Administrative Assistant

The United Nations Campus in Bonn is home to 22 UN organizations, agencies, and convention secretariats, in their entirety referred to as UN Bonn.  Sharing the same buildings gives opportunity to also share certain facilities and support services while gaining efficiencies and saving costs. Besides the joint management of the premises and facilities, central ICT infrastructures, safety and security services, conference facility services, mail and logistics, canteen and catering services, system-wide surveys as well as host country are provided to the organizations on a common basis.

The Common Services Section (CSS), which is hosted organizationally and administratively under the framework of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, ensures business continuity at the UN Bonn facilities and the provision of an undisturbed and conducive working environment for close to 1000 staff with dedicated client services in the area of facility management, ICT, mail and logistics, conferencing, security as well as administration and finance to a diverse group of agencies.

Under the supervision of the Chief, CSS, and in close collaboration with the CSS team and staff of multiple UN stakeholders, the Administrative Assistant supports the consistent deliver of services in the various common services areas, with specific emphasis on general administration, support to interagency cooperation and services, procurement, and support to conference and facility management. 

Provision of general administration and management support services

• Perform administrative tasks, organization of meetings, exchange of information with agencies and drafting of technical or other correspondence;
• Take necessary action related to administrative queries, correspondence, and staff communications related to campus events and services;
• Provide logistical support for regular section meetings, including drafting agendas, preparing and distributing meeting minutes;
• Function as leave monitor, maintain leave and attendance records, and coordinate on-call weekend security duty;
• Function as a focal person for third parties on campus, such as staff advisors, bank representatives, German teachers and non-resident UN agencies, including UNFCU;
• Assist in the processing and follow up of VAT claims;
• Function as back up for the Administrative and Finance Associate as needed;
• Undertake other administrative tasks as required (flu vaccination, external providers, etc.).

Support to interagency cooperation

• Function as secretariat to various interagency groups (conference facility oversight body, HR task force, canteen committee);
• Collect information and provide administrative support for UN systems surveys in Germany, specifically DSA survey as well as applicable local staff survey and place to place surveys;
• Support and process the regular (annual) CS satisfaction survey;
• Regularly ensure, in cooperation with other team members, necessary update of information on the joint UN Bonn intranet and UN Bonn website, including updating and maintaining an electronic common staff directory for reference via Intranet;
• Support the production of a regular CS newsletter.

Procurement and contract management

• Act as procurement focal point for CSS, by preparing requisitions and checking their completeness and authorization/documentary support to ensure that specifications, budget provisions and all other requirements are in order and support, the coordination of CSS procurement planning and implementation processes;
• Maintain a record of third-party contracts owned by CSS.

Support to conference and facility management

• Manage and coordinate conference booking requests (mail, phone, online system);
• Process and follow up on debit advices for conference rooms and services;
• Engage on day to day issues with the canteen and catering provider;
• Engage and provide logistical support to external conference organizers, as applicable.

UN Bonn Language Training and Exams

• Administer and coordinate biannual Language Proficiency Examinations for UN staff in Germany, as well as other UN Examinations as required.

Core competencies

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Technical/functional competencies

Office Administration

• Ability to manage day-to-day office activities (including but not limited to travel management, facilities and asset management, policy and procedures maintenance) to meet operational needs

Operational Efficiency

• Ability to identify and execute opportunities to improve operational efficiency

Procurement

• Ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source

Quality Assurance

• Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled

Relationship Management

• Ability to engage and foster strategic partnerships with other parties, inter-agency coordination and forge productive working relationships

Knowledge Management

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge

Education

• Secondary education;
• Certification in administration and/or procurement or related field is highly desirable.

Experience

• 5 years of relevant experience in administration support services. 

Language requirement

• Fluency English and German;
• Proficiency in another official UN language is an asset.

Other

• Full literacy in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.);
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems;
• Knowledge of the UN and UN administrative rules and regulations, including UNDP ATLAS and SharePoint is an asset.