Public Information Assistant, New York, United States

## Public Information Assistant, New York, United States - Organization:DGC - Department of Global Communications - Office:DGC in New York, USA Organizational Setting and Reporting Visitors Services encompasses guided tours, public inquiries and the speakers' bureau/briefings at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Each year nearly half a million people from around the world experience the United Nations Visitor Centre. This position is located in the Guided Tours Unit, Visitors Services Section, Outreach Division, within the Department of Global Communications (DGC) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The incumbent (Tour Guide) reports to the Chief of Unit. Within delegated authority, the Public Information Assistant (PIA-II) will be responsible for the following duties: - Conduct one-hour lecture tours on the history and work of the United Nations (UN) in the areas of peace and security, development, and human rights. This includes showing visitors the various Council Chambers and thematic exhibits while explaining the functioning of its Main Organs and recent developments in the field. - Participate in daily briefings, as well as special briefings on different topics, such as peacekeeping, disarmament and human rights. - Study and research UN materials in English, in order to stay abreast of current activities related to the UN system. - Use tact and diplomacy in handling probing questions or comments from visitors regarding politically sensitive issues involving the work of the Organization and any other concerns related to the operation. Tailor language and information to different audiences (e.g., children, students, senior citizens, VIPs, UN Mission staff and media representatives) and respond to politically sensitive questions in an accurate and effective manner. - Plan, schedule, and dispatch tours daily, ensuring a smooth flow of all guided tours and the overall operation. - Ensure a fair and efficient distribution of the daily workload of the Public Information Assistants (PIAs) through assignment of tours and special duties. He/she checks and maintains records of the PIAs daily attendance, as well as their punctuality when starting and finishing tours, making sure primarily that all tours leave as scheduled. - Modify the pre-scheduled daily plan as needed, most often on short notice, to ensure a smooth running of the operation, bringing operational and recurring issues to the attention of the Senior Tour Coordinator and/or the Chief of Guided Tours to find appropriate solutions. - In the absence of the Briefing Assistant, and under supervision of the Chief of Guided Tours Unit, prepare and conduct daily morning briefings to PIAs on current UN activities and related world news, as required. Professionalism: Demonstrated knowledge of the work and history of a United Nations Agency, Fund, or Programme. Ability to convey information to a diverse audience, in a fair, objective, and unbiased manner while exercising sound judgment and diplomacy. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. A recognized first-level degree is required. Job - Specific Qualification A minimum of one year of full-time experience as an official Tour Guide in an International Organization, providing an informative and educational experience to global visitors is required. Experience in public speaking and effectively engaging diverse audiences in a customer service environment within an international organization is required. Experience conducting official tours for children and younger audiences is required. Experience working in a multicultural and diverse workplace is desirable. Experience working within the United Nations system Common System or another international organization is desirable. English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Russian is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details). Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview. - This position is temporarily available for six months, with the possibility of an extension, and subject to the availability of funding. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. - Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. - While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. - This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. - This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to Staff Rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for General Service and related positions must be authorized to work in the country where the position is located. A staff member subject to local recruitment is not eligible for the allowances or benefits applicable to international recruitment. - Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. - Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. - At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employme