Senior Administrative Assistant

OVERVIEW

Post Number : SHS/PA 050

Grade : G-6

Parent Sector : Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: General Administrative Support

Type of contract : Project Appointment

Duration of contract : 1 year

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 02-JAN-2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Initial contract duration is for 12 months, renewable subject to funding and satisfactory performance

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences (ADG/SHS) and under the direct supervison of the Senior Finance and Administrative Officer, the incumbent assists in the delivery of activities financed from Regular Budget and Voluntary contributions. The incumbent provides high-level administrative and support services in a range of specialized areas and plays a lead role within the unit in ensuring application and compliance with the rules, regulations, policies and practices in place.

More specifically, the incumbent shall perform the following tasks:

General Accountabilities :

Act as certifying officer up to an authorized level;

Provide guidance and interpretation on administrative rules, regulations and procedures;

Advise on operational and technical routine transactions;

Recommend process and system related modifications and improvements to supportsuccessful administration and financial monitoring and control;

Interpret provisions and provide guidance on complex and non-recurring issues;

Coordinate and lead meetings related to financial and administrative services.

Long Description

Financial Accountabilities:

Ensure the Sector's/Division's financial resources and expenditures are fully and properly accounted for and that internal control systems are adequate and functioning; schedule payments and disbursement of funds;

Ensure accurate and timely processing of assigned accounts, developing budget estimates and monitoring expenditures, participating and advising in the preparation of financial statements and budgets;

Assist in the preparation and coordination of financial activities under Regular Programme and Voluntary Contributions;

Compile and consolidate data from various sources into financial statements;

Monitor expenditures, review payments and unliquidated obligations and reconcile accounts;

Investigate anomalies and erroneous charges and take corrective action;

Provide assistance and guidance to undertake coding and data entry task and to extract information, from online financial systems.

Long Description

Budgetary Accountabilities:

Prepare Regular Programme and Voluntary Contributions budget reports and communicate on them to enable informed decision making and timely implementation of activities;

Assist and advise on planning and budgeting and recommend modifications;

Prepare budget proposals and cost estimates and ensure that data is correct;

Identify irregularities and undeitake transactions to correct errors/omissions.

Logistics Accountabilities:

Procurement: Research and retrieve information on supply sources, vendors by commodity and obtain specifications on the market;

Review contractual documents;

Resolve issues/ problems related to delivery of goods/services;

Prepare requisitions for supplies and equipment; ensure that payments are processed and provide information to the assigned Division on invoicing and payment issues;

Arrange for control and distribution of inventory records;

Liaise with UNESCO internal services.

Reporting:

Maintain and update budgetary and financial documents/reports for audit purpose and take action to implement audit recommendations;

Prepare and review correspondence explaining budgetary/financial data and related issues and resolve problems.

Human Resources:

Assist in the recruitment process of Affiliated Staff, providing support on the conduct of the recruitment process, preparing all relevant forms, vetting of references, ensuring all administrative formalities are completed, establishing contracts for signature.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) Professionalism (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework .

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Completed secondary education, technical or vocational education.

Work Experience

Minimum eight (8) years of relevant work experience in secretarial and/or administrative tasks.

Skills and competencies

Excellent analytical skills and capacity to make sound judgements.

Proven experience in problem solving in the field of Human Resources, finance and budget.

Ability to provide quality and timely support and services.

Ability to deal with confidential matters with tact and discretion.

Ability to build effective working relationships, in a multicultural environment, with a variety of internal and external partners.

Ability to take initiative and seek innovative ways to improve results.

Excellent IT skills with proficiency in the use of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and ERP systems.

Languages

Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English and good working knowledge of French.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Diploma in Public/Business Administration or related fields.

Specialized secretarial training/certification or first university degree in administration.

Work Experience

Relevant experience in similar functions within the UN system or any international organization/institution.

Languages

Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and/or Spanish).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO's salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is Euro €

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits .

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as an interview.

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity. UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States ( last update here ) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. Individuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts.

UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Please note that UNESCO is a non-smoking Organization.