Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Programme Office in Myanmar (POMYA) with duty station in Yangon (Myanmar), Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (ROSEAP), Bangkok (Thailand), Division for Operations (DO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator (Country Manager) and the general guidance of the Operations Manager of the Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific (ROSEAP) in Bangkok.

For more information on UNODC, please visit the following website: www.unodc.org.

Responsibilities

The Administrative Assistant (Supervisor of Pool of Administrative Services) will be leading a team of Programme Assistants providing administrative and logistical support to UNODC projects in the country. Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following specific duties:

– Act as primary point of contact for the Core Team in Bangkok in relation to administrative and financial matters and be involved in discussions regarding staff cost-sharing arrangements for the Pool of Administrative Services.
– Distribute workload and tasks among Programme Assistants in the Pool of Administrative Services during peak periods of activities to ensure optimum support to all projects backstopped by the Pool and to ensure good functioning of UNODC’s presence in the country.
– Assist in initiating and finalizing budget revisions, work plans, notes for the file, etc. to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the assigned project(s).
– Provide assistance in organizing international and national conferences, meetings, training and workshops held within or outside of the country, and travel to the events’ location if needed.
– Prepare travel plans and organize travel dates for participants to UNODC events, and for UNODC staff as required. Prepare travel requests to be sent to the travel agents to issue air tickets, request payment of Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSAs) and terminal expenses, when applicable, and determine appropriate budget lines.
– Prepare any document required for consultants’ contract issuance/management and follow up on payment requests of their fees as per their terms of reference.
– Provide support to assigned project(s) on aspects related to the preparation of payment requests in the UNODC administrative system (Umoja), as well as payment reconciliation and expenditure verification. Follow up with UNDP offices on project expenditures and payments.
– Provide support in the planning and organization of acquisition of goods and services required for the assigned project(s), ensure compliance with, and verify, regulations and procedures to be applied when procuring goods or services. Conduct low value acquisition (up to US$ 10,000) and initiate acquisition processes for all types of goods and services required under the assigned project(s) by serving as Requisitioner.
– For the low value acquisition process, collect and compare non-binding quotes from vendors and liaise with the UNODC Procurement Team in Bangkok and relevant personnel at UNDP Country Offices to ensure abidance with relevant UN Regulations and Rules. Liaise with bidders and vendors, and follow up with suppliers and expediters to ensure timely delivery.
– Complete administrative workflows in relation to the handover of equipment to Member States’ institutions by having the required forms signed and liaise with the UNODC personnel in Bangkok in charge of asset management.
– Support the closing of administrative workflows in relation to the procurement of goods and services after they have effectively been received (liaising with suppliers, receiving invoices, preparing supporting documents to initiate payments, etc.), and liaise with UNDP Country Offices and relevant UNODC personnel in Bangkok to provide/obtain the necessary documentation.
– Contribute to the development of administrative and financial guidance for UNODC programme personnel in the region by training staff and providing input to update ROSEAP management instructions, and contribute to the exchange of information among colleagues to identify and spread best practices and experiences.
– Draft correspondence and assist in the preparation of project documents.
– Prepare informal translations and assist in interpretation, when required.
– Contribute to developing and maintaining a filing system for projects.
– Assist with the collection and analysis of data, as well as preparation of data, presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
– Perform any other work-related duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Has knowledge of, and ability to apply financial and administrative rules, regulations and procedures in a UN environment. Has knowledge, skills and ability to extract, interpret, analyze and format data across the full range of finance and budget functions, including programme development and database management, claims and treasury operations. 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.

Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

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.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite, i.e. is required, 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.
The GGST is a proctored entry-level examination at the duty station. Any travel expenses incurred in order to take the examination are the responsibility of the candidate and will not be reimbursed by the Organization.
Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of experience in administrative services in programme management or finance/accounting or other related disciplines, with involvement in the implementation of technical assistance projects, is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

Work experience with Excel is required.

Experience in working with an ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning Software) system is required.

Experience in managing voluntary funds (grants) and project budgets, corrections to expenditure etc. is required.

Work experience with SAP (System, Applications & Products)/Umoja is desirable.

Work experience with financial rules, regulations and processes with regards to fund and project management is desirable.

Work experience within the United Nations system or similar international organizations or is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency based interview.

Special Notice

This is a project post. Filling of this position is subject to funding availability and the initial appointment will be for a period of one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

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.