Administration Associate

Contract

This is a LICA-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-6 contracts.

Background information- ECR

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.

Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS Geneva Office is part of the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), and manages one of UNOPS largest portfolios. The GVA office manages a diversified porfolio of global and country specific hosted entities, funds, programs, and projects. The GVA services include hosting, fund management, advisory services, project/program implementation, procurement, financial and human resources support. The Administration Associate reports to the Geneva Office Director and provides support in the areas of administration, operations and people and information management.

Functional Responsibilities

Administrative Support - Manage the Director's schedule and missions; - Coordinate and/or prepare preparation of briefing papers, presentations and other materials as needed for the Director's internal and external use; - Assist the Director on internal and external communications, reputational and crisis management; - Participate in the development of UNOPS Geneva work plans, reports on progress and other relevant documents and outputs. - Monitor and facilitate Director's approval for all documents received from Geneva office partners and clients; - Provide accurate and timely information on processes and pending issues to the concerned individuals/unit; - Management of the Geneva office front office, ensuring an environment of professionalism and teamwork at all times, and setting exemplary standards of conduct for the office team. - Act as focal point for organising office level meetings as per meetings schedule and protocol

Operational Support - Support the Director in organizing office retreats, training and workshops for personnel as appropriate including agenda preparation, documentation, review of budget and authorization of expenses; - Organize high-level events including invitees from embassies, governments, UN agencies, governmental/non-governmental organizations and other partners; - Organise briefing sessions with HQ and regional focal points as part of onboarding of senior leaders - Coordinate preparation of meetings with key partners/donors (logistics, talking points, background notes, presentations, etc.); - Organise office level brown bags and workshops - Provide administrative and logistical support to the Head of Support Services and Head of Programme in Geneva as requested - In collaboration with PMO, support the development of SOPs and guidance notes as requested. - Responsible for compilation of reports and administrative documentation as requested by the Director.

Support to people and information management - Undertakes representational duties on behalf of the Director’s office, to include serving as first point of contact and liaison with senior officials internally and externally. - Facilitate and manage the ongoing network and exchange of information with internal partners and important business clients; - Facilitate the flow of communication with UNOPS Geneva teams and the Office of the Director by organizing regular and ad-hoc meetings; preparing minutes and summaries of actions to be taken; - Development of effective systems and procedures to improve and streamline work and communication flow within the team, to meet high-paced job demands and business requirements; - Contribute to Geneva office gender parity initiative: support the implementation and monitoring of the Gender and PSEA Action Plans implementation status; - Contribute to the development and monitoring of the Geneva office strategy - Act as the people focal point: including coordinating the annual people survey preparation, and action plan implementation;

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• First University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or related disciplines is desirable and may replace the required number of years of experience.

Experience

• Minimum of six years of relevant experience in general administrative or programme logistics, or operations support services or related areas in national or international public or corporate organizations is required.
• Proficiency in computers and experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Some experience in UN system organizations is desirable.
• Experience in use of Enterprise systems is desirable.

Language - Fluency in English is required. - Knowledge of a second UN or regional working language is an asset.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) Contract level: LICA Level 6/ICS-6 Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

This position is based in Switzerland and the contract fee is not exempt from Swiss laws, including but not limited to laws regarding taxation, social security, accident and health insurance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.