Air Operations Officer

Overview

Manage air transport operations and provide logistical support.

You have:

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in the aviation industry or related area is required.
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in aeronautical or related field is required.
• Experience in air transportation management and/or aviation operations in support of field operations is required.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.
• Certification in Project/Programme Management methodology by an accredited body is desirable.
• Experience in research and development of sourcing solutions for aviation services is required.

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 131,084 USD and 171,644 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.

Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located within the Air Transport Service (ATS), Logistics Division (LD), Office of Supply Chain Management (OSCM) in the Department of Operational Support at Headquarters.

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 includes the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management, Logistics Division, Procurement Division, Uniformed Capabilities Support Division, Umoja Coordination Service, Global Service Centre, Aviation Safety Section and the Enabling and Outreach Service.

The Logistics Division performs a central role in the implementation of end-to-end supply chain management across the United Nations operations. The Division provides direction and advice on logistical matters, monitors and assesses the delivery of strategic transportation and support services, and it directs the delivery of transportation and specialist support services in the functional areas of air transport, ground transport, engineering, medical and supply, inclusive of fuel, rations and general supplies and security equipment.

The Air Operations Officer reports to the Chief of Service or a designated official.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Air Operations Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

General: - Plans, assesses and monitors field entities budget proposals for the utilization of the UN long-term chartered aircraft/air transport operations, - Makes recommendations, in cooperation with Procurement Division on the most economical method of aircraft acquisition, by purchase, lease of contingency agreements. - Manages, administers and monitors UN Long-term chartered aircraft and Letters of Assist related to procurement and contractual aspects. Advise requisitioning units and recipient entities on the full range of procurement issues, providing support and guidance at all stages of the procurement cycle. - Assists in the preparation of Letters of Assist for the air transport operations relating to the provision of movement of assets by national governments and coordinates the preparation of ITB/RFP for commercial air charter, ensuring that requirements and specifications are accurate and complete, obtain funds availability certification. - Reviews bid responses and conducts operational and technical evaluation and analysis of the bids to ensure that offers meet technical requirements and operational needs. - Liaises with the United Nation insurance specialists to ensure aircraft charter services insurance coverage as required in the United Nations standard aircraft charter agreement. - Coordinates requisition process with purchasing authorities to ensure that bidding and approval processes meet required timetable. - Participates in technical field missions as required; advises on all matters pertaining to the planning, budgeting and monitoring (including safety) of the provision of transportation resources to field missions. - Performs other duties as assigned.

Air Transport - Advise on air transport administrative, logistics and technical support policy objectives to effectively service components. - Assist in the Development /of air transport and maintenance rules and regulations. - Plan the use of air transport to achieve pre-determined outcomes using cost effective and efficient methods to deliver services. - Prepares technical reports, statistics and other documents required for aircraft establishment review and regular ad hoc reporting requirements related to air transport operations. - Assists in the planning, negotiation and deployment of military aviation units, including rotary wing, fixed wing and unmanned Aerial Systems/Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (UAS/RPAS). - Monitors expenditures from the approved air transport budgets to ensure that the respective aviation requirements are met within allocated funds. - Participates in negotiations/planning meetings with senior aviation supplier representatives and government official, on both the start-up and liquidation phases of field missions to advise on air transport requirements. - Participates with other officers in DOS, Contributing Country representatives, Permanent Mission officials, military advisers, representatives of transport industry, national government representatives, and others in negotiating and approving policies, procedures and operating requirements. - Coordinates transportation of peacekeeping personnel to and from field missions by most cost effective and efficient contracts in terms of safety and timeliness. - Assists in the planning, programming and implementation of the UN aviation policy and programmes ; establishes and monitors flight standards, execution of site inspections, registration of vendors, certification of aircraft registration, airworthiness, personnel licensing and maintenance plans. - Develops and maintains various data monitoring systems. - Compiles and analyzes statistical data from diverse sources; present findings, identifying adverse trends, lessons learned, etc.; ensures dissemination of results. - Provides advice on issues/problems pertaining to aviation operations. - Makes recommendations on the improvement of UN air operations with particular attention to vendor performance, site inspections, occurrences reporting, data collection and analysis, etc. - Follows, maintains, disseminates ICAO Annexes, Standards and Recommended Practices; assesses these standards against UN flight standards and forwards inputs and recommendations for review; monitors external commercial aviation safety programmes and assess their applicability to the UN. - Assists in the training of new Air Transport Officers. - Participates in multiple projects for the procurement of aviation specialized services. - Contributes to the preparation of various written reports, guidelines, studies, briefings and other communications. - Performs other duties as required.

Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of aviation industry procurement, operations and logistics processes; Knowledge of institutional mandates, ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices and Annexes of the Chicago Convention, policies and guidelines pertaining to air transport operations and related matters; Knowledge of computer systems similar to SAP ERP and Power BI applications; Knowledge of UN financial rules and regulations; Knowledge of planning and management of large volume of air operations in the field. Ability to technically assist in preparation and negotiation of contracts with representatives of air transportation industry including commercial and government representatives. Ability to conduct research, evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources, in order to assess impact on air transport operations. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas 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 Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in aeronautical or related field is required. A first-level university degree in the above specified areas in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Commercial Pilot License, Air Traffic Control License, Flight Operations Officer License, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer license or an equivalent license from military aviation related establishment is desirable. Certification in Crew Resource Management (CRM) is desirable. Just Culture certification in Aviation is desirable. Certification in Project/Programme Management methodology by an accredited body (e.g. PMP, PGMP, PRINCE 2 (Foundation Project Management certification or practitioner level) or equivalent is desirable. Professional certification in supply chain (SCOR-P, CSCP Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply certification (CIPS) or equivalent is desirable.

Work Experience - A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in the aviation industry or related area is required - Experience in air transportation management and/or aviation operations in support of field operations (inclusive of peacekeeping operations, special political missions, agencies funds and programmes), or other similar organisation is required. - Experience in research and development of sourcing solutions for aviation services, including identification of requirements, conducting technical evaluation and contract management, in an international organization is required. - Experience in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP in support of aviation operations is desirable. - Experience in the use of ICAO standards and recommended practices is desirable. - Experience in the use of Power Business Intelligence (BI) or similar data analysis and visualization tool is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

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

Special Notice - This position is temporarily available as soon as possible for six months, with a possibility of an extension. If the selected candidate is an internal staff member of the UN Secretariat, the selection will be recorded as a temporary assignment.

• This position is vacant due to the temporary assignment/secondment of the regular incumbent to another office/organization. The selection and extension of appointment of the selected candidate will be contingent on the return of the incumbent who maintains a lien against this post. If the selected candidate is an internal staff member of the UN Secretariat, the selection will be recorded as a temporary assignment.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

• The expression "Internal candidates", shall mean staff members who have been recruited after a competitive examination under staff rule 4.16 or after the advice of a central review body under staff rule 4.15.

• For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1.

• A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade. However, a current staff member who holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3 level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the position. In accordance with ST/AI/1999/17 section 2.3, an SPA may only be granted to one level higher than the personal level of the staff member assigned to higher-level functions in his or her own category, whether the higher-level functions are one or several levels higher than the personal level of the staff member. Staff in the General Service and related categories temporarily placed against a post at the Professional level may receive an SPA to the P-1 or P-2 level.

• A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions, and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. In its resolution 66/234, the General Assembly further "stressed that the Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed a period of one year, effective 1 January 2013…" Consequently, eligible candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other suitable candidate could be identified.

• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.

• The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

• Staff members are not eligible to apply for the current temporary job opening if they are unable to serve the specified duration of temporary need before reaching the mandatory age of separation. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

• 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.

Potential interview questions