ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OFFICE OF TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (OTN)



Closing Date: November 5, 2021

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 Barbados.

2.         FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The Administrative Officer, OTN is responsible for providing efficient and effective secretarial and administrative support services in the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN).   

The position is deemed to be effective and efficient when:

  • The administrative practices are in compliance with the standard operating policies and procedures established by the OTN/CARICOM Secretariat.
  • Records Management, information storage and retrieval systems are appropriately developed and maintained.
  • Administrative and secretarial outputs emanating from the OTN are accurate, reliable and timely.
  • Meetings and events facilitated by the OTN are well organised and managed.
  • Timely and accurate travel arrangements are made and travel expense accounts are up-to-date.
  • Prompt dispatching procedures are established for incoming and outgoing correspondence from the OTN – both electronic and manual.
  • A positive image of OTN is portrayed at all times.

3.         QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Management or Public Administration or related disciplines, plus three (3) years of progressively relevant and equivalent level experience gained from working in one or more of the following:

  • A regional organisation
  • An international organisation
  • A government agency.
  • A multinational corporation
  • A national/regional private sector organisation or non-Governmental organization (NGO)

In addition, the candidate should possess specialized training and good working knowledge in:

  • Time management
  • Team building
  • Effective verbal and written communication
  • Project management
  • IT applications for office administration (MS Office, basis accounting applications etc.)
  • Events Planning and Management
  • Human relations and customer service
  • Documentation and Records Management
  • Government Protocol

4.         DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Result 1:  Maintaining an effective and secured filing, database and document management system.

            Activities

  1. DEVISES a system to monitor responses to correspondence, directives and other forms of communication flowing from the Directorate, Units and Officers requiring follow-up action. FOLLOWS-UP the implementation where applicable;
  1. MAINTAINS a tracking system for incoming mail, technical staff reports, briefing papers     and meeting minutes;

1.3       ENSURES that the files on standard recurring matters are up-to-date and ready for attention and action; and

1.4       DEVELOPS within the Office a sound data management system and ENSURES its confidentiality and efficient maintenance.

Key Result 2:  Provides effective administrative support to the operations of the Office of Trade Negotiations.

Activities

2.1       ORGANISES and SCHEDULES internal meetings convened by the Office ensuring that matters related to venue, notification, documentation etc. are properly addressed;

2.2       ORGANISES appointments for the Office/Director-General as required;

2.3       ASSISTS in scheduling overseas meetings and appointments for the Office/Director-General;

2.4       PARTICIPATESin the advance planning process normally undertaken in the Office in respect to Meetings of the Community and ASSISTS with implementing pertinent aspects;

2.5       PERFORMS relevant protocol functions in relation to the Office;

2.6       ASSISTS with the administration of the Office in Barbados;

2.7       MAKES all flight and travel arrangements – including hotel accommodation, visas, etc. – for the staff of the Office as required;

2.8       DRAFTS responses to correspondence as directed; and

2.9       ACTS as a point of contact for all employees, providing administrative support and

managing their queries.

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.         EDUCATION GRANT

The officer shall be eligible for the payment of an education grant in respect of children (including stepchildren and legally-adopted children) who require reasonable education facilities that are not available at the assigned duty station or whose education the officer would not want to disrupt in relocating to take up this appointment.

The grant shall apply to children under the age of twenty-three years and shall not exceed seventy-five per cent of the cost of tuition (including textbooks), room and board up to a maximum total of EC$16,200.00 per year per child for a maximum of two children at any one time. The grant is payable for a maximum of five years.

7.         SETTLEMENT GRANT

On assumption of duty in Barbados, the officer shall be paid a settlement grant in respect of self, his or her spouse and each eligible child or other approved dependent.  The number of dependents eligible for Settlement Grant shall not exceed six (6) persons.

8.         RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT

Appointment will be on the permanent establishment 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.

An officer recruited from outside the assigned duty station, on first appointment, will be provided economy class air passages by the most direct route for the officer, spouse and children (provided they are below the age of eighteen years, unmarried and dependent on the officer) and for such other dependents not exceeding two as may be approved by the Secretary-General, provided that the number of children and other dependents does not exceed six (6) in all.

In addition to passages, the officer will be granted the following transportation allowances:

(i)         ocean freight charges, including insurance, for shipping personal and household effects to Barbados, not exceeding 45.3 cubic meters, plus a motor car (if the officer already owns one);

(ii)        the cost of transporting baggage, personal and household effects from the home of the officer to the place of embarkation and from the port of disembarkation to the place of residence in Barbados; and

  • the cost of packing and crating personal and household effects.

9.         LEAVE

The officer will be eligible for the grant of vacation leave at the rate of twenty (20) working days a year and a leave grant after every twelve months of service in respect of the officer, spouse and up to two dependent children.

10.       PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES

The officer will be accorded privileges and immunities that are available to staff members of the Caribbean Community whose assigned duty station is in Barbados.

11.       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 fifty per cent of the premium. The life and accident insurance scheme is non-contributory.

12.       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 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.

13.       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/.

14.       The deadline for the submission of applications is 5 November 2021.

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