Executive Associate Internship

Background

UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP-Mozambique is supporting the Government in different areas related to the environment, sustainable management of natural resources, climate change and resilience to disasters. These include biodiversity conservation through interventions to combat Illegal wildlife trade, expansion of conservation areas, promotion of financial sustainability of the protected areas system as well as policy development and planning for climate and disaster resilience at national and subnational levels, including recovery and livelihoods restoration and enhancement. The disruption of the worldwide COVID-19 creates unprecedented opportunities for assessing Mozambique’s development pathway, to re-shape its sustainable, green, and climate-smart economic growth to build its resilience and revert the trend of one of the poorest countries in the world.

The work of UNDP Mozambique is guided by the recently developed United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2022-2026), which describes the collective vision and response of the UN system to the Government of Mozambique development priorities, and the Country Program Document 2022-2026 (CPD), which outlines UNDP’s contribution to the Government 5-year Programme (PQG) results; the 2022-2026 UNSDCF and 2022-2025 UNDP Strategic Plan theory of change.

UNDP Mozambique seeks to employ an Executive Associate to RR to secure normal running of the office, securing full assistance to RR/DRRs on leading the CO and partners interfacing. The Executive Associate directly reports to the UNDP Resident Representative and will work closely with the DRR-Programme and DRR-Operations.

Position Purpose

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the RR, the Executive Associate to RR ensures effective and efficient functioning of the Senior Management (RR, DRR-P & DRR-O) office, full confidentiality in all aspects of assignment, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made.

Key Duties and Accountabilities

• Effective and efficient functioning of the RR Office;
• Provision of effective communications support to the office;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the RR office

• Maintenance 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;
• Preparation of high quality briefing materials for supervisor for appointments, meetings, missions;
• Preparation of informal translations;
• Management of RR missions and representation schedule;
• Maintenance of rosters of high-level partners, telephone lists;
• Preparation of correspondence, directives, comments on behalf of RR for his/her signature and making follow-up when required;
• Use of automated office management systems for effective functioning of the RR/SM office.

Ensures provision of effective communications support to the office

• Maintenance 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;
• Preparation of high-quality briefing materials for supervisor for appointments, meetings, missions;
• Preparation of informal translations;
• Management of RR missions and representation schedule;
• Maintenance of rosters of high-level partners, telephone lists;
• Preparation of correspondence, directives, comments on behalf of RR for his/her signature and making follow-up when required;
• Use of automated office management systems for effective functioning of the RR office;
• Draft routine correspondence, interoffice circulars, general briefing notes, documents, reports, and minutes of meetings when requested, translations when required;
• Administration of travel, meetings, appointments and briefings of RR, including drafting of background notes;
• Maintenance of Teams’ status reports, best practices, lessons learned, publishing on section intranet and compiling of information for resource mobilization and communications officers;
• Support to organization of events if required;
• Screening of incoming calls and correspondence;
• Contribution of proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks in the office and streamline office procedures between the supervisors’ office and subordinate divisions.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management.

• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Organization of specialized trainings for secretaries;
• Organization of trainings to UN staff on coordination, administration, and protocol issues.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Administration & Operations:

• Results-based Management
  • Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving.

Administration & Operations:

• Registry & correspondence management
  • Registry & correspondence management

Administration & Operations:

• Knowledge Generation
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need.

Administration & Operations:

• Communication
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

Ethics:

• Ethics Advice & Guidance
  • Ability to quickly analyze complex fact patterns and provide comprehensive, sensitive, and confidential ethics advice and guidance.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education with specialized secretarial training is required.
• University Degree or equivalent would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Secondary Education with 6 years of progressively responsible secretarial, administrative, programme experience is required at the national or international level;
• Alternatively, if in possession of a bachelor’s degree, only 3 years of relevant experience would be required;
• Relevant work experience in Programme Administration/Coordination in an international organization is desirable;
• Previous relevant work experience in UNDP or UN Agency is an added advantage;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.);
• Experience in handling web-based management systems.

Language Requirement

• Fluency in English and Portuguese;
• Knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

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