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Office of the Secretary General

Secretary/Personal Assistant to the Deputy Secretary General

1. INTRODUCTION

The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an independent intergovernmental body, established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC), whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs services across the globe. The WCO represents 183 Customs administrations that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters. As a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences between national Customs delegates, the WCO offers its Members a range of Conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services provided either directly by the Secretariat, or with its participation. The Secretariat also actively supports its Members in their endeavours to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations.

2. OVERVIEW

The Deputy Secretary General (DSG) assists the Secretary General (SG) in the overall management of the Secretariat. The DSG is responsible for ensuring, in conjunction with the Directors, that the Strategic Plan is implemented, for reporting to the SG on the progress on that implementation as well as to advise the SG upon staff matters. The DSG also chairs the Administration Committee, constituted for the purpose of acting as an advisory body for the Secretary General in respect of matters concerning the Technical and Administrative staff. The DSG exercises all the duties, functions and responsibilities of the SG in the latter’s absence. The DSG’s office oversees the Strategic Planning Unit, the Research Unit and the Performance Measurement Unit. In order to support the work carried out by these units, the WCO is now recruiting an assistant to the Deputy Secretary General.

3. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the assignment are as follows:

• Assist the DSG in his day-to-day work in relation with the implementation of the Strategic Plan;
• Support the work of the different units – Strategic Plan Unit, Research Unit and
• Performance Management Unit – monitored by the DSG’s office; and Handle the DSG office’s current affairs autonomously.

4. MAIN DUTIES

Under the supervision of the DSG, the Secretary/Personal Assistant to the DSG will focus on the following key activities: 

i. Preparing various dossiers in accordance with oral instructions and/or handwritten notes of the DSG, including but not limited to drafts letters, memos, PowerPoint presentations, etc.;

ii. Following up all current affairs which do not require the specific attention of the DSG, including drafting texts and routine correspondences as well as answering questions on administrative details and general information;

iii. Keeping the DSG’s diary up to date and closely coordinating activities with the Secretary of the SG;

iv. Organizing travels of the DSG and accompanying staff, including preparing the necessary files for missions conducted by the DSG and accompanying staff;

v. Preparing minutes of internal meetings and draft summaries;

vi. Contributing to the organization of events and meetings on topics related to research, strategic planning and performance measurement;

vii. Editing and proofreading of draft research documents;

viii. Acting as a replacement of the Secretary of the SG in case of absence; and

ix. Performing any other related duties as may be assigned by the DSG.

5. EDUCATION

• Post-secondary education in a related area.

6. EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience of comparable work; or
• Minimum of six (6) years’ experience of comparable work, in lieu of post-secondary

education.

7. LANGUAGES

• Full working proficiency, written and spoken, in both official languages of the WCO (i.e. English and French).
• Knowledge of additional languages, particularly Spanish, would be an asset.

8. COMPETENCIES

• Ability to acquire a good appreciation of the role and functions of the various WCO working bodies and of the general operations of the Secretariat;
• Ability to bring into play knowledge of the WCO institutional framework in preparing dossiers on behalf of the DSG;
• Proven abilities to draft complex documents both in English and French;
• Meticulous, methodical and attentive to details;
• Team player capable of working under pressure in a multicultural environment and completing tasks within the deadlines set;
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to establish priorities in ensuring that matters referred by the DSG to areas within the Secretariat are dealt with in a timely fashion; and
• In-depth knowledge of standard office automation applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Adobe Acrobat.

9. CONTRACT AND CONDITIONS

• Staff member under short-term contract of one (1) year, with possibility of renewal;
• Probationary period of three (3) months;
• Full-time employment (37 hours and 40 minutes weekly) at the WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium;
• 30 days of annual paid leave;
• Salary from 3,000 EUR/month all-inclusive (remuneration exempted from income taxin Belgium); and
• Compulsory WCO health insurance deducted from the salary (around 65 EUR/month).

This position is subject to the Manual for Short-Term Contractors. The successful applicant shall not acquire the right subsequently to occupy a permanent post within the WCO. The successful applicant will not be affiliated to any retirement fund or pension scheme taken by the WCO.

10. APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how he/she meets each of the essential qualifications and requirements. Applicants are encouraged to detail concrete achievements in their CVs and/or in their cover letters as well as include references. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an assessment which may include a written test and/or an interview. All short-listed candidates may be requested to provide copies of their original diploma, certificates and proof of relevant experience. Pre-selected candidates may also be subject to reference checks to confirm the information provided in the application.

Interested candidates should submit their application for review no later than 6 January 2020,

including a CV and cover letter in English or French by e-mail to:

Bernadette.hendrickx@wcoomd.org

Or by mail to:

World Customs Organization

Division of Administration and Personnel

Rue du Marché, 30

B-1210 Brussels

Belgium

Interested candidates may submit a request for additional information via e-mail, providing full name and contact details. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to criteria of the position and the WCO applicable rules.

11. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The WCO values commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability as well as values diversity among its staff members. Applications from qualified women and men will receive equal treatment and due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting nationals from WCO Members on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

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