Senior Administrative Assistant (IOC)

OVERVIEW

Position Number: IOC PA 044

Grade: G-6

Parent Sector: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Administration

Contract Type: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 28/09/2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Duration of contract: 1 year with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance 

INSTRUCTIONS

 Only candidates who are entitled to work in France may apply to this position.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the direct supervision of the Head of the IOC Operational Support Unit, and in close collaboration with the Unit's two administrative staff members, the incumbent provides high-level administrative and operational support in a broad range of specialized areas to IOC Sections at Headquarters and decentralized offices. The incumbent also plays a key role in ensuring the consistent application of, and compliance with, UNESCO's administrative rules, regulations, policies, procedures and established practices across the Sector

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent shall perform the following tasks:
 
General Accountabilities:
-     Act as certifying officer up to an authorized level delegated by the CFO.
-     Provide guidance and interpretation on administrative rules, regulations and procedures.
-     Advise on operational and technical routine transactions.
-     Recommend process and system related modifications and improvements to support successful administration and financial monitoring and control.
-     Interpret provisions and provide guidance on complex and non-recurring issues.
-     May supervise activities related to office maintenance, security, transport and similar services.
 
Financial Accountabilities
-     Ensure that the Office’s financial resources and expenditures are fully and properly accounted for and that internal control systems are adequate and functioning schedule payments and disbursement of funds.
-     Ensure accurate and timely processing of assigned accounts, developing budget estimates and monitoring expenditures, participating and advising in the preparation of financial statements and budgets.
-     Assist in the preparation and coordination of financial activities under RP and EXB funds.
-     Compile and consolidate data from various sources into financial statements, prepare worksheets.
-     Monitor expenditures, review payments and reconcile accounts.
-     Investigate anomalies and erroneous charges and take corrective action.
-     Provide assistance and guidance to undertake coding and data entry task and to extract information, to run reports from FABS/ SISTER or other online financial systems.
 
Budgetary Accountabilities
-     Prepare RP and EXB budget reports and communicate on them.
-     Assist and advise on planning and budgetting and recommend modifications.
-     Prepare budget proposals and cost estimates and ensure that data is correct.
-     Identify irregularities and undertake transactions to correct errors/omissions.
 
HR Accountabilities
-     Handle non-routine or complex cases, prepare associated documents/ correspondence for personnel actions based on oral instructions and previous experience.
-     Follow-up on coming HR actions and oversee maintenance, update and clean-up of database.
-     Issue non-staff contracts, advise on recruitment process and entitlements.
-     Liaise with central services (HRM, BFM, MSS etc) to discuss and obtain additional information, clarifications and policy interpretation.
 
Logistics Accountabilities
-     Procurement: research and retrieve information on supply sources, vendors by commodity and obtain specifications on the market.
-     Review contractual documents (TOR, budget, contract nature and type).
-     Resolve issues/ problems related to delivered goods.
-     Prepare requisitions for supplies and equipment; ensure that payments are processed and provide information to the assigned Sector on invoicing and payment issues.
-     Arrange for control and distribution of inventory records.
-     Security: ensure compliance.  

COMPETENCIES - Core (C) & Managerial (M)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)
• Professionalism (C)

Short Description

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION
 
- Completed secondary education, technical or vocational education.
 
WORK EXPERIENCE
 
- Minimum eight (8) years of relevant work experience in secretarial and/or administrative tasks.
 
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
 
 - Proven experience in problem solving in the field of Human Resources, Travel, Finance and budget.
- Excellent analytical skills and capacity to make sound judgements.
- Ability to provide quality and timely support and services.
- Ability to deal with confidential matters with tact and discretion.
- Ability to build effective working relationships, in a multicultural environment, with a variety of internal and external partners.
- Ability to take initiative and seek innovative ways to improve results.
- Excellent IT skills with proficiency in the use of MS Office tools, ERP system (SAP), and various applications/ automated tools.
 
LANGUAGES
 
- Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English and French.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

- University Degree in Public/Business Administration or related fields.

- Specialized training/certification in Supply Chain or Procurement.

WORK EXPERIENCE

- Relevant professional experience in similar functions within the United Nations system at the international level.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

- Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, analyse, compile and synthesize information into coherent, concise and well-structured documents, with excellent writing, editing and communication skills.

- Good knowledge of information systems and digital tools, with the ability to analyze business needs, support administrative process improvements, and provide user guidance and first-level troubleshooting.

- High attention to detail, excellent time management and organizational skills, with demonstrated ability to provide logistical support, coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, and ensure effective synchronization of activities and workflows.

-Good knowledge of IOC basic texts, including the financial regulations of the IOC Special Account

LANGUAGES

- Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and/or Spanish).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc. 

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 48 526 EUR.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

SELECTION AND HIRING PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies to a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• Geographical mobility is required for staff members appointed to UNESCO’s international posts.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. UNESCO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. The list can be accessed through the link: https://www.whed.net
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by the Organization, is required for International Professional positions.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.