Executive Assistant - G07

Executive Assistant - G07

Duties and responsibilities:

• Provide personal assistance, perform follow-up action on instructions and decisions of the Chief of Staff and keep abreast of matters needing the input and possible action by the Chief of Staff.
• Prepare and coordinate, on his/her own initiative, the Chief of Staff 's social calendar and schedule of activities and commitments, based on daily consultation with him/her.
• Coordinate the Chief of Staff 's national and international travel arrangements and schedules, maintaining contacts with liaison officers in places visited to ensure smooth completion. Follow up on travel requests and travel expense claims.
• Maintain continuous contact with officials of the General Secretariat, permanent missions and delegations to the OAS, international and national agencies, and the public in general, in order to ensure the proper flow of information and communication to and from the Chief of Staff.
• Prepare or supervise the preparation of various correspondence and documentation often of an urgent or confidential nature.  Review all outgoing correspondence requiring the signature of the Chief of Staff.  Proofread material for completeness, grammar, spelling and meaning.
• Anticipate requirements for background material; research, obtain and annotate the same and ensure briefing material for appointments, meetings and missions are complete and up-to-date.
• Handle correspondence addressed to the Chief of Staff; identify complex correspondence for special treatment.  Ensure registration of incoming mail, and its routing to appropriate staff members for action.  Ensure inclusion of necessary background documentation for correspondence requiring action.  Monitor that deadlines for responses are met.  Follow-up with other organizational components on the submission of reports and correspondence.
• Screen incoming calls and reply to routine enquiries about official matters from missions to the OAS and from other individuals. Receive visitors to the office of the Chief of Staff.  Make arrangements with the Office of Protocol, among others, for VIP visits, interviews, and courtesy calls to the Chief of Staff.
• Coordinate and oversee the work of the secretarial staff assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff. Provide advice and guidance on administrative procedures, correspondence standards and working arrangements to ensure correct implementation of practices and procedures.   Brief and train new support staff in the administrative and protocol procedures of the Office.
• Periodically review the efficiency of current administrative practices and make proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks and streamline office procedures.

• Perform other related duties to ensure the successful delivery of activities and facilitate the work of the Chief of Staff.

   

Qualifications:

Education & Experience:

Essential: High school or technical/commercial training and 9 years of relevant experience in administrative operations and/or secretarial work OR advanced training and 7 years of relevant experience.

Desirable: Knowledge or willingness to learn the OAS mandates and priorities as related to the area of work and/or the dynamics of the Inter-American agenda and system.

Computer Skills:  Ability to effectively work using Microsoft Office (e.g. Outlook, Word, and Excel), and other software applicable to the area of work.

Languages:

Essential – Proficient in at least two of the following languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish (read, write and communicate). Language proficiency examination will be required.

Desirable – Working knowledge of the other two languages.

Personal Competencies: Client Orientation, Knowledge Sharing, Teamwork, Interpersonal Skills. Ability to clearly communicate in the languages required for the post.

The GS/OAS embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. Thus, the GS/OAS, in accordance with its rules and regulations, is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, achieving a diverse staff, and will take into account a wide geographic representation, as well as gender equity and equality, in the selection of candidates.

In accordance with paragraph f. of Article 44 of the General Standards, the official languages of the Organization are English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.  No candidate for a position in the General Secretariat subject to the competition requirement shall be contracted until he/she has passed language proficiency exams administered by the DHR in at least two of the official languages. Nevertheless, i) Any candidate, including staff member whose native language is one of those four languages shall only be required to demonstrate proficiency on an exam in one of the others; and (ii) Persons applying for G-1 and G-2 positions at Headquarters and G-3 driver/clerk positions in those Offices of the General Secretariat in the Member States where the language requirement unduly restricts the recruitment of otherwise qualified staff shall be exempt from this language proficiency requirement for as long as they occupy those positions. Subsequently, in order to be eligible to compete for a higher-level position, any staff member who has benefited from this exemption must demonstrate proficiency in a second official language of the Organization. (iii) A person selected as the best candidate may receive a fixed-term contract, which will be considered to have lapsed in case the person does not pass the required language examination within the 36 months following the appointment.

Please note that the mandatory retirement age for staff members at the General Secretariat of the OAS is 65 years.

Benefits:

- Paid Annual Leave: 21 days from 1st year.  Increase to 30 days within 5 years.  
- Sick Leave and Parental Leave. 
- Health and Life Insurance: OAS pays 2/3 of premium health, 100% life 
- Pension and Savings Plans: OAS contributes 14% of pensionable remuneration to a Retirement and Pension Plan. Staff contribute 7%.