Team Leader, Common Services
Bonn
- Organization: UNV - United Nations Volunteers
- Location: Bonn
- Grade: Mid level - NO-D, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
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Occupational Groups:
- Managerial positions
- Closing Date: Closed
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
The United Nations Campus in Bonn is at present home to 26 UN organizations, agencies, and convention secretariats in their entirety referred to as UN Bonn. UNV, as the first UN agency with headquarters in Bonn, has been assigned the role of premises manager and common services for the UN system in Bonn. The Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) has designated the UNV Director of Management Services (MS) to function as the premises manager who is supported in this role by the Common Services Unit (CSU).
The joint management of the UN premises and facilities, safety and security services, management of conference facilities, central ICT infrastructures, mail logistics, canteen and conference catering services, as well as support to interagency cooperation, system-wide surveys, common information provision, and liaising with German counterparts at various levels are on a day-to-day basis provided by the Common Services Unit (CSU), serving all UN Bonn agencies.
Under the overall guidance of the Executive Coordinator, and directly reporting to the Director of Management Services (MS), the Team Leader CSU plans, coordinates and oversees the work of the unit teams and the biannual common services budget and takes responsibility for the upkeep of business continuity at the Campus facilities and for the provision of high-quality client services in the designated common service areas.
The Team Leader CSU interacts with senior administration and program staff of other UN organizations on matters pertaining to the agreed inter-agency activities and services, the use of the assigned office space, as well as regarding specific services that the individual organizations require. The Team Leader also acts as focal point for host government entities on matters pertaining to upkeep, operation and extension of the premises, and advises on requirements for future office space and facilities. He/she functions as the focal point within UN Bonn for all campus extension and renovation projects in an expanding UN Campus environment.
Additionally, the Team Leader CSU supervises the operations of the safety and security services on the UN premises in Bonn, and, as requested, provides support to the Executive Coordinator of UNV in his role as Designated Official (DO) for Germany within the UN Security Management System.
Facilities and premises management
- Support the premises manager in the management of the UN facilities in close coordination with the representatives of the host country (the Federal Foreign Office, etc.) and the landlord (Federal Real Estate Agency, BImA) regarding the operational terms of the UN Campus premises agreement between the host government and the UN in Bonn;
- Ensure the timely monitoring of conditions and appropriate operation of buildings and installations on the UN premises from the user end, and act to ensure proper working conditions for UN Bonn agencies’ staff;
- Liaise closely with host country representatives and contracted providers to ensure proper grounds and buildings upkeep and maintenance performed by them for UN Bonn;
- Ensure performance and propose innovative solutions to enhance collaboration with outside contractors;
- Manage allocation of office space to all UN organizations in UN Bonn in line with pertinent space standards;
- Ensure that environmental sustainability is applied to works and projects as far as technically and economically feasible.
- Represent UN Bonn common services in relevant bodies and inter-agency working groups (e.g. Inter Agency Network of Facility Managers, etc.)
UN Bonn conference facilities management
- Set up procedures to promote high utilization rate of the conference facilities, and ensure availability of expert advice to meeting organizers on room and technical set up;
- Ensure that professional support for audiovisuals and videoconference services are available for UN Bonn agencies on a cost recovery basis;
- Ensure the timely monitoring of conditions of conference technologies at the UN Campus; oversee the preparation of proposals for upgrade and modernization and lead related discussions with UN and German partners;
- Ensure contract management, operation and maintenance of conference support services, and related coordination with conference units of UN Bonn organizations.
Personnel and financial resources management
- Lead the unit’s work planning, ensuring appropriate reporting on results;
- Manage the unit staff, including performance evaluations, and short-term consultants/staff, ensuring efficiency, team work, and flexible assignment of responsibilities to meet client demands;
- Ensure that unit staff have the knowledge and systems required to carry out their responsibilities through regular individual consultations, periodic unit meetings, on-the-job and formal learning experiences;
- Oversee the preparation and delivery of the biennial Common Services budget,
- Manage the cost-recovery system for the services provided, and regularly report on budget performance, as well as on annual expenditures;
- Ensure effective and efficient administration of funds provided by the Government of Germany in support of the UN premises and/or UN activities;
- Provide administrative support and advisory services to UN Bonn interagency committees like the Committee of Common Operations Management and its other subordinated panels, as well as to the biannual meetings of the Representatives of Agency Forum for Germany.
