The Position:

The Special Assistant provides operational, planning, managerial, technical and coordination support to all aspects of the work of the Regional Director. S/he acts as a key interface with all various units within and outside the Regional Office, coordinating the flow of management information between units and the Directorate and thereby ensuring smooth and timely operations, allowing better planning and more predictable delivery by the Directorate while optimizing the time of the Regional Director.

S/he reports directly to the Regional Director for the West & Central Africa Regional.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in program results.

Job Purpose:

The Special Assistant performs a range of administrative functions and engages in special projects and assignments in order to maximize the Regional Director’s time and effectiveness. S/he will also play a role in communications, event planning, meeting support and cross-organizational initiatives with sister UN agencies. This include providing substantive analysis and summaries to the Regional Director on major documentation covering all aspects of the West & Central Africa Regional Office work, and policy and programme activities from within UNFPA and the UN system requiring the Regional Director’s involvement.

This role requires outstanding professionalism and discretion, organization and attention to detail, energy and initiative, the ability to deftly multi-task and a willingness to work on a wide variety of projects and tasks.

Qualifications and Experience

Education: 

Advanced university degree in Public Health, Demography, Social Sciences, Management or a related subject in International Development.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive technical area, of which at least two years at the international level;
• Strong organizational, planning and analytical ability and professional experience in policy analysis and development work;
• Familiarity with UN development programmes and working methods, particularly with UNFPA agenda, policies and programming procedures;
• Excellent writing and strong oral communication skills;
• Capacity to work well within a multi-cultural team;
• Ability to form strategic partnerships and to collect and analyze strategic information in the field of Population and Sexual and Reproductive Health;
• Strong interpersonal and networking skills.  

Languages:

• Fluency in French and English is required.
• Working knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese would be an asset.