Administration Associate

UNOPS Development and Special Initiatives team works with UN partners and Member States. This portfolio offers support for various initiatives and priorities of the UN Secretary-General in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, it helps the UN Secretariat in implementing global programs in areas such as political affairs, climate, counterterrorism and peacebuilding, among others.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York.  The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) of the United Nations to implement the activities of the Climate Action Team (CAT) Project. 

Following COP26 in Glasgow and COP27 in Sharm el-Sheik, there is less than a decade to prevent a climate breakdown. Without deep emissions cuts, the world is heading towards 2.4-degrees Celsius of warming with catastrophic consequences. At current levels of warming the world is experiencing unprecedented climate impacts.

An increase in global average temperature above 1.5˚C would mean extreme weather and climate disasters increasing in frequency and intensity, putting billions of people at immediate risk with significant parts of Africa becoming unlivable and whole countries ceasing to exist. The Secretary-General’s call to all countries, cities, companies and institutions to go into emergency mode on climate is needed more than ever.

While climate change risks undermining the 2030 Agenda, as well as the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable development, climate action also presents an opportunity. Green investments boost growth and jobs; just transitions are inclusive and help to eradicate poverty; and enhancing carbon sinks strengthen biodiversity and resilience. It will be essential to ensure that the transformation of economies and societies takes place to enable accelerated climate action in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The objective of the Secretary-General’s climate action strategy throughout his second term will be to accelerate this decade, the transition towards a resilient, net zero world, that keeps the 1.5˚C goal alive, to secure the alignment of public and private finance, of technological transfers and capacity building to enable the necessary cooperation and support needed by developing countries, to significantly enhance the credibility and accountability of commitments taken by governments and non-state actors to reach the Paris Agreement goals.

The Secretary- General’s Climate Action Team will focus on the following:

• Raising ambition levels and concrete mitigation commitments by the major emitters, particularly the G20.

• Contributing to the reform of the international climate finance architecture and the multilateral development banks including through the design and operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund decided at COP27.

• Delivering tangible results to scale up adaptation and resilience finance and projects in developing countries including through cooperative initiatives. 

• Developing and implementing targeted strategies for fossil fuel phase-out and renewable energy scale-up including through the Just Energy Transition Partnerships and other cooperative initiatives.

• Strengthening and verifying short-term and longer-term commitments made by non-state actors to reach net zero by 2050 through the implementation of the guidelines recommended to the Secretary-General at COP27 by the High-Level Group of Experts on Net Zero pledges

• Enhancing UN system support to countries to deliver on the climate and environment-related Sustainable Development Goals this decade.

• Providing up-to-date analytics and policy guidance for the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, UN leadership and Member States.

• Designing and executing a cross-UN global communications campaign and movement focused on SG and UN leadership on climate action at all levels, and messaging and storytelling to build political will, elevate local solutions and mobilize individual actions.

The incumbent of this position will be a staff member of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

The effective and successful achievement of results by the incumbent directly impacts on the development and performance of the Climate Action Team, visibility and image of CAT, ensuring that the project is aligned with the overall priorities on the UN agenda.

Under the supervision of the Chief of Staff, the Administration Associate will be responsible for the following duties:

Focal point for the Climate Action Team for correspondence, working with team members to prepare notes, letters, invitations and other documentation from the Climate Action Team to the Deputy Secretary-General, Chef de Cabinet and Secretary-General’s office.

Assists in the overall administration in the project, i.e. provides substantive and administrative support in managing priorities and work flow of the ASG of the Climate Action Team and the work unit; coordinates and monitors multiple and diverse activities and work processes to ensure that management directives and decisions are properly carried out and products delivered in a timely manner.

Compiles and analyzes basic data from a variety of sources (including IMIS), summarizing and presenting conclusions for review by manager.

Serves as a communications link between the ASG and senior staff; on behalf of the ASG, keeps others informed by conveying directives, reports, status updates and other relevant information; brings sensitive and urgent matters to the attention of the manager.

Takes full responsibility for time management and scheduling on behalf of manager with appropriate consultation as required; effectively prioritizes and resolves related conflicts and competing demands.

Acts as the primary administrative liaison on behalf of the ASG’s office; serves as the initial point of contact for senior officials and external partners to facilitate effective communication and coordination.

Screens and prioritizes all incoming correspondence; compiles relevant background documents and references; identifies issues requiring the manager’s attention and refers others to relevant officers for appropriate disposition; monitors and follows-up on actions to be taken.

Researches, compiles and summarizes background materials for use in preparation of reports, briefs, speeches, etc; scan reports from specialized agencies, as well as newspapers, magazine, periodicals and other information sources to identify articles of interest to the ASG.

Independently handles a wide range of complex information requests and inquiries (e.g. answer requests requiring file or other research); responds, or drafts responses, to a diverse range of correspondence and other communications.

Supports the ASG in presentations to intergovernmental bodies and other meetings, researching issues, preparing briefing notes, slides and subject files, gathering relevant documentation, etc.

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) with no relevant experience is desirable; OR 

• First-level university degree (undergraduate, bachelor, or equivalent) in a field related to the post description  with two (2) years of relevant experience, will be considered an asset; OR

• Secondary school diploma (or high school equivalent) and six (6) years of relevant experience are required.

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in programme or project administration, technical cooperation or related area. 
• Experience with preparing and issuing official correspondences to member states in accordance with UN Editorial Standards is desired.

• 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. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse 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.