PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Contract

This is a D-1 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 15 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 191,645 USD and 241,836 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 United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the representative office of the Secretary-General. UNON supports programme implementation of the Resident Coordinator System (RCS), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, conference, security and information services (www.unon.org). The post is located in the Office of the Director-General, UNON. The position is required to manage the office of the Director-General and support him/her in the responsibilities as Representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya and the main interlocutor with the host country with a special focus on the areas of protocol. The incumber also supports liaison with Member States, the UN family in Nairobi and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. They also work closely with the Director-General in the performance of his/her regional political advisory/representational role. Under the overall supervision of the Director-General, the incumbent will be responsible for the following functions:

Responsibilities - Assisting the Director-General in overall direction of the United Nations Office at Nairobi and the coordination of its constituent divisions. - Managing the operations of the Office of the Director-General by reviewing and supervising the output of the office, organising the flow of activities, the co-ordination of reports, handling issues involving senior consultants/advisors, guiding and motivating other staff. - Advising the Director-General on political and socio-economic issues. - Maintaining Liaison with Heads of missions and other high ranking representatives of - Member States, other organizations, donors and partners on political, protocol and procedural questions arising, as well as representation of the UN at meetings and conferences in Nairobi. - Clearing, reviewing and preparing correspondence, official statements and reports. The incumbent will also assist in the planning and implementation of political and administrative objectives and strategies by providing advice on policy and management issues concerning UNON. - Undertaking other assignments as requested by the Director-General.

Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrated in-depth knowledge and understanding of the UN system, including UN Offices away from headquarters; Substantial knowledge of management, policy, coordination, protocol, general administration matters; Strong analytical skills and proven ability to review and edit the work of others as well as diplomacy and tact. Ability to establish priorities and make timely decisions. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain contacts at all levels; excellent knowledge of United Nations Policies, Inter Agency Coordination, sound political judgement; remains calm in stressful 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effective. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; anticipates and resolves conflict by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participations of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrated knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

VISION: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction.

JUDGEMENT/DECISION MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; 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; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision.

Education Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in public administration, management, social sciences, international relations or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of fifteen years of experience in public administration and management or other relevant experience in the UN system, including several years at the international level is required. Work experience in senior officer assignments in the United Nations is desirable. Experience advising senior leadership on complex political issues is desirable. Experience working in a Political Context 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 UN language is desirable.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice Note: This is a temporary Job Opening. Appointment against this position is for a duration of nine (9) months with possibility of extension, a limited duration and does not carry any expectancy, legal or otherwise, of renewal.

If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. 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.

The United Nations is Secretariat and is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for these positions. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.

"Internal Applicants : When completing the form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. "

Staff members are subject to the authority of Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary.

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.