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 United Nations (UN) Headquarters entities, delegations and visitors.

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.

The Senior Administrative Officer reports to the Chief of the Facilities and Commercial Activities Service (FCAS).

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Administrative Officer will be responsible for the following:

Policy and Planning:
• Assists management in the development and implementation of FCAS administrative and financial framework.
• Advises management on programme management, budgeting, financial, human resources and general administration and management information issues and practices.
• Provides inputs to and drafts major/complex reports for presentation to management, intergovernmental bodies and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Provides advice and support to management in such areas as special reviews of operational objectives and related administrative policies/procedures, etc.
• Participates in task forces of the Secretariat on human resources and administrative matters, including the implementation of information management system.

Human Resource Management:
• Takes the lead in coordinating the full range of staff and human resource administration-related issues, ensuring FCAS requirements are met. This involves overseeing development and maintenance of staffing table records, interpretation and application of staff rules relating to human resource issues, preparation of staffing projects, and other ad hoc status reports on those issues.
• Ensures all actions are in compliance with operational procedures for recruitment, transfer, placement and separation of staff, and promotions, as well as mobility and career development and gender equality and staff-management relations.
• Provides expert advice with respect to conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and privileges and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations.

Budget and Finance:
• Takes the lead in securing the required resources for the Service, including cost recovery of rental and other facility management charges. Coordinates the preparation of regular and extra-budgetary budget submissions.
• Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorised levels of approximately US$100 million annually. Exercises control over budgetary expenditures from these resources and advises more senior staff regarding the allocation/availability of budget resources.
• Develops, establishes and maintains a set of sound policies, procedures, standards and tools that are consistent with UN policy and practice in order to ensure proper accounting, financial management and control.
• Serves as lead financial officer to the Service, providing guidance and direction on business and resource planning. Formulates strategic direction and evaluates strategic options, particularly in terms of resource implications.
• Coordinates inputs for programme planning and results-based budgeting, monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators and reporting on budget/programme performance.
• Prepares internal financial reports and responses to Internal and External Audit observations in compliance with the Financial Rules and Regulations.

General Administration:
• Coordinates risk management and oversight matters, including draft responses to Internal and External Audits and monitoring of compliance with accepted recommendations.
• Plans, organises and implements support services.
• Oversees information management and IT support to the Service, including business intelligence reporting, administration of applications and systems, and liaison with the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT).
• Provides general oversight on the management of recurring contracts and leases.
• Oversees property management support to UN Headquarters entities and administers the provision of effective customer services, including operation of the facilities management help desk and reception services to delegates and the public.
• Manages the administrative staff of the Service and prepares performance reports and medium-term plans for these staff.

Competencies

Professionalism: Ability to provide specialized advice in a broad range of human resources management, financial, administrative areas to the Chief of Service and managers. Demonstrated professional competence and expert knowledge in a broad range of administrative disciplines, such as Programme Planning, Programme Management, Administration, Budget, Finance, Human Resources, Contract Management, Property Management, and Information Management; Knowledge of budgetary, financial, human resources and administrative policies and procedures. Demonstrated competence in the use of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, data analysis and reporting. Ability to effect, support and propagate organizational change and lead in own area of work. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply various United Nations administrative rules and regulations in work situations. Ability to coordinate programmatic and operational activities as well as establish effective relationships with counterparts and clients. Has conceptual, analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis. Ability to establish priorities, plan and organize work requirements, coordinate, monitor the Section’s activities, and make timely decisions. Ability to integrate the Section work into the Division’s work programme. 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.

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.

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.

Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, information management or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in administration and/or budget and finance, and/or human resources management, and/or information management and/or related field is required.

At least three (3) years of experience with budget and finance modules in Umoja or similar ERP applications is required.

Experience effecting change in an organization, demonstrated ability to lead in own area of work to support and propagate this change is desirable.

Experience in property management, including management of property records in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards or other financial accounting standards and related property management processes is desirable.

Experience in data management involving analysis, reporting and visual presentation of large and/or complex data sets 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 UN language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 April 2023, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

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

Applicants, who successfully go through a competitive recruitment process and are recommended for selection and/or inclusion in the roster of pre-approved candidates for subsequent job openings at the same level and with similar functions, may have their application information and roster status shared with other UN Organizations. Such applicants may be contacted by other UN Organizations for similar job openings, subject to the confirmation of their interest. Placement on the roster is no guarantee of a future selection.

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.