Staff Assistant

The Staff Assistant manages the daily operations of the Director’s office at the Economic Commission for Africa’s Sub Regional Office in Lusaka, providing secretarial and document processing services, coordinating communications, and assisting in administrative duties to support the Director and the office's functions.

Responsibilities

• Assists in the overall administration of the department/division, providing substantive and administrative support in managing priorities and workflow of the Director and the Office of the Director.
• Coordinates and monitors multiple and diverse activities and work processes to ensure management directives and decisions are properly carried out and products delivered timely.
• Compiles and analyzes basic data from various sources, summarizing and presenting conclusions for review by manager.
• Serves as a communications link between supervisor and senior staff, conveying directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information.
• Takes full responsibility for time management and scheduling on behalf of Director, prioritizing and resolving conflicts and competing demands.
• Undertakes representational duties on behalf of the Director, serving as first point of contact and liaison with senior officials internally and externally.
• Screens and prioritizes all incoming correspondence, compiles relevant background documents, identifies issues requiring manager’s attention, and monitors follow-up actions.
• Researches, compiles and summarizes background materials for reports, briefs, speeches, and scans reports from specialized agencies and other sources for relevant information.
• Independently handles a wide range of complex information requests and inquiries, drafting responses as needed.
• Supports the manager in presentations to intergovernmental bodies and other meetings by researching issues, preparing briefing notes, slides and subject files, and gathering documentation.
• Establishes and improves administrative procedures and systems to ensure smooth functioning of the department, including filing systems.
• Coordinates work with Programme Assistants regarding priorities and deadlines, assigns work, reviews outputs, and trains Programme Assistants in administrative and protocol procedures.
• Organizes official receptions and meetings, handling arrangements such as room reservations, guest lists, invitations, catering, seating, documentation, and equipment.
• Prepares, processes and classifies confidential information.
• Handles a wide range of administrative duties including leave and attendance records, timesheets, travel arrangements, visa applications, expense statements, telecommunications charges, equipment purchase, service and supply requisitions, and conference room bookings.
• Exercises quality control for all outgoing documents, proofreading and editing for format, grammar, punctuation, and style.
• Uses word processing software to produce a wide variety of large, complex documents and reports.
• Assists with collection and analysis of data and preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Arranges the Director's travel including itinerary planning, bookings, visas, logistics, and protocol requirements.
• Maintains regular communication with the Director during absences and flags urgent matters.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
• A diploma or first-level degree in business administration, finance, economics, or related fields is desirable.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in general office support or a related area is required.
• Experience is normally found in a larger office setting dealing with a variety of issues, modern office practices, procedures, and equipment, and dealing with high-level staff.
• The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.
• 1 year or more of experience in data analytics or a related area is desirable.
• Experience working within the UN System or similar international organizations is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
• French is desirable at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Skills

• Office Support
• Document Processing
• Secretarial Support
• Administrative Support
• Data Analytics
• Modern Office Practices
• Communication Coordination
• Experience with International Organizations
• Business Administration
• Finance
• Economics

Languages

English, French