UN Women: Executive Assistant

Organizational Context:

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.

UN Women in Colombia in accordance with national priorities and international instruments for the protection of women's human rights, mainly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), works to achieve substantive equality between men and women in all aspects of life, focusing on strengthening the leadership and political and economic empowerment of women and their right to a life free of violence, both in the context of conflict and outside this, as bases for a stable and sustainable peace. In this way, UN Women supports national efforts to make women beneficiaries and main actors in the sustainable development and construction of peace, democracy and security in Colombia. In this context, UN Women works to ensure that the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) become a reality for women and girls, promoting their equal participation in all areas of life. The rights of women and girls are firmly reflected in this agenda through a specific goal on gender equality and empowerment, as well as through the strong mainstreaming of a gender perspective across the targets and indicators of the other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in the means of implementation, and in global partnerships for financing. In this way, for the first time, gender equality is central to development across its three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental.

The agenda therefore addresses various structural issues related to gender equality, including the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, the eradication of discriminatory laws against women, and women’s full and meaningful participation in decision-making. In this regard, UN Women supports national and local efforts to ensure that women are beneficiaries and protagonists of democracy, peace, and sustainable development in Colombia.

Reporting to Country Representative, the Executive Assistant is responsible for providing a variety of executive administrative support to the UN Women Country Representative/Deputy Representative maintaining full confidentiality in all aspects of assignment and, in close coordination with the office management and personnel, for managing the efficient flow of information and communications to ensure expeditious dissemination of information, timely action and compliance with established deadlines.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

1. Provide executive support to the UN Women Country Representative:

• Manage the UN Women Country Representative’s calendar and schedule of appointments and meetings;
• Arrange travel and hotel accommodations for the UN Women 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:

• 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 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