External candidates * The ILO values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@ilo.org.
Applicants may be tested to assess skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and/or PowerPoint, or other skills. In addition to any interview or testing that may be requested of candidates, successful completion of the Assessment Centre is required for external candidates.
*Conditions of employment for external candidates: In conformity with existing ILO practice, the appointment of an external candidate will normally be made at the first step of this grade. The entry level salary for this position is 84,962 CHF yearly.
Introduction
The Social Protection Department (SOCPRO) is responsible for promoting enhanced coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all through universal, adequate, comprehensive and sustainable social protection systems including floors, in line with the Recommendation concerning national floors of social protection, 2012 (No. 202), the ILO Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) and other ILO social security standards.
The Social Protection Department consists of four units: the Social Policy Unit (SOC/POLICY); the Programming, Partnerships and Knowledge-sharing Unit (SOC/PPKS), the Public Finance, Actuarial and Statistics Unit (SOC/PFACTS); and the Actuarial Services Unit (SOC/ASU).
The position is located in the Programming, Partnerships and Knowledge-sharing Unit (SOC/PPKS). The SOC/PPKS Unit is responsible for supporting effectively the management of the operations of the Department, coordinating the communication and dissemination of social protection knowledge and providing technical and operational support for the ILO’s Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All. The incumbent will coordinate the secretarial and administrative support for the Department, and provide secretarial and administrative support to the Department Director and to the Programming, Partnerships and Knowledge-Sharing Unit (SOC/PPKS).
The position will report to the Head of SOC/PPKS under the overall guidance of the Director SOCPRO.
Specific Duties
- As Department Secretary, coordinate the work of the other secretarial/administrative staff in the Department. This includes ensuring a fair distribution of work among the administrative staff, providing guidance on rules and regulations, checking as required the work of administrative staff and on-boarding of new administrative staff.
- Undertake secretarial/administrative duties for the Department Director. Maintain the agenda of the Department Director and organize appointments with officials inside and outside the ILO. Attend the weekly Management Meetings and prepare its Minutes for distribution to all staff in the Department.
- Analyse, register, assign and follow-up all incoming mail to the Department, including managing the Departments’ email account. Follow-up to ensure adherence to deadlines.
- Maintain and update the SOCPRO staff list and the list of the Social Protection Global Technical Team as well as the online website version of this list on the social protection platform.
- Maintain travel plan and absence of Department staff (e.g. annual leave/sick leave, teleworking, home leave/parental leave).
- Undertake secretarial/administrative duties for the Programming, Partnerships and Knowledge-Sharing Unit (SOC/PPKS). Act as leave clerk for SOC/PPKS.
- Carry out all IRIS transactions required such as travel authorizations and travel claims, purchase orders, purchase requisitions, etc. including making the calculations, requesting funds and making payments and following up with processing Payment requests and ensuring other follow-up where necessary. Provide guidance and support to other IRIS users in the Department. Provide administrative support to the Fund Control Officer as required.
- Initiate action for recruitment or transfer of staff, experts and consultants. This includes preparing Personnel Actions (PAs), entering contract information in a database, drafting correspondence and maintaining files.
- Provide administrative support for the organization of Departmental meetings/retreats/ seminars held in or outside Geneva in accordance with ILO policies and procedures. This includes coordinating the support of the administrative/secretarial tasks and staff, preparing budgets, coordinating travel and lodging of participants, paying DSA, recruitment and payment of resources persons, drafting relative correspondence, preparing letters of invitations, organizing visas/security clearance/hotel arrangements for ILO staff and external visitors, organizing logistical services including location, catering, etc.
- Maintain and organize the Department office attributions. Request office space or meeting rooms for Department staff, and visitors/meetings.
- Upload content on the Department’s official webpage as well as on its social protection platform.
- Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
Generic Duties
- Analyse, assign, monitor, receive and distribute mail, correspondence and documents for a large and diverse work unit, identify complex or sensitive correspondence for special treatment by supervisor or others. Propose and monitor deadlines assigned to a series of coordinated or sequenced inputs required to prepare a final product within approved overall deadlines.
- Establish work priorities, ensure equitable workloads for other general service staff members especially in peak work periods, establish deadlines and review the completed work before signature of supervisor.
- Draft general and administrative correspondence in two languages, requiring analysis of the substance of the issue. Correct correspondence, reports and documents prepared by other staff for format, spelling and grammar and adherence to appropriate administrative rules. Provide informal translation of correspondence into one language. Compile and carry out the preediting of official documents according to approved format and editorial practices.
- Screen and schedule requests for access to the supervisor. Coordinate and expedite office-wide response to sensitive telephone and written enquiries received by own work unit (on behalf of the supervisor). Inform other staff of the background and expectations regarding the current work in progress directly related to their work area. Monitor the progress of work and administrative/financial cases of priority and concern to the supervisor. Attend meetings, take notes and draft minutes of proceedings.
- Study administrative and personnel problems of staff members and provide information to resolve these as well as provide pertinent information to the supervisor and staff specialists responsible for taking appropriate action. Identify and prepare background to justify the need for new or adjusted administrative procedures to ensure adequate control of communications, correspondence and secretariat support for conferences and meetings.
- Word process correspondence and other documents using a variety of software. Search databases to obtain, compile and determine relevance of up to date management information of particular interest to the supervisor.
- Evaluate and improve the operation of filing systems, both manual and automated, to ensure effective staff access to information. Prepare, summarize and annotate special briefing files and meeting planning files.
- Participate in the preparation and control of the department’s budget by maintaining accounts of the status of expenses for travel, contractual payments, future planned commitments, etc. This includes the review and use of personnel and financial systems, as well as clearing a number of administrative documents before going to the supervisor for exercise of delegated authority.
- Coordinate and lead secretariat support services for high level conferences and meetings held in or outside Geneva, coordinate and monitor the progress of document reproduction for meetings and liaise with delegates to coordinate particular services for administrative/financial support and document preparation and distribution.
optional section (only if needed)
Required qualifications
Education
Completion of secondary school education. Training in a relevant field.
Experience
Six years of relevant experience.
Languages
Excellent command of two working languages (English, French, Spanish) of the Organization, including the ability to draft well in both languages. One of these languages must be English. A working knowledge of the third working language would be an advantage.
Competencies
In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:
Technical
Excellent time management skills and supervisory skills. Ability to use word processing software and e-mail. Ability to evaluate correspondence and inquiries for best course of action and to determine relevant background and reference material to screen requests for urgency and priorities. Ability to search and retrieve information from databases and compile reports. Knowledge of computerised systems related to the work and knowledge of software necessary for updating websites. Good knowledge of rules and regulations governing area of specialization (finance, personnel, relations, publications); good knowledge of the work programmes of the organization; good drafting skills in at least two languages; good analytical skills; proven ability to prepare reports and administrative statistics; ability to provide training and guidance on administrative rules and procedures to junior staff members.
Behavioural
Ability to work well with colleagues. Ability to plan and organize own work and of the administrative/secretarial staff of the Department. Ability to take initiative and prioritize workloads. Discretion in dealing with confidential matters. Flexibility. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
Recruitment process
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
Evaluation (which may include one or several written tests and a pre-interview competency-based assessment centre) and the interviews will tentatively take place during the 1 to 3 months following the application deadline. Candidates are requested to ensure their availability should they be short listed for further consideration.
Fraud warning
The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.