Special Assistant to Executive Director at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Functional Responsibilities

1. Support and advise the Executive Director through:

• Coordination and strategicprioritization of all communications addressed to the Executive Director.
• In consultation with UN Environment Senior Management, monitors, identifies and brings to the attention of the Executive Director emerging political, policy and managerial issues.

2. Maintain liaison and serves as primary contact for smooth communication between the Executive Director / Executive Office and UN Environment Divisions, Regional Directors, and Country heads of office.

• Manage the Executive Director’s day-to-day commitments and serves as point of referral for a number of regions/countries and thematic policy areas, including China, East Asia, the MiddleEast, and the nexus between health and the environment
• Ensure prompt and efficient communication and coordination between the Executive Director and UN Environment Divisions and Offices.
• Work with the Divisions and relevant staff, draft correspondence for and on behalf of the Executive Director, including confidential correspondence.

3. Support the Executive Director’s meetings:

• Assist in planning for and participating in meetings of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the Committee of Permanent Representatives.
• Ensure that the Executive Director is effectively able to participate in (and lead, when appropriate) meetings with the UN Environment Senior Management and other internal bodies as necessary.
• Ensure that the Executive Director has relevant briefing material for meetings with senior managers, colleagues, members of the Nairobi diplomatic community, and visiting government, United Nations, Inter-Governmental Organizations and Non-Governmental Organization officials.

4. Support the Executive Director to maintain close contact with government delegations, particularly in China, East Asia and the Middle East, senior officials of the United Nations and its system organizations:

• Facilitate effective communication and contacts.
• Bring to the attention of the Executive Director issues relevant to UN Environment’s bilateral relations with governments and inter-agency cooperation.
• Identify, analyze and monitor political developments, trends and emerging issues that could affect the work of UN Environment.
• Assess implications and make recommendations to senior management on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives.
• Support the Executive Director in the performance of his functions, including the provision of policy advice on issues relevant to China, East Asia and the Middle East, other regions and thematic focused areas as appropriate.

5. Support the Executive Director’s travels and missions:

• Coordinate the preparation of extensive briefing materials and mission files, ensuring the materials from other offices are submitted in a timely manner and are of high quality.
• Finalize all speeches and statements to be delivered by the Executive Director, in close consultation with the submitting office.
• Guide the Executive Director’s Administrative Assistant on all logistical preparations for mission travel, in cooperation with relevant substantive colleagues (particularly in regional and out-posted offices) and external interlocutors.
• Assist in follow-up actions arising from missions, including the finalization of mission reports and dissemination of relevant information to colleagues in other parts of UN Environment.

6. Support the development and implementation of the biannual UN Environment Programme of Work, relevant national, sub-regional and regional strategies and plans and devise innovative mechanisms to enhance UN Environment’s responsiveness to country and regional needs.

7. Support the coordination of UN Environment’s engagement and commitments in relevant United Nations system-wide processes and initiatives.8. Perform any other duties as assigned by the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and the Chief of Staff