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Latin America and Caribbean Region

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Operations

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Executive Assistant - GS5 Fixed Term

Apply now Job no: 585421
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: San Jose
Level: G-5
Location: Costa Rica
Categories: Operations, Administration

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, dedication 

How can you make a difference? 

Under the supervision of the Head of Office, the Executive Assistant is accountable for providing high-level support and coordination across functional areas, contributing to the smooth functioning of the supervisor’s day-to-day activities and overall office efficiency.

The Executive Assistant also provides administrative and operational support to the UNICEF Country Representative and relevant functional areas, such as Communications, Private Fundraising, Operations and HR helping ensure timely processing of requests, coordination of meetings, and follow-up on routine actions. This includes assisting with documentation, scheduling, travel arrangements, and other logistical tasks that contribute to the effective functioning of the country office.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities

COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT:

  • On behalf of supervisor, manage incoming and outgoing correspondence, e-mails and telephone calls. Including those related to programme activities.
  • Communicate sensitive information to higher level managers, including office-related updates and requests.
  • Provide routine information pertaining to the work of the division/office.
  • Draft responses to written inquiries on routine questions.
  • Coordinate responses to sensitive inquiries.
  • Prepare briefing materials for official trips or meetings.
  • Follow up on established deadlines and ensuring timely submissions by staff on reports, correspondence and other documents.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT:

  • Organize and coordinate meetings, workshops, and field visits, including logistical arrangements and documentation for both administrative and programme activities.
  • Maintains functional areas files and records, ensuring proper filing and retrieval systems.
  • Support the preparation of briefing materials, presentations, and reports for office meetings, donor engagements, and internal reviews.
  • Coordinates itineraries, processing travel authorizations, ensuring compliance with travel policies, and supporting post – travel documentations and reimbursements.

OPERATIONS SUPPORT:

  • Liaise with Communications, Private Fundraising, Operations, and HR teams to ensure timely delivery of inputs and services.
  • Assist in tracking processes implementation milestones and maintaining updated tools for monitoring progress and expenditures.
  • Coordinates the daily responsibilities of the office Driver, ensuring timely scheduling, route planning, and alignment with official travel needs.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Executive Assistant

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

  • Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.
  • Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant administrative or clerical work experience is required.
  • Language requirements: Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian).
      

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, to apply to become a part of the organization. More information on UNICEF’s commitment to diversity and inclusion: https://uni.cf/InclusiveUNICEF.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Learn more about UNICEF’s wellbeing offer: https://uni.cf/Wellbeing.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member’s original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: Central America Standard Time
Deadline: Central America Standard Time

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