Administration Specialist

The current conflict in Yemen has resulted in wide-spread humanitarian crisis, and has left 80 per cent of the population (21.1 million people) in need of assistance.  The impediments on commercial imports to Yemen have led to severe lack of basic items. Should this situation continue to the point that basic commodities are not imported and therefore not available in the market, the current humanitarian crisis will deteriorate even further.

In order to address the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the restoration of regular commercial cargo flows into the country is essential.  UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) decided that Member States shall take necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer from or through their territories or by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned. In order to facilitate the unimpeded flow of essential commercial items to Yemen, the UN has been requested by the Government of Yemen to provide a monitoring and inspection service that ensures that commercial cargo entering Yemen’s territorial waters is compliant with UNSCR 2216 (2015).  

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has been requested to operationalize and manage a mechanism to oversee the monitoring and inspection services.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Administration Specialist will be responsible for the operational management of the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) and Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen Projects.

Functions / Key Results Expected

1. Implementation of operational and financial management strategies

2. Budget management and organization of the cost-recovery system

3. Administration Support

4. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Advanced university degree or equivalent preferably in Business Administration, Public Administration, and Finance, Economics or related field.

• A first level university degree, preferably in Business Administration, Public Administration, and Finance, Economics or related field with additional two (2) years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.  

• Certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) or equivalent added advantage.

• A minimum of 5 years relevant experience in operational management (Finance, HR, Support Services, Operations) at a national/international level is required.

• Demonstrated experience providing management advisory services and/or managing staff and operational systems is required.

• Demonstrated experience establishing inter-relationships among International Organisations/Governments/Partners is desired.

• Experience in UN field operations in the area of administration and/or operations is an advantage.

• Fluency in English is required.

• Fluency in French is desirable.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
Contract level: IICA-2
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

• 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. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority 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.

• This position is stationed in Djibouti, Djibouti which is a family duty station.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• 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. 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.