Senior Administrative Officer
: Job Details :

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the Operational Planning Service (OPS) under the Division for Special Activities (DSA) of the Department of Operational Support (DOS) and will be based in New York. DOS 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. DSA oversees a range of specialized or cross-cutting operational capacities. A large part of its responsibilities is to support start-up, surge, transition and liquidation requirements and to exercise authority on behalf of entities to which authority has not been granted owing to a lack of capacity or from which authority has been temporarily withdrawn. The focus of this job is to lead DOS response in operational support during startup, surge, transition and liquidation. The Senior Administrative Officer will report to the Chief of Service.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Administrative Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Leads and coordinates the implementation of the client entity's mandate by providing the necessary logistical and administrative operational advisory services required for the fulfillment of the mandate, including such areas as budget, finance, human resources management, general services, logistics, etc. during start-up, surge, transition or liquidation of an entity. Acts as adviser to the Head of Entity/Administration on all matters pertaining to administrative and technical support during start-up, surge, transition or liquidation of an entity. Plans, organizes, implements, manages and oversees the activities of all logistical and administrative support operations. Provides effective advisory services for the management of human, financial and material resources of the client entity. Liaises, negotiates and coordinates with national authorities with respect to administrative and logistical matters at headquarter level as required. Ensures cooperation and integration of administrative and logistical resources with military, civilian police and other substantive elements of the client entity as required. Ensures development, preparation, coordination and monitoring of overall work plans, strategies and programs for the administrative and logistical support activities of the client entity and coordinates advisory support for the required human and financial resources for the client entity. Provides input to policies, procedures practices, standards and tools that are consistent with UN policy and practice in order to ensure proper budget, accounting, financial and human resources management and control during start-up, surge, transition or liquidation of an entity. Provides guidance, support and supervision to senior administrative and logistical support staff, audit and evaluation services as appropriate. Provides guidance, performance evaluation, supervision and mentoring to all administrative support and other staff in the areas of his/her responsibility. Performs related duties as may be required by the Chief of Service.

Competencies

* PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of administrative, budgetary, financial, logistical and human resources policies and procedures. Ability to provide specialized advice on a broad range of administrative issues to the Head of Office/Mission, and to Headquarters and Office/Mission senior staff. Ability to ensure adequate preparation of reports or rationale with respect to key logistic and administrative decisions. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas 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. 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. JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

An Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, logistics, finance, economics, accounting, law 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

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

* A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience across logistics, administration, finance and budget, human resources and communications and information technology functions is required. At least one year experience working in administration or logistics in a UN peacekeeping operation or other similar field operation is required. Experience in logistics or other operational support to field mission is required. Experience in working with major occupational areas of multi-dimensional peacekeeping, or in an integrated civilian-military-police context is required. Experience in providing advice across the range of support administrative functions to senior management is required. Experience in the integrated planning, including strategic, and support of multi-dimensional operations is desirable. Experience in liaising and building support for critical and sensitive issues is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in 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 a period of six months with a possibility of an extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. 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. The expression Internal candidates , shall mean staff members who have been recruited after a competitive examination under staff rule 4.16 or after the advice of a central review body under 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.1. The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: 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. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff.Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Staff members are not eligible to apply for the current temporary job opening if they are unable to serve the specified duration of temporary need before reaching the mandatory age of separation. 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. 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. 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.