Senior Meetings Services Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Meetings Management Unit (MMU), Planning Coordination and Meetings Section (PCMS), Conference Management Service (CMS), Department of General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) in Vienna. CMS operates administratively under the Division of Management (DM), United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Chief, Meetings Management Unit. For more information, visit www.unov.org.

Responsibilities

Within the limits of delegated authority, the Senior Meetings Services Assistant will be responsible for the following specific duties: • Oversee that the Unit’s work is up to date with the use of modern technologies and IT tools applied in meetings’ planning and servicing, e.g., the gMeets and One-Stop-Shop applications, the Vienna Journal, and e-deleGATE, as well as IT platforms for connecting remote participants and speakers; promote and introduce IT tools to clients; provide input to the decision making process regarding meeting room equipment and installation requirements and upgrades; liaise with other work areas, such as IT and multimedia technicians on finding suitable and state-of-the art solutions; provide input and advice to the Chief of MMU. • Review resolutions and decisions of governing bodies to establish the entitlements for meetings services; manage and discuss with the Chief of Unit as required the scheduling of meetings and conferences in the current and future year’s calendar, ensuring that requests for services do not exceed mandated entitlements emanating from the decisions and resolutions of the governing bodies, including the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and their subsidiary organs; advise the Chief and substantive secretariat if a request exceeds that bodies entitlements. • Coordinate with counterparts in substantive secretariats the meetings service requirements, including meetings of outside clients and extrabudgetary activities; prepare, in consultation with all servicing units, staffing tables and cost estimates for the approval of the Financial Resources Management Service; prepare the servicing agreements for the signature of the Chief of Unit and for dispatch along with the approved cost estimate to the substantive secretariats. • Manage the Unit’s roster of short-term staff: interview and select candidates for temporary assistance for meetings based on HRMS guidelines and recruitment criteria; assign staff from the roster to meetings and functions appropriate to their aptitudes and level of experience; train and supervise them in their work during sessions and record temporary Time & Attendance in gMeets and submits for processing and approval; coordinate follow-up actions for payments. • Serve as conference lead for meetings held away from Vienna, organizing the servicing of meetings in the conference room and supervising the local meetings services staff; participate in planning missions for meetings of Vienna-based bodies held away from Vienna and assist in the preparation of the requirements papers and annexes to the host country agreement. • Support the Chief of Unit in ensuring the Unit’s smooth day-to-day operations; assist with the allocation of administrative and other tasks as well as meeting assignments; provide guidance and support to junior full-time staff; reply in the absence of the Chief or when requested to correspondence that requires urgent attention; deputize for and attend meetings on behalf of the Chief as required. • Undertake research and provide reference materials for preparation of briefs, notes and statements for the Chief of Unit and CMS management; coordinate the preparation of statistics on documentation for/and meetings; assist the Chief of Unit in responding to queries from delegations and secretariats. • Draft proposals for procedural notes for the chairpersons of assigned committees and conferences. • Maintain data management tool for meetings (gMeets), collect, analyse and generate complex reports and prepare presentations for information sharing; respond to a wide variety of queries for complex statistical reports. • Train and supervise new and more junior staff in the unit. • Perform other work-related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Has good knowledge of the Organization’s conference services policies, procedures and practices, including those for determining short-term staffing requirements and supervising them in their duties. Demonstrates initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work requirements and anticipate next steps. Has knowledge of the United Nations biennial calendar of conferences and meetings. Has hands-on knowledge of meetings programming and gMeets. Understands meeting technologies and IT tools. Is able to research, select, organize and summarize information required for the preparation of meetings. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. • Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • Planning & Organizing: Effective organizational skills and ability to handle a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner. Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. Managerial Competencies • Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in conference support or a related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Directly relevant experience within the UN system in meetings management is required. Experience in working with IT systems, platforms and tools used in meetings and event management is required. Experience contributing to the development of technical systems (e.g. audio-visual, IT), platforms and tools used in meetings and event management is required. Experience in meetings programming and gMeets is desirable. Experience working with an Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system, such as the in-house Umoja (SAP), is desirable. Experience in data analytics or a related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage. Knowledge of German is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Applicants for positions subject to local recruitment are required to be authorized to work in the country regardless of where they live at the time of applying for the job opening. Selected candidates/staff members will be responsible for any costs related to their travel and relocation in the context of onboarding to report for duty. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The movement of staff members from the General Service and related categories to the Professional category in the United Nations Secretariat is exclusively allowed through the Young Professionals Programme competitive examinations. Only a few staff members pass the competitive examinations. Passing the competitive examinations does not guarantee movement to the Professional category. For further information, please visit https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=GP Applicants, who successfully go through a competitive recruitment process and are recommended for selection and/or inclusion in the roster of pre-approved candidates for subsequent job openings at the same level and with similar functions, may have their application information and roster status shared with other UN Organizations. Such applicants may be contacted by other UN Organizations for similar job openings, subject to the confirmation of their interest. Placement on the roster is no guarantee of a future selection.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

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