Senior Administrative Assistant

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT No. 001/2015
Job Title
: Senior Administrative Assistant – Fixed Term
Proposed Pay Level
: GS-6
Duty Station
: Harare
Organizational Context and Role:
The United Nations World Food Programme (UN/WFP) in Zimbabwe seeks applications from qualified
candidates for its Harare Office.
Accountabilities: Within delegated authority, the Senior Administrative Assistant will be responsible
for the following duties:
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Supervise Admin unit, including Transport, Travel, Registry, Reception, Protocol, and
Inventory;
Advise and assist senior staff in the area of administration, including preparation and review
of proposals/requirements;
Monitor expenses, prepare adjustments and assist managers in the elaboration of resource
requirements for budget submissions;
Assist in preparation of budget performance with analysis between approved budgets and
actual expenses; Prepare or customize financial reports on the basis of WFP corporate
system generated reports;
Organize and facilitate the administrative work of the office including the establishment of
internal procedures and tracking systems for correspondence and documents; maintain
administrative control records; verify that the work is done in accordance with corporate
standards and within established deadlines;
Manage the immediate office with respect to communications, meetings and work flow;
identify complex or sensitive subjects, and contacts, for special treatment as well as priority
issues that need to be brought to the supervisor’s attention;
Respond to complex queries from a variety of sources by producing targeted information or
by re-directing to the most appropriate source;
Review correspondence or information materials relevant to the area of work prepared by
other support staff;
Provide information and guidance to staff at all levels within the organizational unit/division;
Prepare and/or consolidate complex reports, documentation including the production of
forms, tables and charts; prepare complex correspondence, briefing notes and other
documentation as requested;
Assist in contract administration of external contractors including auditing invoices against
the goods and services provided, processing and monitoring payments;
Guide, train and daily supervise junior support staff engaged in the different administrative
services including statistics, finance, programme, human resources activities and/or other
related areas;
Process and approve delegated administrative actions in accordance with WFP rules and
regulations;
Brief/debrief and inform staff including rules and regulations, policies and practices and
documentation required to their area(s) of responsibility;
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT No. 001/2015
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Evaluate, develop, and recommend procedures. Participate in discussions on new/revised
procedures and practices; interpret and assess the impact of changes and make
recommendations on follow up actions;
Coordinate with other service units and liaise frequently with specialized staff at the duty
station of assignment and outside the duty station;
Undertake field missions or maintain contacts with WFP’s field offices to provide
administrative assistance and guidance;
Forecast monthly cash requirements and monitor expenses against available cash;
Check suppliers’ invoices for accuracy;
Monitor and reconcile utilities accounts and ensure timely settlement of bills;
Implement and/or strengthen internal controls to safeguard the organization’s funds and
assets;
Monitor and control movement of WFP assets;
Certify expenses;
Perform other related duties as required.
Results Expected: Well organized reports and/or records, put together independently with only
general guidance. Well organized work with accurate information and databases; efficiently
supervised team of clerical staff or work unit. Critical Success factors: Sound judgment; ability to
extract, interpret, analyze and format data and to resolve operational problems. Ability to work with
minimum supervision; to supervise and train support staff; and to work effectively with people of
different national and cultural backgrounds. Ability to work with accuracy under time constraints and
pressure; to deal patiently and tactfully with staff members and others and to have a high sense of
confidentiality, initiative and good judgment.
Qualifications: Secondary school education, Training in administrative field supplemented by
commercial or related courses is desirable. Experience: At least five years of progressively responsible
work experience, including at least three years in administrative services field and at least one year at
G5 level or equivalent. Knowledge: Experience using computers, including word processing,
spreadsheet and other WFP standard software packages and systems. General knowledge of UN
system administrative rules, regulations, policies and procedures. Specialized knowledge of WFP
administrative rules and regulations and policies and practices in the specific area of work. Fluency in
both oral and written communication in English. Desirable skills: Formal training in the relevant area
of work. Proficiency in a second official UN language, depending on area of work.
Qualified candidates are requested to submit their application on E-mail attaching both signed
application letter, Curriculum Vitae (CV) and an updated Personnal History form (P11) showing
name, address, email and telephone numbers of three referees. Clearly indicate the Position Title, VA
Number and Duty Station being applied for to [email protected] on or before the closing date
on 24 February 2015. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the recruitment processes.
Qualified female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
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