Chief, Conference Management Unit

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 128,723 USD and 165,961 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 The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

The Conference Management Unit (CMU) manages and operates the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. CMU provides full conference services for official UN meetings and events hosted by external clients. It also actively promotes the use of the UNCC to other UN Agencies and related bodies, which are provided with conference rooms, equipment and services including audio-visual and technical support, exhibition space and logistics support, catering, as well as office equipment and video-telecommunication facilities.

This position is located in the Conference Management Unit, Commercial and General Services Section, Division of Administration. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Commercial and General Services Section of the Division of Administration.

Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Commercial and General Services Section, and overall supervision of the Director, Division of Administration, the incumbent is responsible for overall planning, management, operation and coordination of conference and related services and facilities for meetings and activities held at ESCAP’s United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, (UNCC), and other venues in Thailand and other countries. Such responsibilities include:

1. Planning and overseeing the management of activities undertaken by the Conference Management Unit for the provision of one-stop support services for meetings, conferences, events and activities held on-site at the UNCC, virtually and in a hybrid manner and liaising with various internal and external stakeholders including security, facilities management, IT management, travel and transportation management, protocol and visa services, banqueting services, senior managers and clients on meeting requirements; and Coordinating and supporting various projects to improve functioning of the UNCC.

2. Increasing the utilization of the UNCC by focusing on expanded usage by United Nations organizations, Member States, intergovernmental organizations, national institutes and other bodies, accredited non-governmental organizations and private sector entities, where appropriate, and ensuring a consistent application of the UNCC service catalogue in recovering the costs. This may include reviewing gaps in usage, designing a marketing plan, actively soliciting users, and other related tasks that will lead to the increased utilization of the UNCC.

3. Managing, supervising and carrying out the work programme of the Unit under his/her responsibility; Coordinating the work carried out by the Unit; Ensuring that the outputs produced by the Unit maintain high-quality standards and enhancing data analysis on conference services.

4. Preparing inputs for the work programme of the Unit/Section, determining priorities and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery; Monitoring and controlling budgetary allocations through regular reviews; Ensuring timely transaction of service and sales orders; and Leading procurement activities for the Unit in line with the UN procurement rules and regulations.

5. Monitoring the Unit's staffing requirements and recruitment of staff for the Unit taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values; Providing effective monitoring reports and data evaluation of staff performance (ePerformance), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates; Managing, guiding and training staff under his/her supervision; Fostering teamwork and communication among staff in the Unit and across organizational boundaries;

6. Performing other related duties as and when required.

Competencies Professionalism: Good knowledge of the United Nations System, including the functioning of its various organs. Knowledge of administrative, budgetary, financial and human resources policies and procedures. Ability to apply various United Nations administrative rules and regulations in work situations. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis. Ability to identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations. 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.

Planning & 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.

Managerial competencies

Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in public or business administration, information technology, finance, international relations, law or related field. A relevant first-level university degree in the above fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in administration, conference servicing, finance, information technology, operations, support services management or related field is required.

Experience in organizing and coordinating services for high level meetings/conferences is required.

Experience in organizing virtual and hybrid meetings using online event management platforms and/or remote simultaneous interpretation is highly desirable.

Experience in coordinating multiple events with staff from different functional teams is desirable.

Experience in using and working with an ERP system such as SAP is desirable.

Experience in managing large-size technology enhancement or infrastructure projects 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 UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.

Special Notice This is a temporary position and will be available up to five months initially. If selected, an internal candidate will be on temporary assignment to the post; an external candidate will initially be offered a temporary appointment. Any extension of appointment is subject to satisfactory performance and continued availability of the post.

ESCAP is committed to promoting diversity and gender equality within the Secretariat. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

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.