Administration Associate (GVA Director's Office)

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) unites the New York Portfolios, including the Peace and Security team (PSC); the Geneva Office; and the Vienna-based Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) teams, to maximize global impact, foster efficiencies and streamline global programmes. Leveraging our collective expertise and networks, GPO supports UNOPS' strategic priorities and the SDGs across over 130 countries. We deliver project management, fund management, advisory services, project implementation, and HR services, working closely with major global partners. Our thematic focus includes sustainable development, climate action, health, peace & security, and humanitarian action.

As part of the Global Portfolios Office, UNOPS Geneva provides comprehensive solutions in secretariat hosting, operational support, and fund management. We manage global programmes, including the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) Portfolio, offering project management, procurement, HR, and financial services. Geneva hosts the secretariats of eight global partnerships focused on health (RBM, Stop TB, ATscale), nutrition (SUN), water/sanitation (SHF), humanitarian leadership (GELI), urban development (Cities Alliance), and disaster displacement (PDD). We also provide fund management for EIF and UN Water, and operational support to Geneva-based partners like the Global Fund and UNHCR.

As part of the Global Portfolio Office, UNOPS Geneva provides comprehensive solutions in secretariat hosting, operational support, and fund management. We manage global programmes, including the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) Portfolio, offering project management, procurement, HR, and financial services. Geneva hosts the secretariats of eight global partnerships focused on health (RBM, Stop TB, ATscale), nutrition (SUN), water/sanitation (SHF), humanitarian leadership (GELI), urban development (Cities Alliance), and disaster displacement (PDD). We also provide fund management for EIF and UN Water, and operational support to Geneva-based partners like the Global Fund and UNHCR. 

The administration associate (GVA Director's Office) will be responsible for the below key functions : 

1. Administrative Support

2. Operational Support

3. Support to people and information management

Administrative Support

• Manage the Director's schedule and missions;

• Coordinate and/or prepare briefing papers, presentations and other materials as needed for the Director's internal and external use;

• Assist the Director on internal and external communications, reputational and crisis management;

• Participate in the development of UNOPS Geneva work plans, reports on progress and other relevant documents and outputs.

• Monitor and facilitate the Director's approval for all documents received from Geneva office partners and clients;

• Provide accurate and timely information on processes and pending issues to the concerned individuals/unit.

• Management of the Geneva office front office, ensuring an environment of professionalism and teamwork at all times, and setting exemplary standards of conduct for the office team.

• Act as a focal point for organising office-level meetings as per the meeting schedule and protocol

• Liaise with the relevant focal points, collect and consolidate the required documentation related to host engagement board meetings and events.

• Coordinate monthly meetings and maintain a centralized digital repository of all GMT documentation and correspondence.

• Support timely effective reimbursement of travel expense claims for the Director, and others as requested, in close coordination with UNOPS programme/service units.

Operational Support

• Support the Director and HoSS in organizing office retreats, training and workshops for personnel including agenda preparation, documentation, logistics and review of budget and authorization of expenses;

• Organize high-level events including invitees from embassies, governments, UN agencies, governmental/non-governmental organizations and other partners;

• Organise briefing sessions with HQ and regional focal points as part of onboarding of senior leaders

• Coordinate preparation of meetings with key partners/donors (logistics, talking points, background notes, presentations, etc.);

• Organise office level brown bags and workshops

• Provide administrative and logistical support to the Head of Support Services and Head of Programme in Geneva as requested

• In collaboration with PMO, support the development of SOPs and guidance notes as requested.

• Responsible for compilation of reports and administrative documentation as requested by the Director.

• Identify and resolve diverse issues/problems as they arise, and determine appropriate actions.

• Performs other related administrative duties, as required (e.g. physical space planning and negotiation and the identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, acquiring of office supplies, organizing and coordinating seminars).

• Initiate and/or review requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds.

• Liaise with relevant UNOPS units to support duly process and track procurement processes.

• Ensure review and certification of  the contractors' invoices against the goods and services provided.

• Ensure the effective, timely processing of payments to contractors' invoices and monitor payments.

• Coordinates individual work areas and coaches personnel in the execution of standard office transactions, processes and client services for work areas,  ensuring full compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies and knowledge of the work areas.

Support to people and information management

• Undertakes representational duties on behalf of the Director’s office, to include serving as first point of contact and liaison with senior officials internally and externally.

• Facilitate and manage the ongoing network and exchange of information with internal partners and important business clients;

• Facilitate the flow of communication with UNOPS Geneva teams and the Office of the Director by organizing regular and ad-hoc meetings; preparing minutes and summaries of actions to be taken;

• Development of effective systems and procedures to improve and streamline work and communication flow within the team, to meet high-paced job demands and business requirements;

• Contribute to Geneva office gender parity initiative: support the implementation and monitoring of the Gender and PSEA Action Plans implementation status;

• Contribute to the development and monitoring of the Geneva office strategy

• Act as the people focal point: including coordinating the annual people survey preparation, and action plan implementation;

• Handle confidential information with the utmost discretion.

• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building in the context of the Geneva Office
  
  
  

Required

• Completion of secondary school is required.

  
  

Desired

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent), preferably in Business Administration, Public Administration, or related disciplines, is desirable and may replace some of the required number of years of experience.

Required

• A minimum of six years of relevant experience in general administrative or programme logistics, or operations support services or related areas in national or international public or corporate organizations is required.

• Proficiency in computers and experience in handling web-based management systems is required.

Desired

• Experience in UN system organizationsis desirable.

• Experience in use of Enterprise systems is desirable.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. 
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• 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 (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.