Administrative 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 This position is located in the Technology and Infrastructure Support Service in the Procurement Division, Office of Supply Chain Management, Department of Operational Support.

The Department of Operational Support was established to provide operational advisory services to operating entities across the Secretariat, including other departments, offices away from headquarters, field missions, and regional commissions. The Office of Supply Chain Management encompasses the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General, Logistics Division, the Procurement Division, the Uniformed Capabilities Support Division, Global Service Center, and the Enabling and Outreach Service.

The mandate of the Procurement Division is to provide responsive, effective, and quality expert procurement services and business advice to United Nations (UN) Headquarters, field missions, and other UN organizations, while achieving best value for money, ensuring a competitive, fair and transparent process in accordance with established regulations, rules and procedures.

The Administrative Assistant reports to the Team Leader or designated official.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant may be responsible for the following duties:

Human Resources Management - Initiates, processes, monitors, reviews and follows-up on actions related to the administration of the unit’s human resource activities, e.g., recruitment, placement, relocation, promotion, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of regulations and procedures. - Provides advice and guidance to staff with respect to administrative procedures, processes and practices, liaising with central administrative services as necessary. - Maintains and reviews organizational staffing tables.

Budget and Finance - Monitors status of expenditures and allotments through Umoja, records variations. - Reviews status of relevant expenditures and compares with approved budget. - Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged and (b) availability of funds. - Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions. - Prepares statistical tables and standard financial reports.

General Administration - Performs a wide range of office support, procurement and administrative functions. - Researches, compiles and organizes information and reference materials from various sources for procurement cases, reports, work plans, studies, briefings, meetings/conferences, etc. - Responds or drafts responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications - Maintains up-to-date work unit files and databases (both paper and electronic). - Coordinates extensively with service units and liaises frequently with internal team members both at Headquarters and in the field. - Performs other related administrative duties, as required, e.g., operational travel programme; physical space planning; identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems; organizing and coordinating administrative arrangements for seminars, conferences and translations. - Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.

Procurement and Contract Administration - Undertakes low value procurement. - Assists procurement staff in conducting tenders (RFQs, ITBs, RFPs), processing various waiver cases, preparing purchase orders and other procurement documents - Process procurement transactions through SAP system of the UN - Assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services. - Provides procurement, logistical and administrative support to a team of Procurement Officers in the acquisition of a wide variety of goods and services. - Prepares and processes all UN forms and permissions for contractual and work Service UN staff, including: UN grounds passes, property passes, UN parking permits, swipe-card access and door keys.

Competencies - Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. The ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 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.

• 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.

• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

  Education High school diploma or equivalent.

  Job - Specific Qualification Professional certification in supply chain such as Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply certification (CIPS Level 4) or equivalent is desirable.

  Work Experience - A minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in administrative services, procurement, contract management, contract administration, finance, accounting, audit or related area is required.

  • Experience working with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP or similar system, including the procurement process is desirable.

  • Experience in a procurement or commercial office environment is desirable.

  • Experience working with data analytics and visualization tools and developing data analytics and visualization reports and dashboards is desirable.

  Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. 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 may be followed by competency-based interview.

  Special Notice - This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to Staff Rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for General Service and related positions must be authorized to work in the country where the position is located. A staff member subject to local recruitment is not eligible for the allowances or benefits applicable to international recruitment.

• Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

• At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

  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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.