Administrative Assistant

Posting Title: Administrative Assistant, G6 (Temporary Job Opening)

Job Code Title: Administrative Assistant

Organization: United Nations Department of Operational Support

Duty Station: New York, United States of America

Posting Period: 30 June 2023 - 04 August 2023

Job Opening Number: 23-Administration-DOS-212321-J-New York (O)

Staffing Exercise: N/A

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Administrative Section (AS), Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS) in the Division of Administration (DOA) in the Department of Operational Support (DOS). The Administrative Section provides programme, administrative and information management support to FCAS as well as property management, help desk and reception services to UN Headquarters entities, delegations and visitors. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Administrative Section.

The Department of Operational Support was established to provide operational advisory services to operating entities across the Secretariat, including other departments, offices away from headquarters, field missions, and regional commissions. The Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS) operates the Headquarters complex, striving to provide effective and efficient planning, management, maintenance and operation for all existing physical facilities and assets at the UN Headquarters, New York. FCAS also supports office and conference facilities, property management, travel and transportation services, archives and records management, mail and pouch operations, catering, gift shop and the United Nations Postal Administration.

Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Chief of the Administrative Section (AS) and under the direct supervision of the Administrative Officer, the incumbent is responsible for the following:

Contract Administration:
• Assists the section in monitoring leases between the UN and various landlords, with special emphasis on agreement terms, expiration dates and approved Not-To-Exceed amounts.
• Assists with the day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services, particularly lease contracts.
• Audits the contractors' invoices against the goods and services provided by the contractor and approved by the UN, in particular contractors' rent invoices.
• Raises requisitions and request purchase orders for rental requirements, as needed.
• Processes the payment of contractors' invoices and monitors payment. Analyzes expenditure and ensures that they are within the allotted funds and according to lease agreement.
• Serves as a focal point for maintaining the lease contract database and updates it regularly.
• Assists the section in drafting correspondence and coordinating with the Procurement Service regarding renewal/extension.

Budget and Finance:
• Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions, particularly for the regular budget and related income sections and provides supporting documents as required.
• Prepares cost plans for the headquarters special account for rental of premises
• In coordination with the Administrative Officer, assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures through Umoja and records variations.
• Compiles information required for future period rental commitments and information required for property and liability insurance purposes.
• Coordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.
• Assists with the tracking of office space requests and rental charges. Coordinates with the Executive Office (EO) on the payments of such charges by client departments to the special account for rental of premises .

General Administration and Coordination of Office Space:
• Compiles information on entities renting space at UNHQ premises.
• Prepares summary tables/spreadsheets with key information on space arrangements, location, square footage, rental rates and monthly charges.
• Advises on billing of rental charges and provides timely updates on changes that impact such charges.
• Drafts necessary correspondence with regards to tenants and space management.
• Provides administrative support to the Chief of Section, including drafting of correspondence, budget preparation, maintenance of administrative records, assisting in recruitment exercises, time and attendance, and other related administrative duties as may be required.
• Responsible for guiding, training, and supervising the work of more junior General Service staff.
• Performs other administrative duties as assigned.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of UN Financial rules and regulations, and administrative procedures; Competence in general administration, the administration of contract, expenditure monitoring and coordination of operational activities. General knowledge of commercial real estate leases, IPSAS and Umoja implementation, particularly as it applies to real estate; ability to apply knowledge of various UN administrative and financial rules and regulations in work situations. Ability to analyze data independently and create or maintain databases. Ability to work productively under pressure. Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work

Planning and 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.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in administrative services, finance, accounting or related area is required.

Experience in the use of various MS office applications like Word and Excel is required.

Experience with Umoja or other similar ERP systems is required.

Experience in contract administration and expenditure monitoring is required.

Experience with the implementation of IPSAS and ERP, particularly in the area of real estate and lease administration, is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available for an initial period of six months with possibility of extension.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to Staff Rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for General Service and related positions must be authorized to work in the country where the position is located. A staff member subject to local recruitment is not eligible for the allowances or benefits applicable to international recruitment.

If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.

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.

Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of T/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments.

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.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

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.

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