Administrative Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Finance Section of the Executive Office Component of the Headquarters Client Support Service (HQCSS) in the Department of Operational Support. This office supports the Department of Operational Support (DOS) and other United Nations Secretariat entities supported by DOS. The Administrative Assistant reports to the Administrative Officer.

The HQCSS also provides administrative support to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, the Ethics Office, the Global Compact Office, the Human Security Unit, the Office of Administration of Justice, the Office of Information and Communications Technology, the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services, the Office of Special Envoy for Haiti, the Office of Victims' Rights Advocate, the Office of Special Coordinator on Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the United Nations Office for Partnerships, as well as to the liaison offices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in New York and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

In line with the Secretary-General's management reform report effective 01 January 2019 DOS will focus on operations, services, transactions and surge support to entities in weak environments. It will service and support the entire Secretariat - at Headquarters, the regional commissions and offices away from Headquarters and in the field.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Official Travel Operations
•Prepares, processes and follows-up on administrative arrangements and forms related to the official travel of staff and non-UN personnel funded against the departmental budget allocation and trust fund accounts.
•Processes official travel for training/workshop participants, consultants and individual contractors.
•Reviews travel claims submitted by travelers prior to submission for certification.
•Maintains statistical data on official travel and related travel claims.
•Provides advice and guidance to staff with respect to administrative procedures, processes and practices, liaising with central administrative services as necessary.

Budget and Finance
•Monitors status of expenditures and allotments through Umoja, records variations, updates budget tables.
•Consolidates data received and provides support to higher-level staff with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
•Reviews status of relevant expenditures and compares with approved budget.
•Reviews shopping carts for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged and (b) availability of funds.
•Reviews Low Acquisition Value for goods and services.
•Reviews service entry sheets and goods receipts in Umoja
•Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions.
•Prepares statistical tables and standard financial reports.

General Administration
•Drafts routine correspondence.
•Maintains electronic files of rules, regulations, administrative instructions and other related documentation.
•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., 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 translation.
•Processes requests for engagement of external consultants by reviewing documentation submitted by the substantive offices to ensure eligibility, completeness and accuracy of information.
•Performs other related administrative duties, as required.

Competencies

•Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., travel processing, workshop/conference coordination, processing consultants contracts, budget/work programme, database management, etc. Knowledge of administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations of an international organization and ability to apply it 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.

•Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

•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 working with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is required.
Experience working within the United Nations common system or a similar international organization 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 French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language 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 funded for a finite period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds.

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. Staff members who were granted a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment as a result of having passed a predecessor test recognized by the Office of Human Resources Management, and who have continuously held such appointments, are not required to take the new test.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

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.