Background

The situation in Somalia remains fragile with continued political instability, climatic variability, and lack of basic social services. OCHA’s role is to coordinate effective and principled inter-agency humanitarian response and ensure that relief assistance reaches the people who need it in a timely manner.

In line with OCHA’s global mission, OCHA Somalia continues to:

• Advocate for access to basic services, especially water, sanitation, education and health for vulnerable communities, including the collection, analysis and dissemination of information to humanitarian partners, and negotiation of access;
• Support the government efforts and humanitarian organizations in relocation of internally displaced and return;
• Coordinate the implementation of humanitarian response in Somalia with UN agencies and programmes, national and international NGOs and local authorities/communities as appropriate, with focus on strengthening the cluster approach;
• Enhance a protective environment that respects the human rights of all, including IDPs, returnees and minority clans.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Office, a.i, the Executive Associate will ensure effective and efficient functioning of the Front Office, full confidentiality in all aspects of assignment, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow, follow up on deadlines and commitments made.

The Executive Associate works in close collaboration with OCHA staff, UN Agencies, national authorities, OCHA HQ staff, to ensure efficient flow of information, actions on instructions, agendas, prepare draft letters on behalf of the Head of Office.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the OCHA Front Office;
• Ensures provision of effective communication support to the office unit;
• Ensures administrative support to the office;
• Provides support to effective advocacy of OCHA activities;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Ensures effective and efficient functioning of the Front Office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Coordinate and maintain the supervisor’s calendar of meetings, organize meetings, contacts with high-ranking visitors, arrangement of appointments and meetings, draft replies to invitations and meetings; researches briefing materials, acting as an interpreter when required and/or taking minutes;
• Preparation of high quality briefing materials for supervisor appointments, meetings, missions;
• Maintenance of rosters of high-level partners, telephone lists;
• Preparation of correspondence, directives, comments on his signature and making follow up when required;
• Use of automated office management systems for effective functioning of the front office.

Ensures provision of effective communication support to the office on achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of the filing system ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials. Use of automated filing system;
• Facilitation of information sharing between UNCT and OCHA;
• Review and screening incoming correspondence for the Head of Office attention and prioritize documents according to action required; review and edit outgoing correspondence for the Head of Office signature; ensure quality control, substance, sensitivity of issues, and that they are prepared according to OCHA standards;
• Presentation of proposals to eliminate communication bottlenecks in the office and streamline office procedures between the supervisor’s office and subordinate division.

Ensures administrative support to the office:

• Assist in managing day to day operations of the front office; convey to staff directives and information from the Head of Office; Participate in and drafts minutes of meeting and ensure proper dissemination;
• Make arrangements for official travel of the Head of Office, communicate with meeting organizers/country offices on logistics; set itinerary, follow, obtain clearances, visas, tickets necessary for travel;
• Preparation and dissemination of briefing packs upon request;
• Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management;
• Any other assignments at the request of the other staff.

Provides support to effective advocacy of OCHA activities in close consultation with the Desk Office in Headquarter and the information unit in Nairobi system focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Maintenance of information of Head of Office system activities;
• Preparation of public information materials as required;
• Preparation and dissemination of briefing packs.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt on coordination;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Organization of trainings to OCHA staff on coordination issues.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:     

Building Strategic Partnerships

• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives.

 Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents innovative strategies and new approaches.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
• Conversant with UN system operations;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Ability to build networks and partnerships and capacity to work in a team set up;
• Balances meeting deadlines while maintaining highest professional standards and accuracy;
• Demonstrates critical ability and sound judgment in the pursuit of requests to full completion;
• Demonstrates the highest level of discretion and helpfulness in a manner that reflects positives on the office;
• Demonstrates understanding of the UN organizational structure and external partners for purposes of efficiently handling incoming queries and requests, and for collecting information and performing liaison functions.

 Promoting Organizational Change and Development:

• Documents ‘best practices’ in organizational change and development within and outside the UN system;
• Demonstrates ability to identify problems and proposes solutions.

 Design and Implementation of Management Systems:

•  Uses information/databases/other management systems;
• Provides inputs to the development of simple system components.

Client Orientation:

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
• Responds to client needs promptly.

 Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

• Gathers and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems;
• Prepares timely inputs to reports;
• Maintains databases.

 Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:                  

• Secondary Education with specialized certification in relevant field;
• University degree in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science or related fields would be desirable but is not a requirement.

 Experience:

• 7 years of progressively responsible administrative or programme experience is required at the national or international level;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), experience in handling of web based management systems.   

Language:       

• Fluency in English, both verbal and written is essential;
• Wworking knowledge of at least one other official UN language is an asset.