Highly Valued Office Support Assistant Job at International Labour Organization (ILO) in South Africa

Highly Valued Office Support Assistant Job at International Labour Organization (ILO)

Deadline : 16 February 2024

Location : Pretoria , South Africa

Brief Background About ILO

The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 Member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.

Brief Information About the Position

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in South Africa is a nationwide programme which makes systematic use of public expenditure to boost productive employment and to develop marketable skills among Women, Youth, and People with Disability thereby contributing to the national goal of alleviating poverty. The EPWP provides work opportunities to the poor and unemployed and in the process contribute to social protection for the marginalized communities in the short to medium term. Part of the strategy of the EPWP is to increase the labour intensity of government infrastructure projects through the use of employment intensive work methods (in the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure) in a bid to stimulate the creation of employment opportunities and inject cash into the local economy in the form of wages.

Reporting lines

The Office support Assistant (OSA) will primarily provide support the EPWP team at national and extended support to the team in Polokwane. The EPWP team works embedded within the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. Therefore, the OSA will also work with the broader EPWP Branch partners. The OSA will report to the national Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and work under the overall supervision of the Director of the DWT/CO Pretoria.

Description of Duties and Responsibilities

 Administrative tasks:

•     Maintain office administrative files and records. Search and select information and records in specified format or on the basis of general instructions for use by others in preparing reports, correspondence, technical papers, project or programme plans and general reference documents.
•    Provide advice and assist staff members and their dependents by processing requests for official visas, and other necessary administrative documents in accordance with the requirements of the Office and the United Nations and the country of the duty station.
•    Draft correspondence, emails, memoranda and reports on administrative matters from oral instructions, previous correspondence or other available information sources in accordance with standard office procedures.
•    Classify and code material relating to a number of subject-matter areas. Maintain general office files or provide guidance to the registry clerk in performing this duty.
•    Make travel arrangements, hotel reservations and prepare travel authorization forms.
•    Advise, respond, make arrangements and attend to procurement processes. 
•    Provide secretarial and/or administrative support for meetings, seminars and/or workshops.
•    Perform liaison duties with concerned stakeholders including delivery and collection of interdepartmental documents.

•    Maintain, update and transmit inventory records of non-expendable equipment.

Finance tasks:

•    Maintain financial records for project or other office accounts for which responsibility is assigned.
•    Code and record receipts and payments, verify the accuracy of calculations and the completeness of supporting documents, and maintain a continuing status of allotments against obligations.
•    Check and correct accounting information files (Computerised and/or manual) and identify incorrect data.
•    Enter financial data into computer and print financial reports.
•    Assist in preparing recurring reports on assigned accounts, noting problems resulting from excess cost or less than expected receipts.  Prepare reports to clarify problems or as requested for other reasons.
•    Calculate and compile cost estimates and assist in the preparation of budget statements for the project.
•    Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor. 

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Education

Completion of Secondary school education plus formal training in accounting, finance or business administration from a recognized commercial school or equivalent.

Experience

Four years of experience in clerical administrative work including record keeping and processing of information and basic knowledge of report writing.

Languages

Excellent knowledge of English and good knowledge of one of the official national languages of South Africa.

Competencies

–    Knowledge of general office procedures and proficient in the use of standard office equipment.
–    Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor and spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.
–    In addition to the ILO core competencies [Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change,
–    Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration], this position requires:
–    Ability to work within the applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
–    Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems. 
–    Ability to search, retrieve and compile information from a variety of sources. 
–    Ability to draft standard correspondence. 
–    Ability to reply in an appropriate manner to telephone, email and in-person inquiries.
–    Ability to maintain records and files and update databases.
–    Attention to detail in order to identify data discrepancies.
–    A high degree of discretion with sense of responsibility in dealing with confidential matters.
–    Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.