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Administrative Assistant, Secretary-General's Office

Reference: 110700340
Location: London, UK
Closing Date: 1 Aug 2011

General Information

The Commonwealth Secretary-General (SG), as the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Secretariat, is primarily responsible for its executive direction and management. Furthermore, as an eminent public figure, he/she needs to interact regularly and widely with a large number of constituencies. These include governments, other inter-governmental organisations, civil society groups and the media. In addition to the support received from line divisions, the SG must therefore rely on the availability of assistance within his/her own executive office to help him/her carry out such duties.

Job summary

The Administrative Assistant works as part of a team of four staff who, under the direction of the Executive Assistant to the SG, provide secretarial and administrative support to the Secretary-General and to professional staff in the Office of the Secretary-General (OSG). As such, the Administrative Assistant supports and is supported by others to meet the OSG’s full range of secretarial and administrative requirements, requiring flexibility and a willingness to fill in for others at times.

The Administrative Assistant provides a range of services, including typing, arranging phone calls, maintaining databases, organising travel and completing office compliance requirements.

Task description

Reporting to the Executive Assistant to the SG, the post-holder will undertake the following:

· assisting the Executive Assistant to the SG with the SG's appointments and diary and in communicating the SG's diary commitments to all relevant personnel in OSG and the wider Secretariat when required;

· providing a range of support services to the professional staff of the OSG including typing, facilitation of telephone calls, despatch of documents, facilitation of visitors, etc;

· preparing and producing (in liaison with Printing Section) OSG documents such as invitations, travel programmes, menu cards and other OSG documents,

· maintaining up-to-date databases and lists of relevant OSG contacts;

· co-ordinating with Diplomatic missions (for visas & programmes), travel agencies (for airline bookings), Finance Section (for Daily Subsistence Allowances), hotels (for accommodation), etc for travel for the SG and other OSG staff;

· assisting the Executive Assistant to the SG in the organisation and management of events / representational functions hosted by the SG and/or his spouse, such as the annual Commonwealth Day Reception, etc;

· arranging other hospitality functions;

· assisting the Executive Assistant to the SG in the organisation of representational activities of the SG’s spouse;

· ensuring that the SG has appropriate gifts to be presented to visiting dignitaries and when going on overseas mission, maintaining a record of gifts given and received, and in liaison with Corporate Services Division, maintain the gift stock;

· ensuring that all matters relating to the SG’s official residence are reported to the relevant section, actions are taken and followed up and reporting on progress to the Executive Assistant to the SG and the SG’s spouse;

· assisting in liaising with staff from other divisions to ensure that documents are received in OSG in time for relevant meetings;

· ensuring that the OSG’s leave and similar office compliance documentation requirements are met;

· inputting data on budgets and expenditure, and supporting OSG budgetary compliance in other ways as directed;

· providing administrative support to meetings, workshops and seminars including taking minutes, collating minutes and other memoranda;

· occasionally accompany the SG or other OSG staff to meetings, conferences and workshops to provide secretarial/administrative assistance;

· assisting with incoming and outgoing mail, drafting some routine correspondence and replying to correspondence;

· compiling briefing notes for professional staff based on desk research;

· performing any other duties as may be required from time to time.

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