangement of appointments and meetings, acting as an interpreter when required and/or taking minutes.
- Maintenance of protocol procedures.
- Receiving and accommodating high ranking officials
- Preparation of high-quality briefing materials for supervisor for appointments, meetings, missions.
- Preparation of informal translations.
- Management of RC/DC missions and representation schedule.
- Maintenance of contact list of high-level partners, donors, UN Agencies, local institutions and others.
- Preparation of correspondence, directives, comments on behalf of RC/DC for his/her signature and making follow-up when required.
- Use of automated office management systems for effective functioning of the RC/DC office.
Ensures provision of effective communications support to the office focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials. Use of automated filing system.
- Coordination of the information flow in the office, UN agencies and others as instructed, and dissemination of corporate and interoffice communication to staff as required.
- Facilitation of information sharing between UNCT and the UN Coordination Unit.
- Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to RC/DC.
- Screening of all incoming calls and correspondence.
- Presentation of proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks in the office and streamline office procedures between the supervisor’s office and subordinate division.
- Exercise quality-control functions for documents, especially the ones requiring RC/DC signature, formatting, proofreading and editing the related texts so this adheres to internal formats, grammar, punctuation, protocols and style.
- Coordinates travel planning and logistical support arrangements for official missions of RC/DC and DCO team.
- Communicate and follow-up with unit driver in timely manner related to RC/DC’s daily schedule.
- Serve as DCO’s focal point for travel, administration / finance with UNDP operations.
- Support organization of advocacy events as required.
Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
- Assist in organization of trainings to UN staff on coordination, administration and protocol issues.
Impact of Results
- The key results have an impact on the efficiency of the RC/DC’s office. Accurate and timely analysis and presentation of information strengthens the capacity of the RC/DC’s office and promotes the image of UN as an effective contributor to the development of the country. Incumbent’s own initiative is decisive in results of work and timely finalization.
Competencies
Functional Competencies:
- Ability to maintain effective partnerships and communication with stakeholders
- Ability to manage data/schedule, documents, correspondence, reports, and maintain protocol and information flow;
- Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position
- Possesses knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks
- Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
- Generates new ideas and approaches, documents and tracks innovative strategies, best practices and new approaches related to the work position
- Responds to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate manner
- Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion
- Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
- Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment
Core Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UN
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
- Demonstrates substantial experience in gender equality.
- Actively promotes gender equality in all activities in line with UN’s mandate
- Demonstrating sound judgment, understanding of sensitivity of subject-matter, and adheres to confidentiality
- Self-development, initiative-taking
- Promotes Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
- Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
- Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
- Managing conflict
- Informed and transparent decision making
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- BA in public administration, management, economics, public policy, social sciences, political science, development or a related field.
Experience:
- 6 years of progressively responsible secretarial, administrative, programme experience is required at the national or international level.
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), experience in handling of web based management systems.
Language requirements:
- Fluency in English is required (oral and written), and excellent knowledge of the working languages Albanian (oral and written) and Serbian (oral and written).
Application Instructions:
- Click on the "Apply now" button;
- Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. You can type in, or paste your short Resume into the last box;
- Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. On the next page, you will be asked to upload your Resume. Instead of uploading your Resume, please submit a fully completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form (P-11);
- System will only allow one attachment. All docs (P11, academic qualifications/diploma) should be included as one attachment;
- Without the completed and signed P11, your application may not be considered. The UNDP Personal History Form can be downloaded at this link: http://www.ks.undp.org/content/kosovo/en/home/operations/jobs/