- Ensure continuous optimization and development of processes, facilities, systems, and procedures to assure the highest levels of client and staff satisfaction and the provision of state-of-the-art premises for client organizations.
Supervision of the UN Bonn security team, and support to the Designated Official for Germany
- Oversee safety and security matters of the UN Bonn campus, and supervise the security team;
- Oversee the implementation of campus security provisions (access control, screening procedures, issuance of badges, physical security and safety, fire safety) and of work processes of the UN Bonn security team;
- Ensure collaboration with host-government counterparts concerning the implementation of technical UN security standards for the building and compound as a whole; as well as on issues related to the safety and security of staff and dependents of the UN Organizations in Bonn;
- Support the UNV EC in his role as DO for Germany within the UN security management system (UNSMS) and vis a vis the Security Management Team, as and when requested.
- Collaborate with UNDSS regional advisor and other Agency security focal points for policy matters and security management.
Management of shared ICT and telecommunication services, as well as other shared services
- Ensure contract management, operation and maintenance of shared ICT and telecommunication services, and related coordination with ICT managers of UN Bonn organizations;
- Support, as agreed, UN Bonn common information provision as provided by the UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) team based in Bonn;
- Oversee logistics and mail office services and efficient delivery services for all UN Bonn agencies; manage relevant contracts with external logistics providers
- Ensure that cost effective conference catering, canteen services, and vending machines are available at UN Bonn; ensure the availability and upkeep of convenience services (e.g. ATM machine, prayer rooms), social and well-being activities and facilities
- Ensure provision of other logistical support to UN agencies (internal moves, furniture assembling), as feasible.
- Function as first level support for and provide advice to non-Bonn based UN agencies for reallocation to Bonn.
- Participate in interagency working groups (e.g. Local Salary Survey Committee, etc.) and bodies and coordinate the provision of relevant information to UN system actors (e.g. International Civil Service Commission)
- Oversee the UN Bonn Merchandise sales activities
Coordination of extension and renovation projects on UN Campus
- Coordinate major UN Campus extension and renovation projects on the side of UN Bonn, and represent UN Bonn in the coordination of such activities vis a vis the respective German counterparts;
- Liaise and coordinate with host country counterparts to ensure that UN functional needs and technical requirements are reflected in construction planning, renovation and upkeep, as well as extension of campus facilities.
Achieve Results:
- Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively:
- Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously
- Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility
- Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination
- Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner
- Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
- Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Effective Decision Making
- Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources
Strategic Thinking
- Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP and UNV’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions
- Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP/UNV
Knowledge Generation
- Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
Relationship management
- Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
Results-based Management
- Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
- Master’s degree in Business or Public Administration, International Management, Facilities Management, Architecture, Engineering, Law, Economics, or another related field.
- A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master's degree.
Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
- A minimum of 7 years of senior professional and relevant experience in leading operations teams, managing staff and operational systems, project management, and provision of technical and policy advice in a multicultural work environment, including related to shared/common services and/or facilities management at the national and/or international level, and preferably within the UN;
- Experience in medium and/or large-size construction projects and/or projects for international organizations is an asset.
- Experience working on conference organization and management is an asset;
- Experience working on workplace safety and security management is an asset;
- Experience in multi-partner coordination and establishing of functional relationships among international organizations and national governments is highly desirable;
- Knowledge about the UN Administrative Rules and Regulations is an advantage
- Fluency in English and German is required.
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, handling of web-based management systems.
- Only short-listed applicants will be contacted;
- The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment;
- This post is for local recruitment only. It is open to citizens of Germany. All travel, interview and relocation costs, if any, incurred to take up an appointment at the duty station in Bonn are at the expense of the applicant.