Senior Staff Assistant

UN Secretariat; Bogotá ciudad; On-site; COP 198,695,000 - 264,927,000; Full time

Job summary

The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia seeks a Senior Staff Assistant based in Bogota to support the mission leadership. This role ensures timely background materials and correspondence reach SRSG and DSRSG, manages calendars, drafts official documents, and coordinates administrative and logistical matters.

It requires strong professionalism, discretion, and organizational skills, with experience in front-office support for high-ranking officials and knowledge of UN systems

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required.
• Higher education in social, communication, economic, or political sciences is desirable.
• Technical training in secretarial or administration is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage incoming and outgoing correspondence, including confidential materials, and ensure leadership receives background information.
• Support management of senior leadership calendars, liaise with government officials and diplomats.
• Draft, edit, and finalize official documents.
• Oversee the office budget and track action points.
• Coordinate administrative issues across mission components and UN agencies.
• Assist in organizing official travel for the SRSG and DSRSG.
• Provide administrative support for attendance and claims.
• Ensure proper record-keeping and secure handling of sensitive information.

Skills

Professionalism

Discretion

Interpersonal skills

Initiative

Judgment

Efficiency

Persistence

Teamwork

Planning

Organizing

Calm under pressure

Communication

Education

High School Diploma

Higher education in social/communication/economics/politics

Secretarial/administration training

Job description

Organizational context:

This position is within the Integrated Office of the Special Representative and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC), based in Bogota. The role reports directly to the SRSG, DSRSG, and the Head of the Integrated Office, supporting the mission's leadership.

Job purpose:

The Senior Staff Assistant plays a crucial role in supporting the mission leadership of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. This includes ensuring the SRSG and DSRSG receive timely and accurate background materials and correspondence. The role involves managing sensitive communications, supporting high-level calendars, drafting official documents, and coordinating administrative and logistical matters. By overseeing workflow, budget adherence, and record-keeping, the position contributes significantly to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Front Office, facilitating the mission's operational objectives.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Staff Assistant is responsible for managing incoming and outgoing correspondence, including confidential and sensitive materials, and ensuring mission leadership receives necessary background information. Duties include supporting the management of senior leadership calendars, liaising with government officials and diplomats, and drafting, editing, and finalizing official documents. The role also involves overseeing and monitoring the office budget, maintaining a tracking system for action points, and coordinating administrative issues across mission components and UN agencies. Additionally, the position assists in organizing official travel for the SRSG and DSRSG, provides administrative support for attendance and claims, and ensures proper record-keeping and secure handling of sensitive information.

Education:

A high school diploma or equivalent is required. A higher education degree in social, communication, economic, or political sciences, or a related area, is desirable. Technical training in secretarial or administration is also desirable.

Work experience:

A minimum of eight years of progressive experience in administrative support, including correspondence, event, meeting, and budget management, is required. Experience providing personal and administrative support in the front office of high-ranking officials is desirable. Knowledge of UN systems or field operations, and understanding of the Latin America and Caribbean region, are also desirable.

Skills:

Professionalism, tact, discretion, excellent interpersonal skills, initiative, good judgment, efficiency, persistence, calmness under stress, teamwork, planning, and organizing.

Required languages:

English, Spanish, French