Senior Administrative Assistant

Contract

This is a G-7 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 2,335 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.

This position is located in the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES). The incumbent reports directly to the Associate Programme Management Officer.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Senior Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Human Resources Management •Coordinates various actions related to the administration of the Office of the Executive Secretary’s human resource activities, e.g., recruitment, placement, promotion, relocation, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation of staff members, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures. Liaises with the Division of Administration as required. •Oversees the maintenance of vacancy announcement files and keeps track of status of vacancy announcements. •Reviews and processes personnel actions through Umoja and Inspira. •Coordinates personnel actions and provides information and advice to staff/consultants/individual contractors/interns with respect to conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and privileges and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations.

Budget and Finance •Provides expert assistance in the preparation and development of the Office of the Executive Secretary’s work programme and budget. •Assists in monitoring budget/work programme with respect to various budgets and funds on a regular basis, and suggests reallocations of resources and implements the reallocations as necessary. •Collects data from relevant databases and prepares customized financial reports. •Provides assistance in the review, and preparation of the medium-term and annual reporting in the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Monitoring or similar tools; serves as PME assistant. •Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with the programme plan and other legislative mandates. •Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions. •Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds. •Monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures, and supports with the preparation of project proposals, budget allocation, progress, final and terminal reports. •Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions. •Assists in finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.

General Administration •Serves as the focal point in providing logistical support for the Executive Secretary’s travels and official missions including preparations of budget estimations, Umoja travel requests and expense reports, visa and security clearances in line with ESCAP and UN rules and regulations related to travel and compliance. •Identifies and resolves diverse issues/problems as they arise and determines appropriate actions. •Performs other related administrative duties, as required, including back-up support to the Personal Assistant of the Executive Secretary e.g. maintaining schedules and arranging appointments including high-level courtesy visits and meetings for the Executive Secretary. •Performs duties related to operational travel programme, monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services, physical space planning and the identification of office technology needs; if necessary, provides assistance and serves as the focal point on various administrative and operational tasks, such as IT systems management, property custodian and property management, records and archive, time administration, Communication Tree, Environmental Management System (EMS), etc.

Contract Administration •Assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services. •Audits the contractors' invoices against the goods and services provided by the contractor and approved by the UN. •Processes the payment of contractors' invoices and monitor payments.

Competencies Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work 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; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects 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.

Education High school diploma or equivalent. A first level university degree in administration or related field is desirable.

Work Experience A minimum of ten years of experience in administrative services, including finance, budgeting, human resources, programme management, or related area is required. Experience in using an Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system, such as Umoja or other similar system for administration is required. Experience in drafting official correspondence and conducting research support is desirable. At least three years of experience in supporting senior management are 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 Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.

Special Notice Appointment against this post is on a local basis; candidates shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of ESCAP office, irrespective of nationality and length of time the candidate may have been in the country. If no suitable local candidate is identified, candidates located elsewhere may be considered. The candidate is responsible for any expenses incurred in taking the relevant examinations at the duty station, and of any costs related to traveling and relocating to the duty station in the event of an employment offer.

Must have passed the United Nations Global General Service Test (GGST) at Headquarters or an equivalent locally-administered test at Offices Away.

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.