Senior Secretary (Administration) 80%

Introduction

The Senior Administrative Secretary position is located in the Medical Service Unit (MEDSERV), which forms part of the Human Resources Development Department (HRD). MEDSERV has a mandate to assist all ILO staff regardless of their location and opens from 08:00 to 17:00, on a daily basis. 

The position will be required to provide a range of secretarial work of a responsible nature, including coordinating the work of the secretariat of MEDSERV, providing assistance to the clinical team, patients and visitors, and administering a system of electronic data collection and recording. 

Medical confidentiality is essential to the functioning of MEDSERV. The successful candidate will be requested to sign a confidentiality clause as part of their contract to work.

The position will report to the Medical Adviser, MEDSERV.

Specific Duties

1.    Provide secretarial and administrative support to the clinical team in MEDSERV, including the organisation of training, meetings, preparation of missions.  Receive and assist patients and visitors, respond to queries in person, by email or telephone.
2.    Initiate, process and follow up on administrative actions in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Integrated Resource Information System - IRIS) such as travel authorizations, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, external collaborator contracts.  Prepare receipts for such purchases in IRIS.  Verify that information is in compliance with applicable standards. Input complete data in IRIS.
3.    Draft and follow up on general and administrative correspondence relating to MEDSERV.
4.    Provide secretarial support and assistance in the production of health promotion information and educational materials prepared within the unit and ensure that adequate supplies of such materials are available on time.
5.    Respond to medical needs by contacting the appropriate doctor or nurse during urgent and emergency situations, as a member of the emergency response team of MEDSERV.
6.    Provide administrative support in the preparation of documentation for the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and for the Compensation Committee. Maintain the filing system and follow-up of the medical material related to these bodies.  
7.    Maintain and update databases and prepare standard reports and statistics. Update information on the MEDSERV web page upon the request of the clinical team.
8.    Liaise with external health-care providers to arrange appointments, seminars and presentations.  Liaise with external doctors to obtain information and maintain relevant files.
9.    Perform other general administrative duties such as maintaining the petty cash account for MEDSERV, ordering of non-medical stocks and equipment for the unit.
10.    Keep abreast of changes to administrative rules, regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines and share information with staff, providing further clarification as required.
11.    Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
 

These specific duties are aligned with the relevant ILO generic job description, which includes the following generic duties:

Generic Duties

1.    Analyse, record, assign or monitor the distribution of mail, correspondence (often confidential), and documents to staff of the work unit. Recommend deadlines and follow-up dates, and coordinate responses.  Follow up on the status of work in progress involving the preparation of correspondence and reports.  
2.    Draft administrative correspondence in two languages. Review and correct correspondence, reports, documents prepared by other staff for format, spelling and grammar, especially for the signature of the supervisor. Provide informal translation of correspondence into one language.  
3.    Create and maintain the work unit’s filing and reference systems, whether manual or automated. Create background files on assigned subjects in consultation with professional staff, determine the nature of the supervisor’s needs and compile appropriate reference material.  
4.    Provide administrative support for meetings and conferences held in or outside Geneva.  Attend meetings and take notes and draft minutes as required.  Maintain the travel plan of the work unit, make travel arrangements, monitor travel planned and undertaken and prepare related updates to track use of funds. Provide orientation and guidance on procedures to other general service staff.  Monitor staff movements, leave and entitlements. Establish work priorities and ensure equitable workloads for other general services staff members.  
5.    Screen requests for appointments with supervisor according to the nature of the requests and their urgency, make tentative commitments, confirm mutually convenient schedules and rearrange schedules disrupted by unexpected events. Identify alternative means for referring and handling outside inquiries by the incumbent’s or other work units.  
6.    Word process statements, reports, studies including statistical tables, etc. from manuscripts and other sources using a variety of software. Searches databases in order to trace status and progress of cases of particular interest to the supervisor and to request updated standard management reports and statistics.  May be required to update websites.

Required qualifications

Education

Completion of secondary school education. 

Experience

Five years of relevant experience. Experience in an occupational health service will be considered an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of two working languages (English, French, Spanish), including the ability to draft administrative correspondence in both languages.  

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies, this position requires:

Ability to use word processing software and e-mail. Knowledge of house rules for the preparation of documents and of the use of filing systems. Ability to search internet. Ability to use other software packages required by the work unit. Knowledge of software necessary for updating websites may be required. Knowledge of procedures for creating and maintaining the file system. Knowledge of procedures for preparing administrative forms. Ability to obtain services for completion of tasks from other work units inside or outside the office. Ability to evaluate correspondence and enquiries for best course of action. Ability to search and retrieve information from databases and compile reports. Knowledge of procedures governing missions and other official travel. Knowledge of rules and procedures governing leave. Ability to respond to requests from visitors. Ability to determine relevant background and reference material for others to screen requests for urgency and priorities and to keep confidentiality. Supervisory skills.  Knowledge of medical terminology would be an advantage.

Behavioural competencies

Ability to reply in an appropriate and helpful manner to telephone and in-person enquiries. Ability to work well with colleagues as part of a multidisciplinary team. Ability to organise own work. Complete discretion in dealing with confidential matters. Flexibility. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.

Additional Information
MEDSERV staff are required to conform to the opening hours of the unit. The successful candidate will be required to respect these opening hours and to work with colleagues on coordinating shifts.