Administrative Assistant, G6

The Administrative Assistant provides day-to-day administrative and organizational support to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica. The role includes managing correspondence, records, protocol, and supporting official missions and travel arrangements.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day administrative and organizational support to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.
• Assist in ensuring the smooth functioning of the front office, including coordinating appointments, meetings, telephone calls, visitors and official engagements.
• Receive and appropriately direct senior officials, representatives of Member States, diplomatic representatives and other visitors to the Executive Office.
• Maintain a professional and well-organized Executive Office environment and ensure that requests requiring the attention of senior officials are appropriately identified, prioritized and referred.
• Exercise sound judgement and discretion when handling confidential, politically sensitive or time-sensitive information.
• Maintain cognizance of the requirements of working in an Executive Office, including protocol, confidentiality, institutional sensitivities, seniority and appropriate channels of communication.
• Assist with administrative preparations for meetings involving the Secretary-General, senior management, delegations and external stakeholders.
• Prepare meeting folders, background materials, briefing packs and other documentation as requested.
• Receive, register, review and appropriately route incoming correspondence addressed to the Executive Office and the Secretary-General.
• Assist in the preparation, formatting, proofreading and processing of official correspondence, memoranda, notes, letters and other Executive Office documentation.
• Ensure that correspondence is processed in accordance with established institutional procedures and standards.
• Maintain appropriate tracking systems for incoming and outgoing correspondence, including action required, responsible officer, deadlines and completion status.
• Follow up on outstanding correspondence and requests and ensure that completed actions are appropriately recorded and filed.
• Assist in maintaining templates and standardized formats for Executive Office correspondence and documentation.
• Ensure accuracy and consistency in names, titles, institutional references, dates, addresses and protocol terminology used in official communications.
• Establish and maintain a structured, reliable and confidential filing and records-management system for the Executive Office.
• Maintain electronic and, where required, physical files in accordance with established records-management practices.
• Ensure that Executive Office files are clearly categorized, consistently named, indexed and readily retrievable by authorized personnel.
• Maintain appropriate filing structures for correspondence, Member State communications, meetings, missions, invitations, briefing materials, official engagements, decisions and other Executive Office records.
• Ensure timely filing of incoming and outgoing correspondence and supporting documentation to maintain a complete institutional record.
• Monitor the completeness of files and follow up for missing documents, attachments, approvals, background material or final signed copies.
• Maintain document registers, correspondence logs and other tracking mechanisms necessary for effective record keeping.
• Support the transition toward efficient electronic records management, including standardized folder structures, naming conventions, document version control and archiving procedures.
• Ensure that draft, final, signed and superseded versions of documents are appropriately distinguished and maintained.
• Assist with periodic review and archiving of Executive Office records in accordance with ISA policies and applicable retention requirements.
• Protect confidential and restricted records from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or loss.
• Ensure continuity of Executive Office records so that information can be efficiently retrieved for institutional, administrative or historical reference.
• Provide administrative support for official visits, courtesy calls and meetings involving representatives of Member States, senior government officials, diplomatic missions, international organizations and other high-level interlocutors.
• Maintain updated contact information for relevant diplomatic missions, Member State representatives and institutional counterparts.
• Ensure that names, titles and forms of address are accurately reflected in Executive Office correspondence and meeting documentation.
• Assist with visitor coordination and protocol arrangements as directed.
• Liaise professionally and courteously with internal and external stakeholders on matters related to the Executive Office.
• Provide administrative support in connection with official missions undertaken by the Secretary-General and other Executive Office personnel.
• Assist with preparation and organization of mission files, programmes, itineraries, contact details, briefing folders and relevant correspondence.
• Liaise with internal offices, host organizations, Permanent Missions and other counterparts regarding administrative and logistical arrangements, as required.
• Maintain complete electronic mission folders containing programmes, correspondence, briefings, meeting records and other relevant documentation.
• Assist with post-mission filing and follow-up to ensure institutional records are complete.
• Perform other duties as required by the Secretary General, Chief de Cabinet, and Office Manager.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must have passed the United Nations Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) at Headquarters or an equivalent locally-administered test at Offices Away from Headquarters.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in administrative support, office administration, executive office support or a related area is required.
• The minimum is reduced to five (5) years for candidates with a first-level university degree or higher.
• Experience providing administrative support to senior officials, including coordinating schedules, meetings, correspondence and competing priorities, is required.
• Experience in official correspondence, records management and document tracking is required.
• Experience in an international organization, diplomatic mission, government institution or comparable environment, including protocol and liaison with senior officials, is desirable.
• Experience supporting official missions or travel, including itineraries, mission files and logistical coordination, is desirable.
• Knowledge in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc.
• Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work 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.

Skills

• Administrative Support
• Office Management
• General Office Support
• Scheduling Coordination
• Meeting Coordination
• Correspondence Management
• Records Management Projects
• Document Tracking
• Protocol Management
• Travel Coordination
• Mission Support
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint
• Budget Management
• Work Programme Management
• Human Resources Administration
• Database Management
• UN Administrative Rules
• UN Financial Rules
• United Nations Human Resources Rules

Languages

English