administrative assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

The Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS) globally.

As a global leader in security risk management principles, UNDSS enables the safe and effective delivery of United Nations programmes and activities in the most complex and challenging environments, while maximizing precious resources.

To this end, the work of the Department is aligned under a clear mission, to enable United Nations system programme activities through trusted security leadership and solutions.

This position is located in the Executive Office of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS).

The Administrative Assistant will report to the team lead and be under the overall supervision of the Senior Human Resources Officer.

This is a unique opportunity to join a diverse, dynamic and exciting organization gaining unique and valuable experience where security provides great value.

Besides the opportunity to gain new skills and further advance security expertise, this position offers a fulfilling environment that gives you satisfaction by contributing directly or indirectly to peace and security, human rights, and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information on the Department, and how we make an impact on the world in enabling the achievement of SDGs, visit:

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: Human Resources Management

• Initiates, reviews, processes and follows-up on actions related to the administration of the unit's human resource activities, e.g., recruitment of staff and consultants including initiating Job Openings/Temporary Job Openings at all levels, coordinating and scheduling competency-based interviews and serving as HR ex-officio, coordinating, scheduling and proctoring assessments, reviewing recruitment cases for submission to the Central Review Body, conducting pre-recruitment formalities such as reference verification, job classification reviews, ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures.
• Responds to enquiries and provides guidance and advice to hiring managers regarding the candidate screening and staff selection process, and classification procedures.
• Oversees the creation and maintenance of recruitment files and databases; keeps track of status of job openings to meet target dates.
• Monitors staffing table and prepares recruitment statistical data/charts. General Administration
• Drafts, edits, proofreads and finalizes for signature/approval a variety of correspondence and other communications; schedules appointments/meetings, monitors deadlines, etc.
• Coordinates extensively with UNDSS Divisions, and other 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., undertakes research on a range of administrative and HR related issues and assists in the preparation of notes/reports, which includes response to auditors.
• Responsible for guiding, training, and supervising the work of more junior General Service staff. Contract Administration
• Assists with administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services related to recruitment.
• Processes the payment of contractors' invoices and monitor payments.
• Prepares and processes all UN forms and permissions for consultants and individual contractors.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations 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.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources or related area is required.

The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to 5 for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Experience in the full end to end cycle of recruitment is required.

Experience working with a recruitment module/electronic talent management system such as inspira, Oracle People Soft or similar applications is required.

Experience in the application of human resources rules and regulations in the United Nations Common System or a similar international organization is desirable.

Experience with the human resources module of an ERP system (SAP), such as Umoja, or other similar systems is desirable.

Experience in office support functions, including use of Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint within the UN common system or other comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage. Fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (speak, read, write and understand). Knowledge of equals a rating of "confident" or "fluent" in at least two of the four areas.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is taking efforts to improve gender parity, including full implementation of the UN-wide, and Departmental Gender Strategies. We are committed to providing an inclusive culture and exciting opportunities for women in the security and operations field.
• The duration of this Temporary Job Opening is currently through 31 December 2024, with possibility of extension. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof is subject to the availability of funds, budgetary approval and/or extension of the mandate. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments.
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.
• 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.
• Upon separation from service, including, but not limited to, expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment on the basis of a temporary appointment for a period of 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment for a period of three months following the separation. This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, with respect to a former or current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who applies for a temporary position with the Secretariat.
• Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. 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.
• The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at:

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.

By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c).

Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised.

This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on "Manuals" in the "Help" tile 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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