Administrative Assistant (Education)

The Administrative Assistant provides specialized administrative services including budgetary, financial, and other tasks to support the implementation of activities within the Education Sector. The role involves assisting with budget preparation, financial tracking, contract processing, and reporting to ensure accurate and compliant financial management.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Chief, ED/AO and project officers in preparation of budgets, budget revisions, work-plans, and budgetary reports.
• Check information for accuracy and compliance with approved funds; verify budgetary transactions and enter data in the financial management system.
• Screen and process draft contracts, mission requests, conferences & meetings and other commitments for approval and follow-up.
• Verify requests for payments against contractual obligations and recommend payment certification.
• Review open commitments and clean unliquidated obligations and accounts in consultation with project team and finance units.
• Assist in preparation of regular and ad hoc budgetary/financial updates, reports, statistics and projections.
• Draft correspondence and verify reports ensuring accuracy and consistency of financial figures.
• Participate in meetings on project management and respond to enquiries on financial performance under extra-budgetary funding sources.
• Maintain and update files/records/data sources relating to project budget/finance, contracts and support audit processing.
• Ensure proper creation and closure of files and safe retention.

Requirements

• Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational education.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in administrative support tasks.
• Experience in Audit and Accounting.
• Good organizational and coordination skills and ability to plan, coordinate and monitor workplans.
• Ability to work as part of a team, to take initiatives and provide quality and timely support and services.
• Good IT skills, including MS office (Windows, Office Suite, Teams, etc.)
• Knowledge of an ERP (SAP).
• Knowledge of budget and Finance practices in a large organization or a large company.
• Team-spirit/Open personality and capability of creating good inter-personal relations.
• Commitment and reliability.
• Excellent knowledge of English or French and good working knowledge of the other language (verbal and written).
• Experience in an international organization is desirable.
• Previous experience with UNESCO and understanding of the Organization, including its administrative procedures and financial process would be a strong asset.
• Knowledge of UNESCO rules and procedures as well as administrative practices would be a strong asset.
• Knowledge of other UNESCO Official languages would be an asset.

Skills

• Administrative Support
• Audit and Accounting
• Work Plan Coordination
• Organizational Skills
• Microsoft Office Suite
• MS Teams
• ERP Systems
• SAP
• Budget Management
• Finance Practices
• Contract processing
• Financial Reporting
• UNESCO Procedures
• UNESCO Financial Processes
• Bilingual Communication

Languages

English, French