Portfolio Senior Assistant - Retainer

The New York Portfolio Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as 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.

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York.  The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Portfolio Senior Assistant provides a range of administrative services to the portfolio. The incumbent may take routine decisions on administrative actions based on established authority and guidelines.

The incumbent of this position will be personnel  of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

Summary of Key Functions 

● Administrative, Coordination and Financial Support;

● Implementation of operational strategies and procedures;

● Knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

1. Financial and Administrative Support

● Assist with administrative tasks and regular monitoring of all budgetary, financial, procurement, and routine aspects of project delivery;

● Assist with the preparation and processing of budgets and required formats in compliance with UNOPS requirements for internal approval, review of budgets to confirm if funds are available; run budget reports including transaction details and exceptions; Monitor expenditures, verification for accuracy of expenditure requests (invoices, TEC) and availability of funds, completeness of documentation submitted;

● Manage administrative arrangements (e.g., logistics) for conferences/ capacity -building workshops, meetings, and events;

● Interact with colleagues, clients, and partners to exchange information on administrative issues and seek cooperation. Resolution of routine administrative and process problems, referring complex issues to the supervisor with recommendations for a course of action;

● Create Requisitions and Purchase Orders (POs); perform reconciliation activities such as closure and cancellation of POs. Inquiries on PO details and activities. Generation of PO reports for expedition, status, and details information; and create receipts including information such as distributions, rejections, and cancellations;

● Create vendor details and approval follow-ups;

● 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;

● Support the Analysis of financial reports, investigation, and preparation of adjustments as required;

● 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;

● Act as the focal point for projects on Asset Reporting as per UN MOU requirements;

● Create, import, review, correct, and process journal entries in the General Ledger. Review and run Inquiries included in journals, ledgers, or accounting entries;

● Prepare routine project communications, documentation, reports, and contracts, checking documents for accuracy and compliance with UNOPS format and style;

● Prepare briefing materials, as required for mission travel and/or discussion on project activities and status;

● Prepare financial authorizations for project activities for approval by the Supervisor;

● 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;

● Process travel arrangements and other relevant expenses according to established procedures and practice;

● Support the Project Manager in certain administrative HR matters.

2. Implementation of Operational Strategies and Procedures:

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

● Inputs to the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in operations, in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management.

3. Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing:

● Input and update of accurate data and information to facilitate monitoring and evaluation of project activities, and to institutionalize and disseminate knowledge.

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

● Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• In order to ensure quality and timely delivery of all outputs, the incumbent would be evaluated through periodic performance appraisals, focusing on client orientation, solution-drivenness, and maximizing available resources.

• Secondary school diploma (or high school equivalent) and five (5) years of relevant experience are required; OR
• First-level university degree (undergraduate, bachelor, or equivalent)  with one (1) year of relevant experience, OR
• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent), with zero years of relevant experience.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.



• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.