Org. Setting and Reporting
The position is located in the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) Regional Office for Africa at the Addis Ababa duty station in Ethiopia, and reports to the Regional Director.

Responsibilities

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

Human Resources Management

• Coordinates various actions related to the administration of the unit’s human resource activities, e.g., recruitment, placement, promotion, relocation, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation of staff members, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures. Liaises with central administration/executive services in maintaining up-to-date information on the recruitment, relocation, performance appraisal, separation of staff members, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures.
• Advises staff on visa matters and follows up with Addis Ababa-based Permanent Missions on visa applications, and facilitating the pickup of passports from embassies as appropriate and relevant.
• Monitors staffing tables for a variety of human resource activities, such as , appointments, retirement, expiration of appointments, reassignments, transfer and movement of staff; especially monitors appointments and reassignments of Resident Coordinators and ad interim appointment arrangements for Resident Coordinators ad interim (RCs) in Africa; maintains up-to-date list on RCs including their contact details.

Budget and Finance

• Provides expert assistance in the preparation and development of the DCO Regional Office’s work programme and budget.
• Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Reviews requisitions for goods-and-services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds.
• Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions.

General Administration

• Coordinate the effective functioning of the Regional Office for Africa in supporting the 53 Resident Coordinators and Offices in Africa in their delivery of expertise and services at country level in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Sets up, files, stores and manages data and information relevant to the scope of the Regional Office for Africa coordination activities in support of RCs/UNCTs and AFPs regional directors.
• Provides guidance, training and daily supervision to other general service staff in the area of responsibility.
• Identifies and resolves diverse issues/problems as they arise, and determines appropriate actions.
• Coordinates extensively with service units and liaises frequently with internal team members both at DCO Headquarters and Resident Coordinator Offices.
• Liaise with other administrative staff of the UNCT at the duty station and across 53 duty stations to ensure consistency in application of processes.
• Performs other related administrative duties, as required such as operational travel programme, monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services, physical space planning and maintenance of equipment, and/or organizing and coordinating seminars, conferences and translations.
• Liaise with UNDP on matters of interest (Provisoning of UNDP services for the Regional office but also in coordination with the 53 duty stations
• Manage the Regional Director’s schedule, liaising with the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General and Director of DCO at UN Headquarters in New York, and facilitating participation in meetings of the DCO Senior Management Team (SMT), UN Country Teams (UNCTs) and with the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa and Senior Management.
• Contract AdministrationAssists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services.
• Assists with the UNDP services (CIC, RLA, )
• Audits the contractors' invoices against the goods-and-services provided by the contractor and approved by the UN.
• Prepares and processes all UN forms and permissions for contractual and work Unit, Section or Service UN staff, including: UNECA grounds passes, property passes, swipe-card access and door keys.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., work programme, organizing and reporting on meetings/conferences, staff supervision, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative rules and regulations in work situations. 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; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.
• 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.

Education
High school diploma or equivalent.
Work Experience
Ten years of progressively responsible experience in administrative services or facilitating the effective coordination of a distributed network of offices in a region is required.
A minimum of three years of experience working within the United Nations at the regional level or a comparable international organization is required.
Experience with inter-agency or inter-organizational collaboration in sustainable development at the regional is desirable
Experience working in a multicultural team at country, regional and global levels is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Services 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.

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application. Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test in English at the United Nations Headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; or the United Nations Accounting or Statistical Assistant Examination at the United Nations Headquarters may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

This position is available for an initial period of one year. Extension of appointment is subject to the availability of funds.

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.

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.

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.