ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT CUSTOMS AND TRADE POLICY



Closing Date: October 21, 2022

Type of Vacancy: /

Details of the Post

Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States and Associate Members of the Caribbean Community to fill the abovementioned position in the Caribbean Community Secretariat with assigned duty station in Guyana.

2.         FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The incumbent is responsible for providing general support to the work of the Customs and Trade Policy Unit.  The position is under the immediate supervision of the Deputy Programme Manager, Customs and Trade Policy.  Functions include documentation, storage and retrieval of information, arranging travel and preparing travel related claims, coordinating the work of consultants: their work schedules, budgets and scheduling of meetings and protocol duties. Priority will be given to almost daily time sensitive tasks relating to the operation of the requests by Member States for suspension of the CET and requests for safeguard certificate and assistance with the implementation of work programs of the Customs and Trade Policy Unit.

3.         QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

This position requires either 5 GCE ‘O’ Levels/CXC Grades I and II including English Language and Mathematics plus an Associate Degree or equivalent in Public Administration with specialized training and working knowledge in:

  • Research
    • IT applications for office administration
    • Human relations and customer service
    • Documentation and information storage and retrieval
    • Basic accounting
    • Knowledge of a Foreign Language

The job requires at least five (5) years relevant experience. Experience should include office management, business administration, documentation and information systems. The candidate should ideally gain his/her work experience from one or more of the following:

4.         DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Result: To provide general and administrative support to the work of the Customs and Trade Policy Unit. 

            Activities

  • ASSISTS with the operation of the procedures for applications by Member States to suspend the CET and applications for safeguard certificates;
  • UPDATES and MAINTAINS official web link for names and specimen signatures of persons authorized to sign Certificates of Origin along with the Official Stamps to be used for Certification of Origin; 
  • UPDATES and MAINTAINS records relating to the operation of the Monitoring Mechanisms for Red Kidney Beans, Rice, and Sugar;
  • COORDINATES logistics for internal meetings, including the identification of venue, identification and preparation of documents, and any other functions that are necessary to support the smooth, efficient conduct of the meetings;
  • DOCUMENTS and MANAGES records on the outcomes of meetings convened by the Customs and Trade Policy Unit;
  • PREPARES Travel Requests, as well as CALCULATES and PREPARES travel‑related claims to Finance, for official travel undertaken by technical staff within the Customs and Trade Policy Unit;
  • ADVISES relevant internal staff and external stakeholders of the travel plans for technical officers, as and when necessary;
  • MAINTAINS contact with the Deputy Programme Manager, as well as other technical staff, of the Customs and Trade Policy Unit whilst on official travel duty, as well as PROVIDES updates and SEEKS guidance on urgent matters, as required;
  • UPDATES and MAINTAINS the Directory of Contacts of key stakeholders and partners;
  • MAINTAINS high‑level contact with officials, especially Focal Points within the Ministries with portfolio responsibility for Trade and with Customs Administrations in Member States;
  • MAINTAINS high‑level contact, also, with officials in regional and international institutions, and international development partner governments and agencies;
  • OPENS, RECORDS and ORGANISES all incoming mail;
  • MONITORS the bi-directional flow of correspondence between the Customs and Trade Policy Unit and internal and external stakeholders, to include the identification of follow‑up actions whenever necessary;
  • DEVELOPS, OPERATES and MAINTAINS efficient document and file management systems, with attention paid to the effective‑use of ICT to minimize the effort that is required for the storage and retrieval of documents and files within the Customs and Trade Policy Unit;
  • MAKES and RECEIVES telephone calls, redirecting calls to appropriate staff within the Customs and Trade Policy Unit, and MANAGES the establishment of voice- and/or videoconferencing through virtual meeting platforms, as required;
  • MAINTAINS the Annual Leave and Travel Roster for staff, as well as the Annual Calendar of Events of the Customs and Trade Policy Unit; and
  • CONTRIBUTES to a positive and professional image of the CARICOM Secretariat, always, in keeping with its Core Values.

In addition to the Activities outlined above, the incumbent is expected to perform other related duties as assigned.

5.         EMOLUMENTS AND BENEFITS

An attractive remuneration package will be offered.

6.         RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT

Appointment may be on contract or on secondment from a Public Service or a statutory body of a Member State or approved regional organisation. It will be subject to such regulations, rules, orders and instructions as exist and as may be introduced from time to time in respect of service with the Secretariat. This position does not enjoy transfer to or repatriation from Guyana.

7.         LEAVE

The officer will be eligible for the grant of vacation leave at the rate of fifteen (15) working days a year and a leave grant after every twelve (12) months of service in respect of the officer, spouse and up to two (2) dependent children.

8.         GROUP HEALTH AND LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Subject to your acceptance by the Secretariat’s insurance carrier, Sagicor Life Inc., the officer will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s group health and group life and accident insurance schemes. With respect to the health scheme, the officer will contribute twenty-five per cent (25%) of the premium. The life and accident insurance scheme is non-contributory.

9.         SUPERANNUATION

An Officer appointed to this post will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s Defined Contribution Pension Plan and contribute 7 per cent of basic salary per month, while the Secretariat will contribute 13 percent of the Officer’s basic salary to the pension plan. Where the appointment is on secondment, the Secretariat will pay to the Officer’s substantive employer, over the period of secondment, a contribution not exceeding twenty-five per cent (25%) of the pensionable salary normally payable to the Officer by that employer so as to maintain the pensionable status of the Officer in the substantive employment.

10.       APPLICATIONS

Interested candidates must create a job profile and apply for the position via the  CARICOM Secretariat’s Employment Portal. The link can be accessed at – https://caricom.org/opportunities_category/caricom-secretariat-vacancies/.

11.       The deadline for the submission of applications is 21 October 2022.

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