SHORT-TERM OFFICE ASSISTANT

United Nations University Objectives:

The United Nations University (UNU) is an international community of scholars, engaged in research, postgraduate teaching and capacity development and dissemination of knowledge in furthering the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The mission of UNU is to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States. For more information, please visithttp://unu.edu.

UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC):

The UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development was established in 2007 in Bonn as a Programme of UN-Water in the framework of the "Water for Life" Decade, 2005-2015, hosted by the United Nations University. Its mandate is to strengthen the activities of the more than two dozen UN organizations and programmes already co-operating within the inter-agency mechanism known as UN-Water, and to add value and facilitate the activities of the UN-Water members and support them in their efforts to achieve the millennium goals related to water. This is not just a matter of capacity development related to water, but also of education, training and institutional development. In keeping with this aim, UNW-DPC’s Mission Statement ‘is to enhance the coherence, credibility and integrated effectiveness of UN-Water by strengthening its capacity development programmes, particularly in developing countries and economies in transition. In so doing, UN-Water will demonstrate a vanguard role and leadership in bringing together stakeholders in the capacity development field and creating added value for their programmes.

As the International Decade for Action "Water for Life", 2005-2015, is coming to an end, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) will be closing in July 2015 in fulfillment of its mandate.

Responsibilities:

Under the authority of the Officer-in-Charge (OiC) of UNW-DPC and the supervision and guidance of the Assistant Director, the successful candidate shall be entrusted with the following tasks:

· Event organization

• Support the preparations and organization of an event
• Preparation of communications and written materials for the event

· Supporting the office operations by

• Preparing the shipment of selected materials using UNW-DPC’s contact database
• Updating UNW-DPC’s contact database
• Clearing UNW-DPC’s archive and office spaces and archiving of selected documents
• Drafting of correspondences;

· Support the team with

• reporting duties; preparation of summaries, reports, presentations in PowerPoint
• taking meeting minutes
• preparing publications
• organizing official events, receptions, meetings, conferences and handling all necessary arrangements (e.g. room reservations, guest/participant lists, invitations, catering, seating arrangements, background documentation, special equipment, etc.)
• distributing new publications to UNW-DPC contacts
• Any other duties as may be assigned or required.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

· University degree or equivalent in Geography, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Management, Communications or Journalism, Secretarial training or other relevant discipline; in particular, qualified applicants with a background in water/environmental issues/international development are encouraged to apply;

· Work experience, especially in an international environment would be considered an asset;

· Experience with organizing events would be an asset;

· Excellent time management and organizational skills and the ability to work independently and under tight deadlines;

· Highly detail oriented and able to maintain office records in an accurate and systematic manner;

· Ability to convey messages clearly, effectively and with the highest level of confidentiality and discretion;

· Experience using MS Office applications (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint) is required

· Fluency in both oral and written English is essential; German is an asset

· Good team player with strong inter-personal skills demonstrated by the ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Remuneration:

Remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Duration of Contract:

The successful candidate will be based at UNW-DPC in Bonn on a part-time basis (20-30 hours per week) under the Consultant Contract (CTC) category for a period of up to 2-3 months, but not beyond 31. July 2015.

This is a locally recruited post; no relocation expenses or allowances apply. The successful candidate will be employed under a local contract and will not hold international civil servant status nor be a “staff member” as defined in the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations.

Applications from suitably qualified women candidates are particularly encouraged.

Starting Date:

As soon as possible (preferably 01 May 2015)

HOW TO APPLY:

Application Procedure:

Interested applicants should submit their applications by e-mail (to hrbonn@vie.unu.edu), and must include the following:

· a cover letter setting out how the qualifications and experience match the requirements of the position;

· a curriculum vitae and completed and signed UNU Personal History (P.11) formdownloadable fromUNU Bonn website. Please avoid using similar forms provided by other United Nations organizations;

· an indication of the reference number of the vacancy announcement (2015/ UNW/DPC/CTC/STOA/29).