Jr. Committee Secretary – P02

Jr. Committee Secretary – P02

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.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Under the general guidance of the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary General, and under the direct supervision of the Committee Secretaries (grade P04), the Officer Junior Committee Secretary provides technical secretariat support to the General Assembly, the Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Council and its subsidiary organs, as well as other political bodies supported by OSAG.

The Junior Officer Committee Secretary is responsible for duties which include the following:

1.    Support the Committee Secretaries in the logistical planning and coordination of sessions and meetings of the General Assembly, the Meetings of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Council and its subsidiary organs, and other political bodies supported by OSAG, in close coordination with the Department of Conference and Meetings Management (DCMM).
2.    Assist in tracking the implementation of mandates and decisions adopted by the political bodies, as directed by the Committee Secretaries.
3.    Under the guidance of the Committee Secretaries, conduct background research on items on the order of business and assist in preparing scripts for the chairperson for both formal and informal meetings.
4.    Assist the Committee Secretaries in preparing, formatting, and reviewing meeting documents, including summaries, draft orders of business, reports, and other related materials, ensuring accuracy, proper referencing and quotations, and timely translation and submission.
5.    Review the format and content of documents and reports prepared by the Committee Secretaries, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance with OAS standards.
6.    In coordination with the Administrative Management Section (AMS), prepare administrative forms and actions for the obligation of funds, contracts and payments including monitoring funds availability for projects/ programs, as it relates to the OSAG and the Editorial Service Unit ensuring compliance with rules and regulations and that all financial records/files are complete and maintained up to date. 
7.    Utilize approved artificial intelligence tools to process audio and video recordings, generating transcriptions of meetings for subsequent editing, and supporting the management of translations of documents for the OAS General Secretariat.
8.    Support the Committee Secretaries by taking detailed notes and updating the language of draft declarations, resolutions, recommendations, and other political bodies’ documents in real time during live negotiations, ensuring accuracy and consistency in both English and Spanish throughout informal and formal meetings.
9.    Perform other duties as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:  
Essential: First University Degree (Bachelor’s) in Political Science, International Relations, International Economics, Law, Public Administration, or a field related to technical assistance, project management, and/or development and 4 years of relevant experience at national and international levels OR Advanced University Degree (Master’s) in one of the fields listed above and 2 years of relevant experience.

Desirable: Experience or knowledge of the OAS mandates and priorities as related to the area of work. Experience in a governmental, regional or international organization or institutions.

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 official languages of the OAS (read, write and communicate). Language Proficiency Examination will be required.

Desirable: Working knowledge of other two OAS official 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.      

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

 Benefits:

- Compensation: 
Professional Category: Remuneration = Basic Salary + Post Adjustment 
Net of taxes for non-US citizens  

- US citizens tax reimbursement: US Citizens are reimbursed for most taxes paid on OAS remuneration.  

- Paid Annual Leave: 21 days from 1st year.  Increase to 30 days within 5 years.  

- Sick Leave and Parental Leave.

- Health Insurance: OAS pays 2/3 of premium.

- Pension and Savings Plans: In addition to salary, OAS contributes 14% of pensionable remuneration to a Retirement and Pension Plan. Staff contribute 7%.

- Additional benefits (dependent on contract type): Mobilization allowance, repatriation grant, home leave travel, dependency allowance, life insurance.