Job Description

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located within the Common Administrative Platform at United Nations Headquarters, referred to as the One Executive Office (\"One EO\"), under the Division of Administration in the Department of Operational Support (DOS). One EO started its transition phase on 1 January 2026 as part of the UN80 reform initiative, which aims to consolidate common administrative functions across Secretariat entities into unified service platforms. One EO provides the full range of administrative and operational services required by New York–based Secretariat client entities to fulfil their mandates, including human resources management, financial administration, travel, and general administrative support. Specifically, this position is in the Specialized Travel Desk providing administrative and operational support to client entities with the certification of individual, group and conference travel, procurement and general related activities. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: Budget and Finance: • Provides expert assistance in the preparation and development of the unit’s work programme and budget. • Assists in monitoring budget/work programme with respect to various budgets, trust funds, grant and other funds on a regular basis, and suggests reallocations of resources and implements the reallocations as necessary. • Collects data from relevant databases and prepares customized financial reports. • Provides assistance in the review, and preparation of the medium-term plan and its revisions. • Reviews, analyses and assists in the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements from departments/offices at headquarters and in the field, including programmatic aspects; ensures compliance with the medium-term plan and other legislative mandates. • Assists managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions. • Monitors budget implementation/expenditures and recommends reallocation of funds as necessary. • Reviews requisitions for goods and services to ensure (a) correct objects of expenditure have been charged, and (b) availability of funds. • Monitors extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures. • Assists in the preparation of budget performance submissions. • Assists in finalization of budget performance reports, analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. • Acts as Certifying Officers for travel and other commitments. General Administration: • Ensures that all related activities of the Specialized travel desk are implemented in compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures. • Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making. • Supports management during audits and reviews by oversight bodies. • 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 Headquarters and in the field. • Performs other related administrative duties, as required (e.g., operational travel programme, monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services, physical space planning and the identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems, organize and coordinate seminars, conferences and translations). • Assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services, as required. • Reviews, records and prioritizes purchasing requests and obtains additional information/documentation as required; provides assistance to requisitioners. • Reviews the contractors' invoices against the goods and services provided by the contractor and approved by the UN. • Processes the payment of contractors' invoices and monitor payments, as needed. • Prepares and processes UN forms and permissions for contractual work as needed. • Performs other related duties, as assigned. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources 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. Able to perform analysis, modelling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. 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. 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. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent is required. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten years of experience in finance, budget, accounting, administrative services or related area is required. Experience in using financial functions of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, such as Umoja, and other relevant software packages is required. Experience in management of extrabudgetary resources/trust funds is desirable. Experience in the United Nations system is desirable. Experience and demonstrated skills, of at least one year, in analysing data and producing reports using analytic tools (such as Umoja Analytics or Power BI) is desirable. Experience in arranging official travels or other administrative support of senior management or delegations of the United Nations system or similar international organizations is desirable. Experience in changing management of administration procedures in international organization is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult for details).

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