Executive Assistant to Country Representative (Local Post for Nationals of Egypt)

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.  

In support of the Arab Republic of Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women (NSEEW), the work of the UN Women Egypt Country Office (ECO) is grounded in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA).

Under the Egypt/UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 and the Entity’s portfolio therein, UN Women implements its triple mandate of supporting normative standard-setting to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, implementing national and grassroots programmes grounded in international norms and best practices in partnership with national stakeholders, and strengthening UN system coordination. Over two decades of work in the country has resulted in UN Women ECO consolidating its expertise, partnerships, and investments around three main areas of work: women’s leadership and system-wide support to advancing gender equality; women’s economic empowerment; and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful practices.

Reporting to the Country representative and Deputy Country Representative, the Executive Assistant is responsible for providing a variety of executive administrative support to the Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative with full confidentiality in all aspects of assignment, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The Executive Assistant to the Country Representative works in close collaboration with UN Women staff, UN Agencies, and national authorities to ensure efficient flow of information, actions on instructions, agendas. 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide executive support to the UN Women Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative

• Manage the UN Women Country Representative’s and Deputy Country Representative’s calendars and schedule of appointments and meetings;
• Arrange travel and hotel accommodations for the UN Women Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative; 
• Answer and screen calls for the Country Representative with tact and discretion;
• Maintain roster of Country Office contacts.

2. Provide administrative support to the UN Women Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative

• Provide administrative support for meetings, events, and workshops;
• Organize and attend meetings, prepare minutes and summaries;
• Assemble briefing materials and prepare PowerPoint presentations for the Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative for meetings, missions, and other key events.

3. Provide effective communication and information management support to the Country Representative’s Office

• Facilitate flow of information and communication between the UN Women Country Representative’s Office and other units within or outside of UN Women;
• Review, prioritize, and route correspondence to and from the UN Women Country Representative Office; take proactive follow-up action and keep the Country Representative informed;
• Respond to and/or direct inquiries to appropriate units for timely action/response;
• Draft routine correspondence and interoffice circulars;
• Maintain and organize up to date files for easy access and retrieval. Ensure safekeeping of confidential materials.

4. Provide support to the Country Representative Office’s external relations activities

• Facilitate the Country Representative’s interaction with various external partners through written, verbal, and electronic communication, and through collaborative and proactive relationships with counterparts and colleagues in partner offices;
• Meet and greet officials/visitors;
• Ensure protocol matters, receive high ranking visitors/officials, coordinate logistical arrangements related to visits.

5. Contribute to knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Provide administrative support for effective knowledge management and sharing within the office and other offices/HQs;
• Build and share knowledge and experience related to administrative and operations support.

6. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely and quality support to the Country Representative and Deputy Country Representative;
• Quality presentation of information;
• Quality and timely organization of events/meetings;
• Adherence to protocol.

Core Values

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: 

Functional Competencies

• Ability to manage data/schedule, documents, correspondence, reports, and maintain protocol and information flow;
• Knowledge of administrative rules and regulations;
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature;
• Ability to create, edit, and present information in clear format, using appropriate IT functionality;
• Ability to administer administrative processes. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, or related field, is required.  

Experience

• At least 3 years of progressively responsible experience with administrative, secretarial, or program experience, required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), required.
• Very good organizational skills, required.
• Experience in the use of Quantum ERP system is an asset.
• Previous experience in the UN system is considered an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.  

Application:

Interested Individual Candidate must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11). UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from  make sure that you sign the form, and
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment, and
• A cover letter (no more than 400 words) explaining your suitability for the assigned task in English.

The above-mentioned documents MUST BE merged in a standalone file including all them, since the online application submission does only permit to uploading one file per application.

You can merge your documents by using Online resources. 

Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification. Make sure that you provide a valid email address for future communications.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)