Administrative Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Operations Unit (OU), Broadcast and Conference Support Section (BCSS), Regional Service Management Service (RSMS), Operations Support Division (OSD), Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT). The Broadcast and Conference Support Section is responsible for designing and operating the conference and broadcast service solutions in all conference rooms in the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The solutions include Congress Microphone and Interpretation systems, transmission, broadcast media, content management, editing suites and studios, and collaboration platforms [video conference, WebEx, remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI), etc. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Section. The Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT) is leading the digital transformation of the Organization to enable a better, safer, more sustainable future through secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions. OICT is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. OICT supports the principles of work-life balance and flexible work arrangements.

Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Chief of the Broadcasting and Conference Support Section, and the direct supervision of the Administrative Officer, the administrative assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• Assist the Section Chief in initiating, processing, monitoring, reviewing and follow-up on actions related to the administration of the unit’s human resource activities, e.g., recruitment, performance appraisal, job classification review, training etc. ensuring consistency in the application of regulations and procedures.
• Coordinate with service unites and liaise frequently with internal team members.
• Provides advice and guidance to staff with respect to administrative procedures, processes and practices, liaising with central administrative services as necessary.
• Maintains organizational charts and staffing tables.

BUDGET AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

• Ensures all incoming requests to the office (BCSS), related to billable transactions (SAP/UMOJA), for the audio and video services provided by BCSS; Conference Production, and Engineering and Maintenance Operations are properly channeled and handled in a timely manner.
• Monitors status of expenditures and allotments through Umoja, records variations, updates budget tables.
• Consolidates data received and provides support to higher-level staff with respect to budget reviews of relevant intergovernmental and expert bodies.
• Reviews status of relevant expenditures and compares with approved budget.
• 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.
• Prepares statistical tables and standard financial reports.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

• Prepares, processes and follows-up on administrative arrangements and forms related to bookings of audio and video services for meetings as requested; evaluate the scope and type of technical services requested by the client; communicate technical requirements and financial implications for the provision of services to the client and addressing their enquires.
• Drafts routine correspondence.
• Maintains files of rules, regulations, administrative instructions and other related documentation.
• Maintains up-to-date work unit files (both paper and electronic).
• 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., monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services; physical space planning; organizing and coordinating administrative arrangements for meetings.
• Receives requests from Delegations, Meeting Services and various other UN entities and clients and process them into bookings ensuring the request is properly channeled to the relative BCSS units for action.
• Maintains effective communication with clients and BCSS units to accurately translate and estimate services, maintain billing support documentation, oversee and reconcile daily bookings with meetings and events schedules, ensure quality assurance from initial requests to work completion, review and recommend improvements for booking procedures, and train colleagues on using the live database for processing client requests.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

• Assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services referring to the terms and conditions of the contract and UN rules and regulations, local laws and other collective bargaining contracts material to the UN contract.
• Audits the contractors’ invoices against the goods and services provided by the contractor and approved by the UN.
• Reconcile and processes the payment of contractors’ invoices and monitor payments against time and attendance of contractual staff and services requested.
• Prepares and processes all UN forms and permissions for contractual and work Unit, Section or Service UN staff, including: UN grounds passes, property passes, UN parking permits, swipe-card access and door keys.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

• Experience in ERP based billing systems (e.g. SAP) in a large organization is required.
• Experience working in an international organization is desirable.
• Experience in a client-based service delivery work environment 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 another official United Nations language is desirable.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/239231?language=en