SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. This position is located in UNEP’s Asia and the Pacific Office at the Bangkok duty station. Under the direct supervision of the Regional Director, the Senior Administrative Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

1. Policy, planning and programme implementation: • Advises the Regional Director and provides inputs on the implementation of corporate policies and initiatives as related to administrative and HR arrangements. • Advises senior management on budgeting, financial, human resources and general administration and management information issues and practices. • Produces major/complex reports for management, headquarters and donors. • Provides advice and support to senior and programme management on operational aspects and implications of programme implementation, project budgeting, review of project documents, proposals, audit, monitoring & evaluation, clearance of legal instruments, special reviews of operational objectives and related administrative policies/procedures as applicable. • Participates, on behalf of the Regional Office, in task forces, meetings and events on administrative issues. • Actively monitors the regional office portfolio including Regular Budget, Environment Fund, Overhead Account and extra budgetary resources and advises on allocation and efficient use of funds in compliance with the programme manual and United Nations Financial Rules and regulations. 2. Human Resource Management: • Takes the lead in coordinating the full range of staff and human resource administrationrelated issues in the region, ensuring the regional office’s requirements are met. • Identifies potential management reviews of high sensitivity and complexity. Defines problems to be addressed in management reviews; directs the work of review teams through all stages. • Ensures all actions follow operational procedures for recruitment, transfer, placement and separation of staff as well as mobility and career development; gender equality and staffmanagement relations. • Provides expert advice with respect to conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and privileges and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations. • Provides advice on recruitment of consultants, interns, non-reimbursable loan agreements and other non-staff modalities. • Identifies performance and capacity gaps and arrange or provide training and capacity building to staff members. • Appraise the performance of the unit’s General Service staff members as a First or Second reporting officer. 3. Budget and Finance: • Ensures strategic and efficient management of Environment Fund, overhead trust account and extra-budgetary financial resources. Prepare budgets and costs projects for financial and human resources purposes. Report expenditures and delivery rates both locally and to headquarters. • Reviews and certifies financial transactions and reporting. • Oversees and coordinates preparation and implementation of the work programme and budgets. • Regularly inform senior management on sub-regional and country offices budget expenditures and rates of delivery. • Takes the lead in securing the required resources for the regional office from Headquarters. • Monitors expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorised levels. Exercises control over budgetary expenditures from these resources and advise senior management regarding the allocation /availability of budget resources. • Provides guidance and direction on business and resource planning. Formulates strategic direction and evaluates strategic options, particularly in terms of resource implications. • Assumes the lead role in monitoring and supporting the execution of these strategies to achieve maximum impact. • Prepares responses to Internal and External Audit observations in compliance with the Financial Rules and Regulations. 4. General Administration: • Provides timely and qualitative administrative and operational advice & services (including Procurement, IT, logistic and travel) to staff at Asia Pacific Office and sub-regional and national offices. • Liaises and leads on strategic relationships with main service providers including the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). • Prepares performance reports and medium-term plans for administrative staff. • Acts as Second Reporting Officer (SRO) of all programme support staff in the region. • Provides expert guidance and leadership. • Reviews office space & resources. • Ensures compliance with corporate requirements and monitor implementation of the annual work plan. • Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need. • Performs other related work as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of Administration, Budget, Finance, Human Resources management. Ability to provide specialized advice in a broad range of human resources management, financial, administrative areas to the Head of Department /Office and managers. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations and prepare reports or rational with respect to key administrative decisions. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. 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. ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards. Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules. Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives. Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. EMPOWERING OTHERS: Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work. Encourages others to set challenging goals. Holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility. Genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise. Shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort. Involves others when making decisions that affect them.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, finance, accounting, human resources or related area is required. A first-level university degree in same areas, in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Job – Specific Qualification

Professional qualifications (CA, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA) from an internationally recognized institute or body of accountancy is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in administration, budget, finance, human resources management, or related field, is required. Experience with the United Nations and/or other similar international entities in an administrative capacity is desirable. Experience with the United Nations or similar international experience in a regional (particularly in the Asia Pacific Region) and country level capacity is desirable. Experience in working with SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Microsoft Office applications is desirable. Experience in working with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is desirable. Experience in grant management and donor reporting is desirable. Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. NOTE: ”Fluency” equals a rating of ”fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and ”Knowledge of” equals a rating of ”confident” in two of the four areas.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. 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. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move(s) requirements, or geographical move(s) to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral or geographical move(s) in their Candidate Profile (CP) and motivation statement. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 May 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Internal Applicants – When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up to date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. Individual Contractors and Consultants who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for or be appointed to any professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions, within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. For such positions, at least six months need to have elapsed between the end of a consultancy or individual contract and the time of application and consideration for an appointment as a staff member under the Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Contact Us” link.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.