Administrative and Travel Assistant

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-5 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries to address Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD). (www.unccd.int )

The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is the annual international forum for the governments from 19 industrialized countries and the European Union (EU). Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 90 percent of the gross world product (GWP), 75 percent of world trade, two-thirds of the world population, and approximately half of the world’s land area. In 2020, Saudi Arabia held the rotating Presidency of the G20. The G20 Leaders’ Declaration, issued on Sunday, 22 November 2020, launched a "Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats”. Building on existing initiatives and on a voluntary basis, the G20 countries share the ambition to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the amount of degraded land by 2040.

The G20 Global Land Initiative (GI) with oversight from UNCCD, will focus on capacity building, engaging the private sector and civil society and showcasing success. The Director, under the oversight of the Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, manages the Initiative Coordination Office (ICO).

This position is located in the Global Initiative Unit (GI G20) and will closely collaborate with the Administrative Services Unit (ASU) and its colleagues. The incumbent reports to Admin and Finance Officer in G20 Unit.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Administrative and Travel Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Administration: • Assistance in the preparation of letters of invitation to meeting participants, consultants, Country Parties, Observers, ministers and High-level officials. • Logistical support to both internal and external meetings by way of organizing catering, meeting room facilities, information notes for participants. • Maintenance of a unified, efficient filing system both paper and electronic in connection to the work given. • Verifies and prepares payment requests to third parties, commercial entities, and consultants, with respect to settlement of invoices, timesheets. • Assist with G20 procurement related procedures, liaise with Procurement officer at UNCCD to support procurement processes and procedures internally. • Provide administrative support to the Director/or Finance/Admin Officer(s), as required.

Travel: • Contacts airlines or travel agency to request itineraries for reservations at least expensive fares and follow up with travel unit for issuance of tickets. • Provides information to staff and consultants on the most direct and economical route, and plans routings and itineraries plus the most economical airfare rates for such travel as permitted by the rules and regulations. • Reviews and process travel requests and expense reports in Umoja for all travel categories for staff members and non-staff categories. • Review of travel claims and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, reasonableness, validity, and conformity with UN Rules. • Initiates requests for visas for meeting participants, consultants, and staff. • Preparation of note verbal and liaison with corresponding embassies/consulates of the host country to assist in the facilitation of visa issuance to participants, as required. • Performs any other job-related activities, acting as a backup to other support staff, if required to achieve the goals and objectives of the Unit.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of, and ability to apply Administration rules, regulations and procedures in the UN environment as well as procurement policies and practices; Knowledge of travel related processing requirements; ability to recognize and act in the face of conflicting priorities. Ability to maintain accurate records, review and interpret a wide variety of data; ability to identify and resolve data discrepancies and operational problems; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; demonstrated use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work processes and anticipate next steps. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five (5) years’ relevant administrative experience in the areas of administration and travel administration is required. The minimum year of relevant experience is reduced to three years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Solid computer skills including proficiency in word processing and spreadsheets are required. (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Experience in using administrative electronic tools, such as ERP, is required.

Previous experience in Umoja is required.

Experience working in the United Nations or other international organizations, in this capacity, is desirable.

Languages

For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

United Nations Considerations

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. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.