Support Services Senior Assistant

Contract

This is a LICA-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-5 contracts.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background Information - Pakistan

UNOPS commenced operations in Pakistan in 1999 and significantly up-scaled activities from 2005 onwards to support populations affected by and vulnerable to earthquakes. In 2010, UNOPS opened a permanent office in Islamabad to support the Government of Pakistan and other partners to undertake humanitarian and reconstruction services, following the most devastating flood in the nation’s history.

UNOPS Pakistan has been implementing projects in the areas of early recovery and reconstruction of community infrastructure, project management and related monitoring and verification, community development, fund management, and procurement. Supported strategically by a regional operational hub and UNOPS headquarters in Copenhagen and within the overarching framework of the ONE UN Programme, UNOPS Pakistan continues to deliver projects across the country under its core delivery practices of sustainable infrastructure, sustainable procurement, and sustainable project management.

UNOPS is based in Islamabad and has a provincial office in Peshawar. UNOPS is working with different donors and UN agencies to implement infrastructure, procurement, HR Services, and other projects in different parts of Pakistan. Similarly, UNOPS is also acting as the Local Fund Agent of the Global Fund. In Pakistan, UNOPS monitors a grant portfolio of $600,000,000 by undertaking regular and mandatory field visits across the country including FATA to provide independent monitoring of the activities carried out by the grantees of the Global Fund.

UNOPS Pakistan office is part of the Bangladesh Operational Hub in the Asia Region. With a steady growth of the project portfolio in recent years and a new strategic direction.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Finance Officer, Support Services Senior Assistant will be responsible for provision of administrative assistance, including processing of financial data, to the implementation of all Project related activities.

The Senior Assistant will undertake the following activities/responsibilities.

Administration: - Support day to day general administrative activities covering expense claims, premises maintenance, transport and logistics, security issues and ensure safety of equipment and property; - Assist to summarize and/or highlight information for general administrative matters and make research and compile material for briefing and presentations on administrative matters; - Support, on an as needed basis, the procurement activities including participating in bid opening boards, evaluation assistance, market research; - Support with project management report obligations: planning of timely delivery of reports (to client and internally), preparation of reports, update work plans if needed, keeping track of progress in between reporting moments; - Act as UNOPS Travel Focal Point, prepare travel authorization forms, calculate the travel costs, and liaise with approved travel agent in obtaining tickets, security clearance and ensuring necessary logistics’ arrangements have been made; - Organise meetings and draft meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, evaluation and justification, as required on general administrative and specialized task that may be of confidential nature; - Assist in developing effective systems and procedures to improve and streamline work and communication flow within the team to meet the business requirements; - Assist in maintaining and repair of office equipment and other properties.

Finance:

• With guidelines from the Support Services Manager and in cooperation with the Project team, provide support in technical and administrative monitoring, including review of financial data, of the implementation of the selected projects and concluded grant agreements;
• Provide assistance in collection and preparation of documentation related to processing of financial transactions related to project activities. Collection of evidence for project related payments and liabilities, support the facilitation of VAT exemption and preparation of documentation for payment installment /processing;
• Maintain archive related to the Project financial activities, as per agreement with the line manager and in line with the UNOPS requirements;
• Contribute to identification and assessment of financial and operational risks and assist in implementation of mitigation measures in accordance with the Risk Management Strategy;
• Contribute to identification and sharing of the Administration related lessons learned and best practices;
• Contribute to the successful administrative and financial closure of project.
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

HR: - Support the completion of recruitment processes including offers and rejections,and updating recruitment on-line information systems in line with UNOPS policy. - Undertakes reference checking, elements of longlisting, and organization of testing and interviews; fee calculation, minutes of general-service recruitments, - Support in the finalization of selection and other process approvals. - Inform and advise UNOPS personnel, consultants, partners and project personnel on routine aspects and elements of their conditions of service and entitlements according to their contract modality, expediting actions to facilitate their efficient, timely, and client-focused onboarding. - Maintain monitoring systems, advising the supervisor on the status of pending requests and approaching deadlines. - Answer questions and follow-up with personnel and management to ensure completion of absences requests, performance management cycle, and other HR processes etc. in electronic information systems.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education - Completion of secondary school is required. - First University Degree in finance, Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent disciplines is desirable but not required and may substitute for some of the required years of experience.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 5 years administrative , or operations/Support services and finance experience in the United Nations system or International organizations;
• Within these 5 years, 1 year of experience in administration, Assets management, inventory controls is highly desirable.
• Work record in Travel management is an asset.
• Understanding of UN/UNOPS Financial and Administrative Rules and Regulations is an asset.
• Proficiency in computers and experience in handling of web-based management systems is required
• Working knowledge of Google workspace is desirable

Languages:

Working knowledge (oral & written) of the English language is required.

Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: Individual Contract Agreement-ICA
• Contract level: Local ICA Support (LICA -5)
• Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:

https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.