Administration Senior Assistant

The ‘Our Ocean’ Conference (OOC) Series: Initiated in 2014 by the US State Department, spearheaded by former Secretary of State John Kerry and attended by former President Barack Obama, the Our Ocean Conference series has  elevated ocean issues on the global foreign policy agenda and catalyzed political will on actions to preserve global ocean health, including translating commitments into activities that have significantly enhanced the sustainability of oceans. Since 2014, a total of $18 billion USD has been pledged to support critical activities to improve the health of oceans, ensuring the provision of continued benefits for the societies, cultures and economies that depend on ocean ecosystems. Participation level at OOC has topped 1000+ over the years, and has included the presence of Heads of State, CEOs and executive representatives of global companies, heads of large philanthropic organizations, global funds, and international NGOs, as well as, members of the Royal families of Monaco, Sweden and Jordan.

The Administrative Assistant  will be responsible for the following activities:

a)       Support administrative arrangements (e.g. logistics) for OOC 2020.

b)      Interact with colleagues, clients and partners to exchange information on administrative issues and seek co-operation. Resolution of routine administrative and process problems, referring complex issues to supervisor with recommendations for course of action.

c)       Prepare  routine project communications, documentation, reports and contracts, checking documents for accuracy and compliance with UNOPS format and style.

d)      Prepare briefing materials , as required for mission travel and/or discussion on project activities and status.

e)      Maintain accurate records of all operational and financial transactions for easy reference and retrieval; efficient document management including file closures, archiving and monitoring due dates for project progress status reports and submission by UNOPS of substantive and financial/budget utilization reports to clients.

f)        Process travel and expenses according to established procedures and practice.

g)       Review of international and/or local consultant, staff and consulting firm’s Terms of reference (TOR) to ascertain conformity with work-plans; initiation of recruitment on receipt of client/supervisor clearance. Request of contracts for international programme staff including consultants.

h)      Monitoring of payments and follow up when problems arise; review of payment vouchers and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, compliance with UNOPS FRRs and correctness of account code charges.

i)        Maintain contract-tracking plan to review sub-contractor invoices and supporting documentation and ensure that services provided and claims are in conformity with the terms of the contract.

j)        Act as focal point with projects on Asset Reporting as per UN MOU requirements.

k)       Support Project Manager in management, implementation monitoring of HR related requests including HR Monitoring Tools.

l)        Full compliance of operations with UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies.

Use of technology and electronic systems and tools to initiate work, share information with colleagues and clients.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

General: 

a)       Conduct regular project meetings to review the progress of the OOC 2020 project plan, perform corrective actions and mitigate risks.

b)      All relevant stakeholders are satisfied with the level of information they have on OOC 2020 and its activities.

Education

• Secondary school diploma required.
• A Bachelor's Degree in a related area to the position may be considered an asset.

Work Experience

• Minimum five (5) years of progressive experience in administration, finance,programme support or related area.
• Familiarity with UNOPS policies and procedures, especially with regard to finance, procurement of personnel, goods and services desirable.
• Excellent computer skills, including MS Word, Excel, Power Point and databases.
• Knowledge of the UN Small Island Developing States (SIDS)ecosystem and its main stakeholders is desirable.
• Experience in a Permanent Mission to the United Nations, consular office or government ministry is desirable.

Other:

• Ability to deliver results under very tight deadlines and pressure.

Language

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of a second UN official language an asset.

Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC)

Based in New York, the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations.

The SDC’s services include grants management, development and special initiatives support, and technology support to the UN and UN agencies.

The SDC is part of the New York Service Cluster that supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as a broadening community of other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.