Administrative Assistant Job at The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Administrative Assistant

Job ID: 30881
Job Locations: Abuja & Maiduguri-Borno
Slot: 3 Openings
Practice Area - Job Family: Management - Administration
Grade: G4
Vacancy Type: FTA Local
Posting Type: Common System
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

Background

• The situation in Nigeria remains fragile with continued political instability, climatic variability, and lack of basic social services. OCHA's role is to coordinate effective and principled inter-agency humanitarian response and ensure that relief assistance reaches the people who need it in a timely manner. In line with OCHA's global mission, OCHA Nigeria continues to:
  • Advocate for access to basic services, especially water, sanitation, education and health for vulnerable communities, including the collection, analysis and dissemination of information to humanitarian partners, and negotiation of access.
  • Support the government efforts and humanitarian organizations in relocation of internally displaced and return.
  • Coordinate the implementation of humanitarian response in Nigeria with UN agencies and programmes, national and international NGOs and local authorities/communities as appropriate, with focus on strengthening the cluster approach.
  • Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member
  • Informed and transport decision making
• Under the guidance and supervision of the HAO, the Administrative Assistant provides support to the field office ensuring high quality of work, ensures accurate, timely and properly recorded/documented service delivery. The Administrative Assistant promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach.
• The Administrative Assistant works in close collaboration with the Admin & Finance staff in Abuja & Maiduguri to ensure consistent service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities    
Summary of Key Functions:

• Coordinate logistic activities for the field office.
• Provision of clerical / administrative support
• Office support and maintenance
• Cash Recovery and Management of the Armored Vehicles
• Support to knowledge building and knowledge sharing

Coordinate logistics activities for the field office:

• Ensure that vehicles are in working condition at all times: Regular servicing and maintenance etc.
• Coordinate and monitor vehicle movement
• Oversee TOTAL card retirement and replenishment (in collaboration with OCHA Abuja & Maiduguri Office) by ensuring that all processes are carried out in a timely fashion.
• Assist staff members by liaising with OCHA Admin staff in Abuja & Maiduguri for UNHAS bookings etc and ensure that tickets are received on time.
• Ensure that all missions to all locations with high – security level are cleared by the necessary authorities.
• Monitor the vehicle log books and ensure that all movement is duly captured and signed for by all passengers.
• Assist staff with forwarding their travel expense claims to OCHA Abuja office and follow up where necessary.

Provision of clerical / administrative support:

• Assist with hotel reservations for staff on mission, new colleagues deployed to Maiduguri etc.
• Support colleagues in coordinating meetings and other official events.
• Assist with filing and photocopying documents when necessary.
• And all other clerical / administrative duties that may be required.

Office Support and Maintenance:

• General office maintenance: supervise cleaners to ensure that OCHA’s is always in order, etc.
• Maintenance of files and records relevant to office maintenance.

Cash Recovery and Management for the Armored Vehicles:

• Prepares and dispatches invoices to clients upon request for the use of the AVs.
• Ensures that payment for each transaction is received and accounted for and a receipt is issued accordingly.
• Create a tracking system for payment.
• Give monthly accounts of usage and income.

Impact of Results

• The key results have an impact on the execution of the CO administrative/logistical services in terms of quality and accuracy of work completed. 
• Accurate data entry, presentation of information and client-oriented approach strengthens the capacity of the office in the provision of administrative/logistical services.

Competencies    
Operational Effectiveness:

• Ability to perform a variety of repetitive and routine tasks and duties related to general administration support
• Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints
• Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of clerical, administrative, secretarial best practices and procedures, in-depth knowledge of office software applications relating to word processing data management presentation etc.
• Ability to operate and maintain a variety of computerized business machines and office equipment in order to provide efficient delivery of service
• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities

Managing Data:

• Ability to enter data accurately

Managing Documents, Correspondence And Reports:

• Create a filing system according to UN standards.
• Ensure that all official documents (incoming/ outgoing mail, reports etc) are filed according to its category.
• Edits, formats and provides inputs to correspondence, reports, documents and/or presentations using word processing, spreadsheets and databases meeting quality standards and requiring minimal correction
• Shows sound grasp of grammar, spelling and structure in the required language
• Ensures correspondence, reports and documents comply with established UN standards
• Assist with drafting correspondence and make input to documents when required.

Planning, Organizing And Multi-Tasking:

• Organises and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration special assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources and multiple reporting relationships
• Plans, coordinates and organises workload while remaining aware of changing priorities and competing deadlines
• Demonstrates ability to quickly shift from one task to another to meet multiple support needs
• Establishes, builds and maintains effective working relationships with staff and clients to facilitate the provision of support
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Secondary education.  

Experience:

• 4 years of relevant administrative experience.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.).
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in the UN and national language of the duty station.

Note

• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
• All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.