Administrative Assistant at African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).  We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Administrative Assistant

Requisition ID: 744
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Organization: African Union Commission - AUC
Reports to: Head of Division, Management and Administration
Directorate/Department: Africa CDC
Division: Management and Administration
Job Grade: GSA5
Contract Type: Regular

Purpose of Job

• The Administrative Assistant provides a wide variety of administrative coordination and services support as needed to advance agency strategic goals and objectives.
• His/Her work will focus on direct services delivery and/or coordinating the delivery of complex administrative support tasks involving delegation and follow-up of individual staff and assigned products.

Main Functions

• Provide timely technical and operational support in line with the Division’s mandate
• Implement technical and operational activities as scheduled and report.
• Assist in the follow up on activity implementation and provision of updates, facilitate logistical arrangements linked to the area of work
• Liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist in the creation, improvement and maintenance of systems relevant to the area of work; gather data and information and do preliminary analysis and research for consideration by the bigger team and the supervisor
• Prepare office communication linked to the area of operation and assist in compiling data and information for reporting and analysis purposes. Follow up decisions and correspondence outcomes and ensure their implementation.
• Follow up on provision and upkeep of tools and materials linked to the area of work.

Specific Responsibilities
The Administrative Assistant shall:

• Analyse and maintain an overview of the office they are assigned to work in  to ensure that timely administrative support is provided in general and specialized areas;  
• Schedule a high volume of appointments, meetings and travel arrangements which may include coordinating arrangements for multiple participants;
• Create, update and maintain organised files and records including a system for tracking, monitoring and prioritising tasks;  
• Ensuring confidentiality of information and management records is guaranteed;
• Prepare correspondences, executive summary, reports, briefing papers, power point presentations and other documents as required;
• Liaising effectively with internal and external stakeholders;
• Monitor meeting and correspondences outcomes and decisions and follow-up on their implementation;
• Prepare and participate in various meetings and take minutes and/or notes;
• Provide communications support and assistance to ensure timely responses to inquiries including answering and prioritising calls, email and correspondences;
• Direct provision or coordination of travel for management and line staff with the AU travel unit or contract travel service to ensure end-to-end arrangements of visas, flights, hotels, meetings, transportation and other required logistics support. Ensures complete travel packages are delivered to the designated officer in advance of departure. Facilitates and/or directly prepares travel claims for executive and management staff and other staff as appropriate.
• Sourcing and ordering stationery and office equipment as may be required;
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by Supervisors.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A minimum of a Diploma in Management, Administration or any related field from a recognized educational institution with at least three (3) years relevant work experience. OR
• A Bachelor's Degree in Management, Administration or any related field from a recognized educational institution with at least two (2) years of relevant work experience.  
• A higher qualification would be an added advantage.

Required Skills
Functional Skills:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; fluency in both English and French will be highly preferred;
• Ability to give attention to details and to work effectively under pressure;
• Proven ability to use clear, concise language in correspondence as well as including content fitting for the purpose and audiences when preparing written briefs and reports;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, organisational ability and time management;
• Excellent computer skills, including word processing, proficiency with e-mail and internet applications experience in using applications such as MS Word, MS-Excel and MS-PowerPoint.
• Fluency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese or Spanish); knowledge of more than one working language, or that of English and French will be an advantage.

Personal Abilities:

• Excellent Interpersonal skills
• Good amount of flexibility and willingness to work during unsociable hours
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• High level of autonomy at work, yet with profound team-spirit
• Adaptive, patient and resilient
• Pro-active and solutions oriented.

Leadership Competencies:

• Flexibility
• Risk Awareness and Compliance
• Core Competencies
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Accountability awareness and Compliance
• Learning Orientation
• Communicating Clearly.

Functional Competencies:

• Trouble shooting
• Job Knowledge Sharing
• Task Focused
• Continuous Improvement Awareness.

Enure of Appointment

• The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period.
• Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish) and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Remuneration
Indicative basic salary of US$ 15,758.00 (GSA5 Step 1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment (46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$ 16,813.44 (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.

Application Closing Date
22nd November 2021.