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Administrative Assistant, Corporate Services Division

12:24:00 PM

Reference: 110800346
Location: London, UK
Duration: Three years
Closing Date: 22 Sep 2011

General information

Corporate Services (CSD) is the largest division in the Secretariat (with approximately one quarter of the total staff) and is structured into sections that deal with specific professional specialities and support services: financial management, information technology, accommodation and office services, printing and document reproduction and conference organisation. The division also manages the small states offices in New York and Geneva.

Director Corporate Services (DCS) has lead responsibility for the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective support services. S/he also leads the Secretariat’s change management programme, which is wide-ranging and critical to the organisation’s ability to meet the increased expectations of Commonwealth governments. Stemming from these roles, the Director makes a key contribution to the Secretariat’s corporate and operational planning,

The work of the Director’s office ensures that it is undertaken in an integrated way that has regard to the perspectives of all relevant parts of CSD as well as other divisions and the stakeholders. While the Director addresses these at a strategic level the Directors office ensures that it is addressed at a tactical level.

The focus of the division is also on embedding high standards of professionalism and working towards achieving international standardisation in relation to various professional areas throughout the division, and the wider Secretariat. Part of the mandate of the Directors office is to review current processes within Corporate Services and the wider Secretariat and streamline them with well documented procedures.

Job summary

The post supports the Divisional Co-ordinator and the Director in achieving the above objectives.

The post holder:

  • reports directly to the Co-ordinator, who oversees the work of the post holder, determine priorities and manage the interface with the other sections of CSD and the wider organisation
  • provides administrative support to the Divisional Co-ordinator and the Director of Corporate Services

Duties

  • Provide a range of confidential and professional administrative services to the Divisional Co-ordinator and Director of Corporate Services:
    • drafting correspondence and information gathering
    • ensuring smooth flow of documents and files to and from the Director’s Office
    • setting up bring-ups and liaising with relevant divisional staff to ensure the responses are received on a timely basis
  • Manage the diaries of the Director and the Divisional Co-ordinator efficiently, in a manner consistent with their priorities and objectives, as well as ensuring there are no conflicts by:
    • liaising with the Divisional Coordinator and/or other relevant personnel in the organisation to ensure smooth operations of appointments
    • communicating with relevant staff and external personnel in terms of required changes, conflicts and adjustments to the diary
    • ensuring that for both internal and external meetings the Director receives the necessary briefing material in a timely manner
    • facilitating of visitors, answering of telephone calls and arranging meetings, appointments
    • maintaining an up-to-date list of contacts
  • Co-ordinate and provide administrative support to meetings and other forums including collating relevant documents, taking minutes, and monitoring of action points
  • Carry out research as assigned and present findings in a format that is conducive to the requirements. This will include, where applicable, contact and discussions with internal and external clients and stakeholders to gather relevant information
  • Liaise with stakeholders internal and external to the Organisation on various issues from routine exchanges to complicated issues such as:
    • issues with payments – non payments, payments
    • trouble shooting with both internal and external clients and mediating between them
    • liaison with suppliers in general
  • Carry out administrative tasks related to the Commissariat and Official Gifts by way of:
    • purchasing
    • stock control
    • supplying to internal clients
    • invoicing
    • payments and maintaining all records
    • liaison with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and HM Revenue & Customs to ensure that that all operations are carried out in line with relevant legislation/regulations.
  • Carry out administrative tasks related to rebate on Government taxes for diplomatic staff by way of:
    • calculating the reimbursements due on a monthly basis
    • collating relevant paperwork and forwarding to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) via the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)
    • dealing with any queries
    • ensuring that relevant personnel receive the reimbursements on a timely basis once the reimbursement cheques are delivered to the Secretariat
  • Carry out administrative tasks related to reclaim of home telephone bills for relevant entitled staff members
  • Maintain up-to-date databases or manipulate existing databases to produce management reports on a regular and an ad hoc basis in respect of various tasks the Director’s office oversees
  • Assist the Divisional Co-ordinator in dealing with various projects that falls under the remit of the office
  • Responsible for the records management of the Director Office including electronic and manual files
  • Co-ordinating and organising travel arrangements for Director
  • Ad-hoc duties as assigned by Corporate Services Director and the Divisional Co-ordinator

Download the Job Description

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