Assistant to the General Secretary

Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland | General Secretary Office | Full-time

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches founded in 1948. The fellowship includes 352 member churches from every region of the world, including Anglican, Baptist, Independent, Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, United and other churches.

The WCC promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. The programmes and activities of the WCC are coordinated from the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WCC is seeking an Assistant to the General Secretary. Working directly with the general secretary, the assistant will coordinate the administrative arrangements of the office of the general secretariat.

Starting date: As soon as possible

Activity:100%

Reporting to: General Secretary

Objectives: To assist the general secretary and coordinate the administrative arrangements of the general secretariat.

Specific responsibilities:

• Provide administrative services to the general secretary and coordinate the administrative work of the office of the general secretariat;
• Manage the general secretary’s calendar and daily agenda, including prioritizing meetings, coordinating with other staff, attending to protocol for high-level engagements and ensuring hospitality as needed;
• Organize the travel of the general secretary and their delegations, including travel and lodging arrangements, compilation of preparatory material and documents, etc.
• Coordinate the reception and response of correspondence in English, French, German and Spanish, both independently or under general direction, drafting replies on behalf of the general secretary and consulting with/referring to other staff as needed;
• Maintain general secretariat networks and organize general secretariat mailings to member churches, ecumenical partners and governing bodies;
• Coordinate meetings of the leadership of the central committee and provide support for other governing body meetings;
• Prepare and distribute minutes of meetings convened by the general secretary as required; occasionally providing minutes of the meetings of the leadership of the central committee and staff leadership group;
• Coordinate annual planning and reporting for the general secretariat, including reports on the travel and meetings of the general secretary and their delegations;
• Monitor general secretariat budgets and expenses.
• Prepare materials for the general secretariat archives in collaboration with WCC archivist;
• Maintain WCC information with the Registre de Commerce and other public records;
• Organize meetings and events hosted by the by the office of the general secretariat;
• Translate correspondence and other materials as necessary;
• Attend major meetings as may be decided;
• Share duties with general secretariat colleagues whenever the need arises;

Qualifications & special requirements

Experience

• At least five to seven years of proven administration experience, preferably in an international church or non-governmental setting.

Education

• Advanced professional training (Brevet Fédéral), University Degree (Bachelor), in relevant fields.

Competencies and other requirements

• Highly organized and detail-oriented;
• Time-management skills;
• Flexibility and ability to work on several tasks simultaneously;
• Problem-solving and interpersonal skills;
• Write in a concise manner and provide editorial assistance as applicable;
• A first experience in a faith-based organisation is most welcome;
• Attentive and respect to confessional and cultural diversity;
• Ready to travel a limited number of days (less than 20 per year);

Language skills

• Excellent command of English, good command of French and other WCC languages (German and Spanish).

Computer skills

• In-depth knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Business Central and SharePoint).

Deadline for applications: 28 October 2022

About human resources at the WCC:

The WCC is an equal opportunity employer. The sole criteria for recruitment, training and career opportunities are qualification, skills, experience and performance to all its staff members.

SOURCE>WCC