ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Org. Setting and ReportingThe position is within the Political Affairs Section of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The Administrative Assistant works under the supervision of the Head of Abuja Liaison Office with technical guidance from Mission Support. The Administrative Assistant is responsible to effectively and efficiently manage all administrative and logistics matters related to the UNOWAS Abuja Liaison Cell including human resources, financial and general administration. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authorities, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the following duties: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - Initiates, reviews, processes and follows-up on actions related to the administration of the Abuja Liaison Cell’s human resource activities, e.g., recruitment of staff and consultants, placement, promotion, relocation, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation of staff members, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures. - Responds to enquiries and provides information and advice to staff regarding their entitlements, administrative procedures, processes and practices, conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations. - Oversees the maintenance of vacancy announcement files and keeps track of status of vacancy announcements. - Monitors staffing table and prepare relevant statistical data/charts. BUDGET AND FINANCE - Assists in the preparation and review of financial and human resource proposals/requirements. Consolidates budget/work programme with respect to UNOWAS’ budget, trust funds, grants and procurement. - Monitors expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary. - Assists the Supervisor when required in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions. - Liaises with Mission Support, assists in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures. - Co-ordinates with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION - Drafts routine correspondence to respond to enquiries in respect to relevant administrative, financial audit, personnel matters. - Coordinates extensively with POLAS and liaises frequently with Mission Support as well as with UNDP Abuja. - Performs other related administrative duties, as required (e.g., operational travel programme; monitoring accounts, Value-added Tax (VAT) reimbursement; physical space planning; identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems). - Support with organizing and coordinating events, workshops and partner meetings in Abuja. CONTRACT MANAGEMENT - Liaise with Mission Support, assists with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for outsourced services. - Audits the contractors' invoices against the goods and services provided by the contractor as and when required. - 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. - Performs other related duties as required. Competencies• PROFESSIONALISM: 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. • COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • 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 clients. EducationHigh school diploma or equivalent is required. Job - Specific QualificationAdditional technical training in secretarial, administration, office management or other relevant field is desirable. Work ExperienceA minimum of (7) seven 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 five (5) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Specific knowledge of the UN administrative electronic tools, such as Umoja or ERP is desirable. Familiarity with function-related provisions of United Nations Rules, Regulations, Manuals and Policies is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special NoticeThis position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording 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 FeeTHE 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.