Administrative Assistant (Temporary Job Opening) [Temporary]

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Triangular Partnership Project (TPP), Support Partnerships Service (SPS), Division of Special Activities (DSA), Department of Operational Support (DOS),

DOS was established to provide operational advisory services to operating entities across the Secretariat, including other departments, offices-away-from headquarters, field missions, and regional commissions.

DSA oversees a range of specialized or cross-cutting operational capacities. A large part of its responsibilities is to support start-up, surge, transition and liquidation requirements and to exercise authority on behalf of entities to which authority has not been granted owing to a lack of capacity or from which authority has been temporarily withdrawn.

SPS coordinates and maintains bilateral and trilateral relationships with key partners, such as regional organizations, other United Nations actors and governments, for the receipt or provision of operational support from or to Secretariat entities.

The TPP Project is one of the outcomes of the September 2014 Summit on UN Peacekeeping, and aims to enhance the Rapid Deployment of Enabling Capabilities for peacekeeping. The TPP comprises the United Nations, supporting Member States and Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs). The incumbent reports to the Project Manager.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all Administrative Assistants.)

Human Resources Management
•Initiates, processes, monitors, reviews and follows-up on actions related to the administration of the Project’s ’ human resource activities, e.g., recruitment, placement, relocation, promotion, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of regulations and procedures.
•Enters, maintains and certifies administrative data and records for time and attendance, performance appraisal, etc. in electronic information systems.
•Reviews entitlements-related claims and reports.
•Provides advice and guidance to staff with respect to administrative procedures, processes and practices, liaising with central administrative services as necessary.
•Maintains and reviews organizational staffing tables; prints and reviews Umoja reports.

Budget and Finance
•Provides support to higher-level staff with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
•Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions.

General Administration
•Supports the Project Manager and the Project Team in administrative matters.
•Prepares, processes and follows-up on administrative arrangements and forms related to the official travel of staff.
•Drafts routine correspondence.
•Maintains files of rules, regulations, administrative instructions and other related documentation.
•Maintains up-to-date work unit files (both paper and electronic).
•Coordinates extensively with service units and liaises frequently with internal team members both at Headquarters 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; identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems; organizing and coordinating administrative arrangements for seminars, conferences and translations.

Contract Administration
•Assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services.
•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.

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.

•TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

•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.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources or related area is required.
Experience in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as Umoja, SAP or equivalent is desirable.
Experience in the use of a Talent Management system such as Inspira is desirable.
Experience working in international organizations is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations official languages is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until 2 March 2021. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

• This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

• Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

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.

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.