Assistant (Ombudsperson) - (2601821) Grade: G6 Contractual Arrangement: Fixed-term appointment Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): One Year Job Posting : Oct 9, 2026, 11:22:09 AM Closing Date : Oct 29, 2026, 6:59:00 PM Primary Location : Switzerland-Geneva Organization : HQ/GPA Governance, Partnerships and Accountability Schedule : Full-time IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings. . OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME The Office of the Ombudsperson and Mediation Services contributes to developing and strengthening a workplace and organizational culture that upholds the WHO Values Charter, ethical and functional integrity, and respect for the dignity, diversity and rights of all personnel. The Office fosters a safe, equitable and inclusive work environment through conflict prevention, informal dispute resolution, mediation, early identification of systemic issues, and the promotion of fair and respectful workplace practices. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES As the initial contact person, welcome visitors with tact and discretion, listen to them carefully to obtain all pertinent information related to their query. Ask questions and reframe as appropriate. Clarify if necessary, the role of the Office. As appropriate, use sound judgement and triage skills to decide on the urgency of cases/redirect visitors to the appropriate person/service and/or inform them of the deadlines for formal procedures. Screen visitors/calls with tact and discretion, schedule appointments to avoid conflicts ensure that the office spaces are appropriate with regard to confidentiality. Always respect the principles of the position and of the Office: confidentiality, independence, neutrality and informality as per the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Prepare files for visitors, extracting all background information from the WHO databases as appropriate. Research and analyze information and issues brought to the attention of the Ombudsperson, preparing briefing notes and summaries to provide them with the relevant provisions of the Staff Rules and Regulations, policies and procedures, similar cases, practice, using HR, in-house knowledge and sound judgement as appropriate. Discuss cases with the Ombudsperson at all times. Using utmost tact and discretion, provide guidance and advice to staff at all levels at their or the Ombudsperson's request or during the absence of the Ombudsperson (preparing briefing notes for them), contact staff who have consulted the Ombudsperson to follow up on their situation, liaise with specialists (HR, Management Officers, etc.) to obtain additional information as appropriate (with the visitor's agreement) without any breach of confidentiality. Record case information in the OMB case list database and monitor it, liaising as appropriate with the Ombudsperson to fill in information on the IOA categories of issues, number of visitors, from which cluster/department, outcome, etc.). Obtain appropriate data related to Ombudsperson visitors filing an appeal with the HBA and/or the ILO Administrative Tribunal (ILO database). Extract statistics at all times for the Ombudsperson and help them prepare their regular generic reports to DGO on trends/systemic issues. Organize meetings, lunchtime seminars, workshops, videoconferences with staff and Ombudsperson - organize the annual meeting of Ombudsperson with WHO Regional Ombudspersons, take notes and prepare reports. As a member of the UNARIO (Network of Ombudspersons of the UN and related International Organizations), participate in the UNARIO meetings in Geneva and play an active role in the exchanges of information within the network (sending/drafting/researching information as appropriate). Organize UNARIO meetings at WHO. Prepare/update forms for the office based on UNARIO recommendations (visitor contact form, case information form, datacol evaluation form, follow-up form, leaflet, etc.). Keep office documentation up to date. Administer datacol surveys from OMB visitors/users, using utmost care with regard to confidentiality. Assist the Ombudsperson in preparing presentations; prepare and present own presentation to introduce OMB at the Briefing for New Staff. Assist the Ombudsperson in preparing their annual report, compile statistics, design charts/graphs, coordinate the distribution/translation. Provide assistance to the Ombudsperson in the preparation of the workplan, monitoring of activities/budget, procurement (APWs, purchases), travel, act as leave administrator, manage the OMB website and the OMB sharepoint site as a source of information amongst all WHO Ombudspersons. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Education Essential: Completion of secondary school education or equivalent. Desirable: Higher education is an advantage. Experience Essential: Minimum of 8 years of experience in administrative positions, HR, staff relations or related support functions. Desirable: Experience in a more senior administrative position in WHO or other UN organization. Relevant experience of WHO administrative rules, regulations, procedures and practices, and of its structure. Experience in Oracle-based or other ERP systems. Skills The work is performed in a normal office environment. Standard word processing and other software packages used in WHO to prepare correspondence and reports, statistics, create and maintain databases, design charts and graphs. Maintenance of filing systems of the Office of the Ombudsperson. WHO COMPETENCIES Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Producing results Moving forward in a changing environment Use of Language Skills Essential: Expert knowledge of English Expert knowledge of French. Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language REMUNERATION WHO offers staff in the General Services category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at CHF 87,183 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Staff members separated due to the 2025 Prioritization and Realignment Process will receive special consideration according to the applicable regulatory framework. This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening. In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review. According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and eManual. The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description, including shortening the duration of the appointment. WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations (modifications or adjustments to the application or recruitment process) to support their participation in the application and recruitment process. Please send an email to [email protected] with your full name, the vacancy number you are applying for, and specific details of the accommodation needed in your request. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice. WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates. WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int. WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully. The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered. Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected]. This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station. In case the website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. 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