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 2,355 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 in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Administration Unit, ROAP.

Responsibilities Under the guidance of the Supervisors, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Procurement of High Value (up to USD 50,000) •Reviews, records and prioritizes purchasing requests and obtains additional information/documentation as required; provides assistance to requisitioners in preparing scope of work and specifications of goods and services; proposes product substitutions consistent with requirements to achieve cost savings; determines the availability of funding sources. •Identifies and recommends sources of procurement; interviews potential suppliers. •Produces tender documents (e.g. Invitations to Bids, Requests for Proposals and Requests for Quotation) based on the nature of the requirements and cost of procurement involved. •Prepares abstracts of offers and compiles data contained in quotations, proposals and bids to determine which supplier can deliver the required goods/services at the best terms and lowest costs possible with due consideration to quality, delivery time, prompt payment and other discounts, transportation costs, etc. •Enters into negotiation of terms and conditions of orders under the guidance of Procurement Officers; obtains credit and other information on proposed suppliers. •Approves Purchase Orders up to authorized limit, and, in case where the amount exceeds authorized signature authority, if required, prepares submission to the Contracts Committee for review and subsequent approval by the authorized official. •Resolves issues/problems related to delivered goods, including discrepancies between purchase orders and items/quantities shipped or received; prepares and signs Return to Vendor forms for unacceptable and/or damaged goods received. •Maintains relevant internal databases and files; keeps track of any contractual agreements, direct provisioning contracts, etc. and informs affected users of contractual rights and obligations. •Researches, retrieves and presents information from a variety of internal and external sources on sources of supply, vendors by commodity, etc., as well as obtain specifications for new products and equipment on the market.

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. •Prepares and processes all UN forms and permissions for contractual and work Unit, Section or Service UN staff, including UN grounds passes, property passes, UN parking permits, swipe-card access, and door keys.

Human Resources Management •Coordinates various actions related to the administration of the unit’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 central administration/executive services as required. •Advises staff on visa matters. •Provides advice and answers general queries on classification procedures and processes. •Provides information and advice to staff/consultants with respect to conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and privileges and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations.

General Administration •Provides guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility. •Identifies and resolves diverse issues/problems as they arise and determines appropriate actions. •Coordinates extensively with service units and liaises frequently with internal team members both at HQ and in the field. •Performs other related administrative duties, as required (e.g., operational travel programme, monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services, physical space planning and the identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems). •Provides surge capacity on administrative, procurement and finance support to COs/UNDAC Mission.

Conference, Meeting, Training, and Workshop Organization •Provides and coordinates administrative support in preparation for conferences, meetings, trainings and workshop organized by ROAP, HQs and Field Offices including preparation of conference document and materials. •Prepares budget for Conference, Meeting, Training and Workshop and liaise with OCHA Geneva for fund authorization. •Guides junior staff to initiate travel requests, travel claims for sponsored meeting participants. •Guides junior staff to initiate actions related to participants’ travel to the meeting i.e. visa applications, security, security clearance, medical clearance, etc. •Coordinates on Hotel accommodation information and request form for logistical support for meeting arrangement to be posted on OCHA net. •Creates cost recovery plan and price list for equipment rental from ROAP to cover for expendable and non-expandable equipment cost i.e. rent fee of laptop and printer with cartridge.

Competencies •Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of Information/Technology functions. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations IT 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. •Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

•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

Education High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience A minimum of ten years of progressive responsible experience in procurement, contract management, administration or related areas is required. Direct experience in procurement process as "Buyer" role is required. Experience using enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems, both SAP and Peoplesoft, is desirable. Experience working in administrative field under emergency response circumstances is desirable. Solid experience on the United Nations General Administration systems 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 Thai is desirable. 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 the OCHA Bangkok 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 from Headquarters.

Other Skills and Requirements CIPS Level 2 certificate (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supplies) is required.

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.