HQ Premises and Facilities Associate

I.     Background and Organizational Context

The Premises, Facilities and Assets Unit (PFA) within the General Operations, Bureau for Management Services (BMS) provides cost-effective and timely services to Country Offices and Headquarters in the areas of premises management, Property Plant and Equipment (fixed asset) management, vehicle management, insurance management, and corporate purchasing card management.

Position Purpose:

The HQ Premises and Facilities Associate reports to the Manager Premises Facilities and Assets (P4) and assist him/her in the day-to-day operations of HQ facilities and operations. In support of the UNDP mandate, General Operations is responsible for providing a wide range of cost-effective and timely administrative support services for both Headquarters and Country Offices in the areas of premises management, inventory management, and travel services, while playing a lead role in inter-agency common initiatives.

Due to the nature of the functions, the incumbent is expected to be on-site during normal working hours.  

Duties and Responsibilities

1)     Oversees day-to-day operations and management of premises and facilities

• Coordinates cleaning services with outside company. Liaises between staff and cleaning company to communicate special requests, feedback, and scheduling. Conducts regular inspections of premises.
• Coordinates maintenance and building services (including but not limited to air conditioning, heating, electrical work, and repairs services) with building management and/or outside vendors and supervises maintenance work as necessary.
• Manages staff maintenance requests; liaises between staff, building management, and external vendors to ensure that maintenance requests are performed in a satisfactory manner.
• Carries out regular inspections on maintenance safety, and workings of the premises and provides inspection reports.
• Maintains stock of all building maintenance-related supplies.
• Assist with the archiving of UNDP records including managing the existing documents in line with UNDP policies.
• Ensures conformity to contract specifications and quality of services.
• Serve as back up for encoding Security Access cards at HQ in the absence of the Pouch Management Assistant.

2)     Supports in monitoring the use and allocation of space

• Ensure that the information in the floor plan database on premises is kept up to date.
• Imports drawings from the Architect. Cleans unnecessary layers and creates additional layers in the drawing.
• Creates room regions [offices, core, common] in each drawing.  Attaches space records to room regions. Assigns room numbers. Makes independent changes to drawings in respect of minor renovations which have not passed through the architect.
• Reviews requests for office space from organizational units; verifies information on availability and distribution of space and suggest solutions.
• Assist in overseeing and coordinates regular relocation of staff, as well as large-scale relocations of organizational units.
• Updates space occupancy on a quarterly basis through liaison with units to ensure that the space occupancy is correctly identified on the floor plans - this includes correct names, index number and phone number against each work area and departmental unit.
• Coordinates installation of furniture with vendors; performs or arranges assembly of furniture.
• Arranges repairs, re-furbishing, and maintenance of furniture. Suggests furniture layout that works best for a given space.

3)    Assist on implementing routine and major HQ renovation projects

• Assists on submission of work-plan for major construction and/or renovation activities.
• Maintains updated plans of all Headquarters premises. In conjunction with the organizational units, monitors and periodically analyses the need and feasibility of moves, renovation, and/or reconfiguration projects.
• Assists in the preparation of tender documents (such as Requests for Proposal, Invitations to Bid, etc.) for facilities, maintenance, and renovation activities.

4)     Assists in finance management of HQ facilities

• Formulates area square feet for each floor plan drawing to generate necessary reports in respect of rental charge back. Reports will include area rentable by square foot, by building, by department, by location, by room type and size, etc. Assists Supervisor in preparing budget estimates for specific projects and activities. Recommends actions on monthly, quarterly, and annual budgetary status reports.
• Interfaces with Assets Specialist for Assets movement disposal and/or storage.  Items in storage are to be inventoried and accounted.

5)     Creates requisitions in Atlas using background documents and submits it to the Supervisor for approval

• Review and analyze agreements and arrangements with internal and external partners.
• Create e-requisition, receive and review invoices for completion and ensure compliance with agreements.
• Manage vendor agreements to ensure quality of service, timely completion and deliverables are within scope of contract.
• Update database of all contracts and documentation.
• Serve as first point of contact regarding problems/ issues with supplies of goods and services, providing solutions to minor problems and escalating more complex problems, if needed
• Review, analyze and assist in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals for work   orders from LTA holders.
• Monitor contract expenditures against budget and contractual ceiling amounts.
• Support Supervisor in drafting up to date requirements needed to re-bid and/or renew expiring contracts.
• Work with procurement staff to help raise agreements needed to manage and maintain premises at HQ.
• Monitor payments made against contracts and trouble shoot to resolve payment problems, e.g., deductions made for incomplete services rendered, and non-contractual prices increases.

Core Competencies - UNDP Core Competencies can be found here.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

•  General (across the functions) - Public relations: Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organization, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public.
• Administration & Operations - Building, facilities & office space management: Knowledge and ability to facilitate the renovation and upgrade of offices including review of complex engineering/architectural drawings; negotiate technical agreements to ensure fully operational building infrastructure and services; design policy & procedure (POPP) for premises and facilities including space standards; manage premises and facilities; validate financial statement notes on leasehold data.
• Procurement - Contract management: Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.
• Business Strategy & Direction - Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome; Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.
• Business Management - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfill and understand the real customers' needs; Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy; Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests; Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
• Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner; Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education required. 
• University Degree or equivalent in engineering, architecture, business or public administration, or related field would be desirable.

 Experience:

• Minimum six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in facilities and contract management services at the national or international level.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software package (MS Office); handling of web-based management systems.  Experience in handling of ERP system is a plus.
• Knowledge of UN and UNDP systems and procedures strongly desirable. 

Language:

• Fluency in English.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an advantage, particularly Spanish or French.