Executive Assistant

VACANCY: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
Position: Executive Assistant
Job Type: Full Time
Application Deadline: Thursday, 15th October 2026

OVERVIEW

The UN Secretary-General launched on 1 January 2019 a bold and new global reform which repositioned the UN Development System to deliver more effectively and efficiently the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this reform, UN Resident Coordinator Offices (UN RCO), under the leadership of an empowered and independent UN Resident Coordinator, support countries in the achievement of their development priorities and the attainment of the SDGs.

The position is located in the United Nations Resident Coordination Office (RCO) in Malawi. Under the guidance of the Head of Office and direct supervision of the Resident Coordinator (RC), and in full confidentiality, the Executive Assistant ensures effective and efficient functioning of the RC Front-Office, overall management of the RC’s schedule and logistical requirements, maintenance of protocol procedures, management of information flow, and follow-up on deadlines and commitments made. The position also provides substantive backstopping support to the administrative and operational management of the RCO.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Completion of High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Additional/supplemental training in business administration, office management, communication or related field is an advantage.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in executive, administrative, coordination, or operational support functions, including roles requiring a high degree of discretion, confidentiality, and interaction with senior management, partners, or external stakeholders, or in a related area is required.
• The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.
• Relevant experience acquired within the United Nations system, government institutions, international organizations, academic or research institutions, or comparable professional settings is required.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating schedules, preparing briefing materials, managing information flows, and supporting leadership decision-making is required.
• Experience supporting administrative, financial, human resource, or logistical processes, including personnel and budget-related matters, is required.
• Work experience of one (1) year or more in data analytics or a related area is desirable.
• Work experience with an Enterprise Resources Planning system, such as UMOJA, is desirable.
• Experience in providing senior executive/administrative and management support within the UN system, international organizations, or embassies is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc.

Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensure Effective and Efficient Functioning of the RC Front Office

• Maintain the Resident Coordinator’s calendar and representation schedule, arrange appointments and meetings of the RC, provide protocol coverage, ensure logistical details of RC participation in events, and act as an interpreter and/or take minutes of meetings when required.
• Coordinate high-quality briefing materials for the RC for appointments, meetings, events, and missions.
• Draft key correspondence, including notes to file, minutes of meetings and Note Verbales, official correspondence, as required.
• Manage RC travel and missions, prepare travel requests, ensure flight bookings and all logistical arrangements.
• Maintain contact lists of high-level partners, UN Agencies, and Diplomatic Corps.
• Assist in organizing official events and travel for local and high-level visitors as required.
• In collaboration with the RCO team, prepare and maintain checklists and templates for relevant processes.

2. Ensure Provision of Effective Communications Support to the Office

• Maintain the filing system (in TEAMS/SharePoint) ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials.
• Screen RC official incoming calls and correspondence, directing them, as appropriate, and drafting responses to routine correspondence.
• Coordinate the activities of the RC driver.
• Support, organize and communicate on the various inter-Agency coordination meetings, including UNCT Meetings.
• Participate in the organization of official UN Days, public events, joint UN events and provide secretariat and administrative support to the UNCT.
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordination of collection and submission of the reports to RC.
• Contribute to the preparation of non-technical speeches and presentations for the RC.

3. General Administration

• Act as an alternate to the RCO Administrative Assistant when required to support RCO in day-to-day administrative tasks.
• Provide support to the RCO in matters such as documentation, visas, travel arrangements, house and school search, etc.
• Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports.
• Assist with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Ensure that requirements and background information used for data analysis are documented.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

ASSESSMENT

Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment, such as a written test, which will be followed by a competency-based interview by phone/teleconference or face-to-face.