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 Health & Life Insurance Section, Financial Risk Management Service (FRMS), Finance Division (FD) of the Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget (OPPFB). The Administrative Assistant will report to the Chief of Section.

The Health and Life Insurance Section is responsible for the administration of the medical, dental and life insurance programme of active and retired staff and their eligible household members, and coordinates with the various offices such as insurance carriers to resolve issues, processing death claims for life insurance, and following up on the status of claims.

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

Human Resources Management - Assists with recruitment activities, including review of applicants’ Personal History Profile in inspira, coordinating written assessments, set-up up interviews and taking notes during interviews; - Enters, maintains and certifies administrative data and records for time and attendance, performance appraisal, etc. in electronic information systems for the Health & Life Insurance; - Reviews entitlements-related claims and reports; - Provides advice and guidance to staff with respect to administrative procedures, processes and practices, liaising with central administrative services as necessary; - Assists with the maintenance and review of the section’s staffing tables;

Budget and Finance - Monitors status of expenditures and allotments through Umoja portal and in ECC, records variations, updates budget tables; - Consolidates data received and provides support to higher-level staff with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies; - 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 /Raises allotments and redeployment requests using the UN ERP system (Umoja) based on approved budget and ensures the correct use of commitment items;

General Administration - Prepares, processes and follows-up on administrative arrangements related to the official travel of staff under the Travel Administrator role in Umoja; - Drafts routine correspondence for the Chief of Section; - Maintains /Creates the Customer Relationship Management Tools’ user accounts for HLIS staff members, as well as analyses and produces reports on HLIS Service Requests for management’s review; - Maintains up-to-date work unit files (both paper and electronic); - Coordinates extensively with service units and liaises frequently with internal team members both at Headquarters and in the field, to respond to queries regarding income tax, health and life insurance, payroll, travel and vendor claims, and commercial insurance and compensation claims; - Performs other related administrative duties, as required, e.g., operational travel programme; monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services; 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 , back-up of the HLIS Client Support team, respond to queries mainly regarding Health & Life Insurance;

Contract Administration - Assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services; - Audits the contractors' invoices against the goods and services provided by the contractor and approved by the UN; - Processes /Creates Shopping Carts and Service Entry Sheets for the payment of contractors' invoices and monitor payments; - Prepares and processes all UN forms and permissions for contractual and work Unit, Section or Service UN staff, including: 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. 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 AND 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.

•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.

Work Experience A minimum of five years of experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, human resources or related area is required.

At least one year of experience in client service involving staff entitlements by using a Customer Relationship Management Tool (i.e. iNeed or similar) is desirable.

Experience with viewing and processing records using an ERP system such as SAP is desirable.

Experience in the application of UN Staff Regulations and Rules related to staff entitlements or those of a similar international body 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 an advantage.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice This post is financed by funding of the Support Account for Peacekeeping Operations. The appointment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate.

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.

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 Assessment Support Test (ASAT) in English at Headquarters, ECA, ESCWA, UNOG, UNOV, ICTR, or ICTY or the United Nations Examination for Accounting Assistants (AACE) at UN Headquarters or passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration for this post.

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.