Assistant

World Health Organization

Lyon, France

Experience: 5 to 10 Years

Skill Required: HR and Admin

PURPOSE OF POSITION

  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), is the cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) and is based in Lyon, France.
  • The role of the Services to Science and Research branch (SSR) is to support the achievement of IARC’s scientific objectives through efficient and effective management of the Agency’s resources and provision of administrative services, ensuring accountable risk mitigation and implementing strategies to strengthen capacities and maximize IARC’s impact.
  • The purpose of the position is to have smooth running of Scientific and Governing Councils (SC and GC) meetings with excellent standards of agenda setting, documentation and related correspondence preparation, retention and distribution of official documents as well as through high quality support to constituency processes.
  • The incumbent will assist in the final preparation, retention, distribution of official documents and related correspondence for the Agency in general and for the Governing and Scientific Councils, and ensuring their availability, and attending both Councils to provide necessary related help. S/he will also provide assistance to the Director's office. 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Governing Council  (GC) and  Scientific Council  (SC)

  • Prepares all  correspondence regarding GC and SC  matters  in  general;
  • Drafts  agendas  (GC and  SC) and  resolutions  (GC);
  • Provides a  draft template of the SC  Report;
  • Checks  draft  documents  for  established  format,  style  and  completeness  before finalization;  uploads  them on a dedicated digital site and informs in-house and external participants of their availability;
  • Manages  Session  preparation  through  Progress  Review Meetings;
  • Organizes travel  and  accommodation  arrangements for all  participants;
  • Attends GC and  SC and  provides proactive support;
  • Ensures  the  necessary follow-up  of GC  decisions/resolutions  and  SC  decisions/recommendations  with  the relevant Secretariat staff.
  • Arrange teleconferences  between the  Director and the Chairs  and Vice-Chairs  of the SC and  GC.
  • Prepares  draft  agenda  (approximately  every  two  months)  and  provides  a  summary  for  dispatch  to  all participants  and for official  record.

Peer-Review Meetings  (Review Panels)

  • Organizes  a  teleconference  between  the  SC  Chair,  the  Review  Panel  Chair  (a  selected  SC  member)  and the Director for the selection  of external  experts;
  • Organizes travel  and accommodation  arrangements for all  participants;
  • Provides  templates  to  the  branch(es)  under review and  checks  documents  for established  format,  style and completeness before finalization;
  • Uploads documents on  a  password-protected  space on a dedicated digital site;
  • Manages  meeting  preparation, attends Review Panel  meeting and provides support when  required;
  • Finalizes "Consensus Statement" to be presented/approved  by the SC.
     
  • Act as a focal  point for contact details  of SC members,  GC  Representatives  and  IARC  Participating  States  as well as for general  enquiries from  SC  and  GC; Keeps  distribution  lists  updated  (SC  members  and  GC  Representatives).

Act as a focal  point for general  administrative matters  relating to:

  • Status  of collection  of contributions:  prepares  all  communications  regarding  quaterly status  to  Participating States  as well  as thank you  letters  on  receipt of contributions;
  • IARC  Statute:  incorporates  revisions  when  amendments  have  been  approved  by the  GC  and  by the World Health  Assembly.
  • IARC  Handbook of Resolutions:  manages the structure,  adding  new sections  as  and when  required  for new GC resolutions  to  obtain  a  user friendly guide  with  easily  retrievable  information  either from  the  printed  or the electronic version.

EQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Essential:

  • Graduation from a secondary school or equivalent.
  • Training in secretarial work and/or general administration with possession of a diploma (BTS or equivalent);
  • Specialized training, acquired by practical application of the Organization methods, in records and documents administration.
  • Desirable: University degree in management, general administration, library and documents management or relevant field.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Essential: At least eight years' progressively responsible experience in general administration.

Desirable:

  • Minimum of three years’ experience in IARC/WHO.
  • UN experience or experience in a multicultural work environment.
  • Prior experience in managing sensitive and high volume of documents.

USE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

  • Excellent knowledge of either English or French language with working proficiency of the other.

SKILLS

Essential:

  • Very good knowledge of WHO/IARC rules and procedures with proven ability to understand, monitor and ensure timeliness of activities related to documents final production. 
  • Good knowledge of the regulations and procedures relating to other general administrative matters contained in the WHO Manual and IARC Handbook and WHO Style Guide. 
  • Ability to perform editorial work of non-technical nature in both languages, English and French.

Desirable:

  • Knowledge of data organization, dissemination and protection.
  • A genuine interest in science and in preserving records for posterity.
  • An understanding of scientific and research skills in order to help beneficiaries access materials.
  • The ability to skim and understand an extensive and varied range of material/information.
  • High level of attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Flexibility to anticipate and respond to changing needs and agendas.

Source: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2300649&tz=GMT%2B05%3A30&tzname=Asia%2FCalcutta