Executive Associate

The Executive Associate provides procedural communications, operations, and administrative support services to the Director of Evaluation and the Evaluation Office in UNICEF Rome. The role ensures smooth day-to-day activities, supports budget monitoring, procurement, and capacity development activities, and represents the supervisor in administrative matters.

Responsibilities

• Manage incoming and outgoing correspondence, e-mails and telephone calls on behalf of the supervisor.
• Communicate sensitive information to higher-level managers.
• Provide routine information about the work of the Evaluation Office.
• Draft responses to written inquiries on routine questions.
• Coordinate responses to sensitive inquiries.
• Follow up on established deadlines and ensure timely submissions by staff of reports, correspondence and other documents.
• Maintain the supervisor’s calendar and arrange meetings.
• Organize official travel on behalf of the supervisor.
• Prepare briefing materials for official trips or meetings.
• Prepare documentation for the supervisor’s signature, reviewing for style, factual and grammatical accuracy.
• Support capacity development activities and conferences by making logistical arrangements, engaging facilitators, caterers and hosts.
• Maintain and update a system which monitors the absence of staff.
• Support management of administrative supplies, office equipment, and updating the inventory of items.
• Provide support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination of the position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Monitor budgets and financial expenditures of the section, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping the supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Prepare and maintain records, documents and control plans for the monitoring of programme implementation.
• Carry out transactions in VISION about grants for their section, such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.
• Guide managers in the process of PCA/SSAs in line with the policies and guidance issued by FRG, SD and DHR.
• Facilitate the processing of contracts for consultants and external partners that provide a service to the section, including preparing and filing documents, completing required forms and templates, uploading the Terms of Reference to VISION, and making necessary logistical arrangements.
• Maintain up-to-date vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters.

Requirements

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.
• A minimum of six (6) years of relevant administrative, executive support, or clerical experience.
• Strong project management, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Confidence in using digital tools and adapting to new technologies.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, is required.
• Organizational, planning and prioritizing skills and abilities.
• High sense of confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
• Knowledge of English at a proficient level is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of Italian language at a proficient level is considered an asset.
• Previous relevant experience in UN or UNICEF is considered an asset.
• Thorough knowledge of UNICEF's organizational structure, administrative policies and procedures.
• Prior experience in working with senior officials or in front office set up is considered an asset.
• Education or experience in programme planning, monitoring, or evaluation is considered an asset.
• Proficiency in SharePoint is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

Skills

• Project Management
• MS Excel
• MS Word
• MS PowerPoint
• SharePoint Development
• Administrative Support
• Budget Monitoring
• Procurement
• Programme Planning
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Organizational Skills
• Planning and prioritization
• Digital Tools Adaptability
• Confidentiality Management
• Operations Support
• Executive Support
• UNICEF Administrative Policies
• Working with Senior Officials

Languages

English