Administrative Individual Contractor - Panama City, Panama - 7 Months

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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.

For every child, the best start

Background:

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide. For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)..)

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

The UNICEF Regional Office and Panama Country office premises are located in the City of Knowledge, Panama City. As the Regional and Panama country offices are sharing the same building, and after analyzing the transactions of each office, we have decided last year to create a Shared Administrative Services (SAS) unit, integrating administrative staff from both offices, and consolidating certain processes in a single area to be more efficient and increase the quality and speed of services to all staff. For effective and efficient response on the administrative needs, and due to the stretch assignment of one of its staff members to a Programme position during a maternity leave, it is necessary to hire an additional resource to support the administrative functions during this period.

In view of the above, the Shared Administrative Services (SAS) unit is in the process of recruiting one individual contractor to support the administrative functions with special focus on the maintenance of premises as per these Terms of Reference.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Operations Officer and in conjunction with the administrative assistants from the Shared Administrative Services (SAS) the Individual Contractor will be responsible for the delivery of efficient and cost-effective administrative support services to ensure the office administrative operations and services are following the organization’s administrative policy, procedures, rules and regulations.

Specific Tasks:

1. Provides the management of purchase requests for the preparation of Service Contracts or any action required in VISION for all administrative supplies. Ensures that all administrative transactions and contract arrangements follow applicable policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
2. Updates the Office's Database and carries out requests for procedures from international officials through the platform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. Update telephone expenses table with an Efficient and Effective Control
4. Provide backup support for the assistant to the country office representative
5. Any other administrative management functions and services assigned are carried out and provided effectively. Performs any other assigned duties and responsibilities as required.
6. Provide back-up support to colleagues from the Shared Administrative Services (SAS) unit, when they are on leave or sick leave, trying to attend to all urgent and pending matters of the Section.

Expected Results: (Measurable Results)

1. Appropriate interpretation and application of administrative policy and procedures to support the operations at the Shared Administrative Services (SAS) unit.
2. Provide practical input on implementation of administrative guidelines, in close coordination with the Operations Officer and colleagues in the Shared Administrative Services (SAS).
3. Property management of premises, assets, administrative supplies, office equipment, vehicles and other properties are effectively performed.
4. Keeps supervisor abreast of potential problem areas and identifies and recommends solutions. Prepares reports on administrative matters as required.
5. Management and operations of delivery and improvement in administrative support services are timely and effectively provided, and security arrangements are well established for enhanced safety and security.
6. Ensures the timely and cost-effective provision of basic office services including management and maintenance of premises, space management, assets/equipment, communications, and security to enhance staff safety and productivity.
7. Ensures that all administrative transactions and arrangements of contracts are following the applicable policies, procedures, rules and regulations.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• University degree in administration, business management, or any other relevant field of discipline.
• Professional technical knowledge and expertise in SAP is an asset.
• Excellent use of windows10, Excel pivot table, word, power point.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.
• Must be detail-oriented and customer service oriented.
• Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to clearly defined objectives and plan activities.
• Demonstrated experience on UNICEF will be an asset.

Consultant's workplace:

The Administrative Individual Contractor will be requested to work at the UNICEF LAC Regional Office, based in Panama and may be asked to work weekends and holidays in case there are incidents related to the maintenance of premises, as required.

How To Apply:

Application should be submitted online and should include CV, cover letter and financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

Travel (If Applicable)

Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

• For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.
• Travel: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=ST/AI/2013/3 Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)
• Accommodation (Daily Subsistence Allowance, DSA): http://icsc.un.org/ (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map)

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core values of care, respect, integrity, trust, and accountability. UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and leads and manages people.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).