CHIEF, DIVISION OF CONFERENCE SERVICES

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the Director-General of UNON is the representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya. UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Resident Coordination System (RCS) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, security, conference and information services (www.unon.org).

This position is located in the Division of Conference Services, United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). The incumbent is accountable to both the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON) and the Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) in accordance with their shared responsibility for the provision of conference services.

Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the Director General of UNON and guidance from the Under Secretary-General (DGACM), the incumbent will, within delegated authority, be responsible for the following functions:

• Provide policy guidance and executive supervision to the Division of Conference Services and coordinate its operations with UNEP and UN-Habitat.
• Formulate work programmes, costings and budgets based on forecasted workload and capacity; prepare programme budget submissions and budget performance reports; determines resource requirements and utilization rates.
• Provide guidance to and implements the conference-servicing programme of the client offices to ensure the most efficient and cost­ effective use of available resources and facilities and adherence to General Assembly resolutions on organizing and servicing of conferences and meetings.
• Coordinate DCS input for reports to an additional information for oversight bodies such as the General Assembly and its Committee on Conferences and other policy-making organs, as appropriate;
• Collaborate closely with DGACM in New York and the conference servicing entities of the other duty stations (Geneva and Vienna) in the framework of Integrated Global Management in order to achieve efficient utilization of conference servicing resources globally.
• Contribute to the formulation of DGACM’s global conference management strategies and policies relating to the provision of conference services, to the organization and servicing of meetings and conferences and the effective utilization of resources under the program budget and provide this policy advice to the Director-General, UNON
• Provide guidance and implements the Division's chargeback system and the conference-servicing programme of the client offices.
• Manage the conference facilities at UNON in consultation with major users of conference resources at Nairobi in order to ensure their most effective utilization and, in cooperation with the Office of the Director-General UNON and Division of Administration, UNON realizes improvements to the facilities and increase in regular budget funding of the service.
• Provide policy, operational and managerial guidance to Conference Service staff, and approves proposals for recruitment of staff, extension of contracts or other personnel actions; ensures proper application of performance management to staff and recommends staff development activities and training.
• Through regular meetings of the Conference Service management team, develop innovative programmes to improve the cost efficiency of the service and its delivery;
• Implement remote translation for meetings outside Nairobi where feasible and outsourcing of documentation without compromising quality;
• Implement policies and strategies in line with the Organization’s IT Strategy and that of DGACM and facilitate support of DGACM conference management IT systems in the areas of meetings management, documents processing and translation used at all four DGACM duty stations as well as at regional commissions and other international organizations;
• Has overall supervisory responsibility for Conference Services, ensures effective coordination between sections and units of the service and implements the policy and standard practices of the UN and UNEP/UN-Habitat in the field of conference servicing and implementing the policies, procedures and standard practices in the field of conference-servicing, as established by the USG for DGACM;
• Initiate innovations, technical and procedural, to improve efficiency of services and directing development of training programmes for staff to that effect.
• Introduce and institutionalize methods of work for language staff, and forge closer working relations between interpreters, translators, editors and language and other support staff; Negotiate with government authorities the conclusion of host government agreements covering conference service requirements, costings, facilities for remote translation, including visits to meetings venues to review facilities.
• Represent UNEP and UN-Habitat at International Annual Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications (IAMLADP) and contributes to global management of UN conference services and ensures effective collaboration with DGACM/NY and counterparts in Geneva and Vienna.
• As part of the management team at UNON, represent the Division at the Management Board of UNON to advise the Director­ General and discusses and prepares decisions of the Director-General at UNON.
• Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of and ability to provide specialized advice in a broad range of conference management issues; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others; Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations; The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; 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; Skills in negotiating in multilateral settings and ability to persuade and influence others to reach agreement on complex issues; and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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.

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; and uses time efficiently.

VISION: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; Clearly communicates links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals; Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; and conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; Empowers others to translate vision into results; Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo; and shows the courage to take unpopular stands

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in conference management, administration, financial management, budget, or related field, of which at least ten (10) years at the international level is required.

• Practical experience in the planning, management and delivery of administrative and programme support services is required.

• Experience in managing diverse teams of staff and significant financial resources is required.

• Experience in the management of complex multi-year and multi-stakeholder projects involving planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in the United Nations is desirable.

• Experience in the management of complex multi-year and multi-stakeholder projects involving planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in the United Nations is desirable.

• Experience in change management and managing in a complex and multicultural settings is desirable.

• Experience in facilitating intergovernmental processes and multilateral diplomacy, as well as experience in handling a multi-disciplinary portfolio of tasks and duties is desirable.

• Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

NOTE: "fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and " Knowledge of" equals a rating of " confident" in two of the four areas

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Language skills will be tested during the assessment process.

Special Notice

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Candidate Profile (CP) and motivation statement. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Internal Applicants – When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

Individual Contractors and Consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations.

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.

On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have
been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira  "Contact Us" link.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 October 2022, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

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.