Administrative Assistant, G-5, TA (until 31 December 2024), Innovative Finance for Children (IF4C), PFP, Geneva, Switzerland

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.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 7,417 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

The Innovative Finance for Children (IF4C) Unit in the Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP), based in Geneva, enables, drives, and accelerates innovative alternative financing and funding solutions for children in partnership with the Private Sector through initiatives that attract investments for climate change, environment, and disaster risk reduction.

For every child, a Champion

UNICEF seeks to hire an Administrative Assistant who will provide administrative support to the PFP IF4C Team and the Principal Adviser. In addition to the generic administrative functions and depending on the needs of the unit, the role will also include additional specialized support functions.

How can you make a difference?

Office Planning & Project Coordination

• Ensures the availability of timely, complete, and accurate information and data for preparing section work plans and project management plans.
• Helps ensure timely compliance with agreed deadlines.
• Works with project lead(s) to ensure efficient coordination and communication between all stakeholders.
• Attends relevant project meetings, acting as rapporteur when necessary.
• Initiates administrative actions related to the engagement of Consultants, Interns, and Volunteers including obtaining all relevant documents, initiating recruitment actions for Consultants in VISION, and processing Travel Authorizations.

Budget Monitoring

• Monitors budgets and financial expenditures of section, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Provides support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Carries out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants for his/her section such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring program grants.

Procurement

• Supports managers in the process of PCA/SSAs in line with SD & DHR policies and guidance.
• Facilitates the processing of contracts for individual and institutional vendors, consultants, and external partners. This includes preparing documents, completing forms and templates, uploading TORs in VISION, and making necessary logistical arrangements.
• Maintains up-to-date vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters.

Invoice Processing

• Collects invoices, files documents for approval and, thereafter processing in VISION.
• Uploads electronic files and verifies results to the destination system.

• Responds to vendor transaction status and other inquiries.

  Communications & Workflow

• Facilitates the communications and workflow of the team to enhance the efficiency, timeliness, and transparency.

• Manages incoming and outgoing correspondence, e-mails, and telephone calls.
• Establishes and maintains the office filing and reference systems, both traditional and digital; and ensures the inter/intra-net websites are up to date and accurate, including WeShare.

Calendar/Meetings/Correspondence/Events Management

• Maintains office calendar and arranges meetings.
• Takes minutes of meetings, ensuring accuracy, attention to detail, and coherence.
• Leads logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers, and hosts.
• Arranges times by liaising with participants over availability.
• Liaises with budget focal points and section over event/meeting costs and needs.
• Prepares background materials for participants and uploads cleared materials on the intranet.
• Prepares and maintains agendas on meetings and events related to the work group commitments.

Correspondence and Communication

• Identifies and extracts information from various sources to support the team prepare briefing notes and/or summaries for inclusion in correspondence and reports.
• Drafts correspondence based on first-hand knowledge of work schedule or events, rough notes, or verbal instructions, for the supervisor's approval.
• As required, review outgoing correspondence for composition and style as well as grammatical accuracy, factual correctness, and adequacy of treatment as well as adherence to PFP/UNICEF procedures.
• Establishes internal tracking systems and procedures for correspondence and documents.

Travel

• Provides travel assistance to staff in the section for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies. Liaises with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Briefs/de-briefs staff members on issues relating to related administrative matters such as visas, security clearance, and documentation procedures.
• Extracts, inputs, maintains, and verifies the correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel.
• Assists in the preparation of budgets for travel costs and maintains the travel plan and budgetary control records. Monitors travel expenditures for team members and highlight issues of concern.
• Monitors travel certification and report back to the team.

Specialized Support Functions

• Provide administrative support to the IF4C Principal Adviser, such travel assistance, management of the agenda and documenting meetings when needed, including the IFC Directors meeting.
• Assist in financial modelling and analysis to assess the financial viability and potential returns of innovative financing initiatives.
• Conduct research on potential opportunities across the UNICEF innovative finance ecosystem.
• Support resource mobilization efforts for PFP IF4C projects and initiatives.

H****uman Resources

• Supports drafting vacancy announcements for positions within his/her office for review by the supervisor to help attract ideal candidates.
• Liaises with candidates in the various stages of the recruitment process.
• Coordinates the scheduling of interviews and technical assessments.

Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Provides procedural advice to unit/section staff and train new staff on office/section/unit methods and procedures, and on the use of various computer applications.
• Develops and maintain section's/unit's filing, document/information retrieval, and reference systems.

DELIVERABLES:

• Provide necessary administrative functions for vendors, consultants, and staff members in the PFP IF4C team including invoicing, receipts, contracts, etc.
• Management of administrative functions using the VISION system.
• Proactive budget management, escalating discrepancies and highlighting under / over- spends.
• Provide project coordination and ad-hoc specialized support within the team where necessary.
• Manage travel requests, plans, and claims efficiently.

Estimated Duration of the contract

• 364 days

Reporting To:

• Chief Innovative Alternative Finance for Children

Working Place:

• Geneva, Switzerland.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education:

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical courses to the scope of the job.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in administration, human resources, and/or finance work is required.
• Proficiency in the use of standard MS Office applications, particularly Excel, including Teams and planner functions is required.
• Ability to use UNICEF SAP/ERP systems (VISION) is an asset.
• Experience in managing or monitoring budgets is required.
• Experience in marketing, fundraising, or planning will be an asset.
• Previous experience with the private sector and/or national committees will be an asset.
• Experience with UN and/or UNICEF regulations and rules, including administrative procedures will be an asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) are required.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

General Service Staff are recruited locally. Candidates must be in possession of an existing work permit or be a resident/citizen of Switzerland and/or a commuting area to be considered eligible for this position.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.