Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the Director-General of UNON is the representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya. UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Resident Coordination System (RCS) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, security, conference and information services (www.unon.org).

This position is located in the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Central Support Services (CSS), Host Country Services Unit (HCSU). Under the supervision of the Field Supervisor, HCSU, the incumbent will assist in carrying out the work programme of the Unit, deputize for the Field Supervisor in his/her absence and carry out assignments related to the Unit’s field operations.

Responsibilities

1. Assists the Field Supervisor in carrying out the work programme of the Unit, applying the immigration, duty-free and tax exemptions provisions of the Host Country Agreement to subscribing United Nations Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies operating in Kenya as follows:
(a) Coordinates with relevant Government of Kenya (GoK) representatives (demonstrating tact, diplomacy, ¿rmness and persistence – when necessary) to negotiate and solve sensitive and complicated problems; escalate issues to the Field Supervisor, Host Country Services Unit (HCSU), if necessary.
(b) Ensuring that information available to staff on immigration, duty -free, and VAT exemptions is updated immediately changes occur by keeping abreast of the daily press and maintaining regular contact with relevant GoK offices.
(c) Conducts brie¿ngs for new staff members on immigration formalities, duty-free and tax exemption privileges and vehicle registration, and ensure that the information is up-to-date; provide guidance to staff members in completing forms relating to the privileges and exemptions.
(d) Liaises daily with relevant GoK offices to ensure the timely processing of the following for the Organization and eligible internationally recruited staff members and their dependents: i. noti¿cation of arrival documentation and the issuance of diplomatic identity cards ii. PIN numbers; iii. issuance of re-entry passes and renewal of the same; iv. issuance of Kenya Entry Visas for meeting participants and Special Passes for agents of agencies in Kenya for special projects; v. duty free imports and purchase of duty-free liquor and tobacco (official /staff members); vi. issuance and renewal of interim and new Kenyan driving licenses; vii. registration of new/second hand vehicles, issuance of red number plates and retrieval of the same, transfer/disposal of used vehicles (of¿cial /staff members); viii. preparation of annual V.A.T. blanket exemptions for (official /staff members), V.A.T claims (official/staff members) ix. issuance of airport passes; x. processing of official fuel duty refunds from the Kenya Revenue Authority.
(e) Updates HCSU Standard Operating Procedures when required.

2. Assists the Field Supervisor in maintaining the integrity of records entered into the electronic database by the field office staff (Liaison/Team Assistants) by:
(a) Ensuring the accuracy of all data relating to transactions processed by GoK offices.
(b) Tracking the expiry dates of documents, visas, and remind the affected staff members to initiate action for renewal of the same in good time.
(c) Being responsible for the vehicle registration database – keep vehicle data up to date; monitor issuance/return of red number plates by staff members.
(d) Prepare workload statistics from data extracted from the HCSU databases and generate reports as required.
(e) Prepare correspondence, notes verbales, covering letters, and reports upon request.
(f) Check documents prepared for dispatch by the administrative/protocol assistants for accuracy before delivery to GoK departments.

3. Assists 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.

4. Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.

5. Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Thorough knowledge of and proven ability to work with office administration/management principles, preferably in the service provision business; Ability to communicate effectively with staff at all levels, and to negotiate with government officials. The ability to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making; 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.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within the prescribed time, cost and quality standards; Operates in compliance with organisational 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.

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

Completion of high school diploma or equivalent is required.

Additional training in administration is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in administration or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced by two years for candidates who possess a first level University degree.

Two (2) years’ experience in the administration of host country services/protocol services is required.

Work experience in UN systems and procedures as they relate to the daily operations and administration of host country privileges is desirable.

Experience with e-government systems such as IPMIS, NTSA/TIMS, eFNS and iTax is desirable.

One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English and knowledge in Kiswahili is required.

NOTE: “Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write,speak, understand) and ” Knowledge of” equals a rating of ” confident” in 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

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. A limited duration and does not carry any expectancy, legal or otherwise, of renewal. 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. External candidates will be considered only when no suitable internal candidate from the duty station is identified. The candidate is responsible for any travel expenses incurred to take-up the appointment.

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 United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

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.

Internal Applicants – when completing the PHP, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Need Help?” link.

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.