Administrative Assistant (Education)

OVERVIEW

Position Number: ED/PA 260

Grade: G-5

Parent Sector: Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: General Administrative Support

Contract Type: Project Appointment

Duration of contract: 1 year

Recruitment open to: Internal and external candidates

Application deadline (Midnight Paris Time): 15/09/2026

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Duration of contract: 1 year with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance 

INSTRUCTIONS

Only candidates who are entitled to work in France may apply to this position.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Under the general authority of the Assistant Director-General for Education and of the chief Executive office and under the direct supervision of the Finance and Administrative Officer (Chief, ED/AO), the incumbent shall provide specialized administrative services covering a series of budgetary, financial and other tasks to support the implementation of activities.

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.    Assist the Chief, ED/AO and the project responsible officers in the preparation of budgets, budget revisions, work-plans, budgetary reports etc.; Check information for accuracy and compliance with approved funds; Verify budgetary transactions/expenditures, enter data in the financial management system following approval and reconcile budgetary data in support of expenditure recording and budgetary tracking/reporting by relevant activity; Alert the supervisor of errors/omissions observed and undertake corrective action as directed.   

2.    Screen/process draft contracts, mission requests, conferences & meetings and other commitments for approval and follow-up as required; Search for data entry, record errors/omissions and report to explain budgetary/financial discrepancies/imbalances.

3.    Verify requests for payments against contractual obligations in the financial system and recommend payment certification, process contractual transactions as delegated, and provide information on payment status; Review open commitments (purchase orders, travel orders and meetings, etc.) by using financial management systems and clean unliquidated obligations and accounts in close consultation with the project team, DFM and BSP. 

4.    Assist in the compilation/preparation of regular and ad hoc budgetary/financial updates, reports, statistics and/or projections for use and scrutiny by UNESCO management/project staff; Draft correspondence, memo/emails for approval and verify/validate a variety of reports and tables ensuring overall accuracy and consistency of financial figures through cross-checking; Provide information to supervisor, management and project officers/staffs at UNESCO headquarters and in the field, as necessary.

5.    Participate in meetings/discussions on related project management; Respond to enquiries and report on financial performance under extra-budgetary funding sources, as delegated, and follow-up on contractual initiatives from the project team.   When requested, liaise with central services (DPA, FIN, DBM, HRM, etc.) to obtain additional information/clarification; 

6.    Maintain/update hard­copy and/or electronic files/records/data sources relating to project budget/finance, contracts and other administrative action taken, and support audit processing as directed; Ensure the proper creation and closure of files and the safe retention of the same.

COMPETENCIES - Core (C)

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)
• Professionalism (C)

Short Description

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

•    Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational education.

WORK EXPERIENCE

•    At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in administrative support tasks. 
•    Experience in Audit and Accounting.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

•    Good organizational and coordination skills and ability to plan, coordinate and monitor workplans.
•    Ability to work as part of a team, to take initiatives and provide quality and timely support and services.
•    Good IT skills, including MS office (Windows, Office Suite, Teams, etc.)
•    Knowledge of an ERP  (SAP) 
•    Knowledge of budget and Finance practices in a large organization or a large company.           
•    Team-spirit/Open personality and capability of creating good inter-personal relations.
•    Commitment and reliability

LANGUAGES

•    Excellent knowledge of English or French and good working knowledge of the other language (verbal and written).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

WORK EXPERIENCE

•    Experience in an international organization

•    Previous experience with UNESCO and understanding of the Organization, including its administrative procedures and financial process would be a strong asset.

•    Knowledge of UNESCO rules and procedures as well as administrative practices would be a strong asset

LANGUAGES

Knowledge of other UNESCO Official languages would be an asset.

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc. 

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 43 734 EUR.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

SELECTION AND HIRING PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of staff members shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies to a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• UNESCO is committed to achieving and sustaining equitable and diverse geographical distribution, as well as gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Candidates from non- and under-represented Member States (last update here) are particularly welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• Geographical mobility is required for staff members appointed to UNESCO’s international posts.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. UNESCO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO. The list can be accessed through the link: https://www.whed.net
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by the Organization, is required for International Professional positions.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.