Administration Senior Associate

Background: 

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations. 

UNOPS Nepal Context:

• Since 2015, UNOPS has engaged closely with the Government of Nepal and several development partners in development efforts of the Government of Nepal including the modernization of the Nepal Police, helping to improve policing services, conducting the post-earthquake assessment of damaged buildings, and enrollment of beneficiaries into housing grant schemes, retrofitting damaged houses, reconstruction of disability-friendly schools, and delivering of essential equipment to support COVID-19 response efforts amongst others.
• The functional objective of UNOPS Nepal is to deliver its projects efficiently and effectively in alignment with government priorities following UNOPS rules and regulations. This is to drive forward the outcomes sought by the clients and funding partners and contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while ensuring gender, diversity, and inclusion are mainstreamed in all its work for the people of Nepal.

Project Information:

• The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) funded Security and Justice Programme (SJP) will continue the Integrated Programme for Strengthening Security and Justice’s dual focus of tackling criminal violence and other causes of public insecurity, in particular gender-based violence (GBV), and strengthening the service delivery capacity of the Nepal Police (NP) and other key duty-bearers. FCDO’s SJP is a five-year programme (2023-2027) with an anticipated budget of up to GBP 35 million.
• As part of the FCDO’s programme, UNOPS as an implementing partner, will deliver on the SJP Policing Component from April 2024-2027. This is being preceded by the ongoing 12 months Launching Phase (funded by the SJP) and will contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 (Gender Equality) and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

The multi-year SJP will support more representative, accountable, and responsive policing and also help tackle gender-based violence in Nepal. The programme will contribute to the following result areas:

• Security and justice providers have improved their capacity to serve the public and manage relationships with communities, leading to increased public safety with increased trust from people in the state.
• Security and justice institutions at the Provincial and Palika levels have effective, accountable, inclusive, and sustainable systems in line with the federal constitutional mandates to improve their skills and better manage their resources to meet people’s security and justice needs.
• Decreased prevalence of GBV led by increased access to services for those who seek them.

In relation to this, UNOPS, as a potential implementing partner for the FCDO, is planning to recruit an Operations and maintenance Coordinator for the project.  

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the project Support Services Manager, reporting to the Senior Project Manager, the incumbent manages a team, performing a range of specialized, technical, and general, administrative support services, and transactions for discrete work areas in administration and logistics, ensuring efficient, client-oriented and effective service delivery. The Administration Senior Associate promotes a client, quality, and results-oriented approach, ensuring the utilization of office resources in the most cost-effective manner.

Functional Responsibilities

Functions/Key Results Expected

• Management and Administration Support
• Logistics, Asset Management Services
• Team Management
• Information and Knowledge Management

Management and Administration Support:

• Manages the work area, ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of client services and processes in full compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations, policies, and strategies, as follows:
• Ensures availability of staff and resources for work commitments, facilitating optimal workflows.
• Partners with client and supervised personnel to develop client service agreements.
• Monitors team performance and client satisfaction, instituting work, process and team modifications for optimal results.
• Implements the control mechanism for administrative services, including maintenance of administrative control records such as commitments and expenditures.
• Executes designated transactional/certification roles in OneUNOPS/Enterprise system.
• Drafts and/or oversees compilation of data and research for planning of financial resources/administrative budget for administrative/logistical services.
• Advise travelers on visa requirements. Prepare and raise required documentation to the relevant authority to obtain entry/exit visas and travel permits for UNOPS personnel and visitors.
• Manages commitments and expenditures.

Logistics, Asset Management Services:

• Ensures effective and efficient provision of logistics and asset management support services, meeting client needs, and in compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• Manages, coordinates and supervises processes and services in shipments and customs clearance, travel, events management, supply and assets management services, inventory control, issuance of inventory items and supplies, administrative surveys, transportation services and insurance, building/facilities/space management, office supplies.
• Authoritatively interprets organizational procedures and precedents to provide guidance for complex or unusual cases and situations.
• Oversees implementation of the logistics system in accordance with UNOPS logistical procedures.
• Guides and manages protocol matters, ensuring efficient delivery of client services, including registration of and advisory services to staff, and host government authorizations.
• Manages liaison and coordination with local authorities on authorizations/privileges and immunities for UNOPS personnel, office space and other administrative matters.

Certifies administrative services 

• Supervises directly or indirectly transportation services, including personnel/outsourced service providers, client service, conformity with procedures for accidents, fleet maintenance, insurance, and monitoring of consumption.
• Supervises the official cars and ensures maintenance of the specialized vehicles is thoroughly conducted.
• Provides oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices

Team Management:

• Facilitates the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Provides oversight, ensuring compliance by team members with existing policies and best practices.

Information and Knowledge Management:

• Facilitates the engagement and provision of high quality results and services of the team supervised through effective work planning, performance management, coaching, and promotion of learning and development.
• Oversees the proper functioning of the area’s documentation/information system, including screening, indexing, classifying, storing and disseminating information and/or reports and material ensuring conformity with relevant procedures governing the integrity of records and files.
• Supervises the updating of Intranet on standards, tools, and information for administrative services.
• Provides sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Synthesizes and disseminates best practices to internal collaborators and networks.
• Participates, organizes and delivers training for the operations/ projects staff in administration/logistics.

Impact of Results

• The effective and successful achievement of key results by the Administration Senior Associate directly affect the overall efficiency of the office’s provision of administrative services, impacting its capacity to efficiently and effectively service the operational needs of the office/programme. Timely and accountable delivery of services, ensures client satisfaction and promotes the image and credibility of the team and office as an effective service provider in project services and management. This enhances UNOPS’ competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services in the country/region served.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• First University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration,] or equivalent disciplines is desirable but not required.
• In the absence of a degree, administrative certification is an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum of seven years of relevant experience in general administrative, logistics, or operations support services in national or international public or corporate organizations.
• Some experience in UN system organizations is desirable.
• Proficiency in computers and office software packages (MS Office) and experience in handling web-based management systems is required.
• Experience in the use of Enterprise systems including OneUNOPS is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Nepali is required.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=29108#2