Hardship LevelA (least hardship)
Family TypeFamily
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeGS6
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeGeneral Service
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Remote work acceptedNo
Target Start Date2023-05-29
Job Posting End DateJune 19, 2023
Standard Job Description
Oversight Associate
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Oversight Associate will provide support to the Strategic Oversight Service in the Inspector Generalโs Office (IGO), which is responsible for oversight coordination and conducting inquiries to provide advice to senior management on matters of strategic importance. The Service also provides secretariat support to the Independent Audit and Oversight Committee (IAOC), acts as focal point on behalf of UNHCR for the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations System (JIU), and provides administrative support to the UNHCR Internal Audit Service in accordance with the MOU with OIOS.
The incumbent is supervised by Head of Service and works closely with and under the day-to-day guidance of the assigned Oversight Officer.
The incumbent liaises with colleagues within the IGO and with management and staff at HQ and in the field to support the activities of the Service and to respond to queries on behalf of the Head of Service. The work will also involve interaction with members of the IAOC and other oversight entities.
The incumbent should be able to work under minimum supervision, be diligent and respectful of deadlines. The function requires precision and reliability and must be carried out with a high degree of accuracy and tact. The incumbent should be able to prioritize tasks and organize work independently.
Staff working with the IGO are required to demonstrate respect for the principles governing the work of the IGO. These include impartiality, objectivity and appropriate confidentiality, as well as high standards of professional competence and integrity in all aspects of the IGO's work.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions, as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCRโs core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Duties
Coordinate and prepare documents relevant to the activities of the Service, including meeting agendas and minutes, briefing notes and presentations, correspondence etc.
Assist in the organization and filing of documents collected or produced by the Service.
Assist in preparing, editing, formatting, and distributing reports for the Service.
Support the maintenance and updating of Service databases and spreadsheets and produce reports and dashboards. Make suggestions to improve systems and procedures as required.
Assist in the conduct of analysis and research undertaken by the Service.
Perform duties related to IGO communications, intranet pages etc.
Assist in providing secretarial support to the IAOC, including coordinating travel arrangements, organizing meetings and video conference facilities, obtaining building access, assisting to prepare and make available documents and presentations required by the members, and archiving relevant documents and information.
Assist the JIU focal person in the IGO in the liaison function, including follow-up on UNHCR's comments to JIU reports.
Support the administration of the Internal Audit function, including preparation of budgets, requisitions, receipts and payments.
Provide administrative and logistical support to the Service for missions, including organizing briefing and debriefing meetings, coordinating mission schedules, making travel arrangements, obtaining visas, booking accommodation, and requesting medical clearance and security clearance.
Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Administration, Clerical functions, Data Entry
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Previous job experience relevant to the function. Ability to work with standard UNHCR applications, spread sheet, and database management software.
Desirable
Post-secondary training certificate in Administration, Clerical functions and Data Entry or equivalent.
Ability to work with UNHCRโs Planning software, ERP, UNHCR intranet, presentation software and survey software.
Work experience with IT applications such as web design and software development, HTML, PHP, ASP and/or Java is an asset.
Functional Skills
CO-Drafting and Documentation
DM-Database Management
IT-Computer Literacy
AD-Support in producing reports
SO-Interpersonal skills
CO-Cross-cultural communication
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Competency RequirementsAll jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
N/A
Cross-Functional Competencies
Innovation and Creativity
Technological Awareness
Planning and Organizing
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Desired Candidate Profile The incumbent will need to demonstrate strong organizational capabilities to assist in the preparation, conduct and follow-up of meetings (including hybrid online-offline events). This includes secretarial support on the agenda, presentations, hybrid meeting links and minutes, as well as assistance as required related to travel and venue arrangements etc. Data management skills to support the maintenance and updating of SO data platforms, as well as analysis and drafting abilities are desirable to assist in research and reporting on SO reviews. The Oversight Associate will also support with other SO administrative tasks (procurement, budget etc.), thus familiarity in this area will be an advantage.
The position involves extensive engagement with SO team members and counterparts in UNHCR oversight and management across multiple locations. Therefore, very good communication and coordination skills โ both in person, virtual and written โ are required.
Familiarity with data and communication platforms (Excel, PowerBI, MS Teams etc.) is essential. Prior experience in audit/oversight/evaluation, and knowledge of UN/international organizations will be an advantage. The individual must have strong professional and social skills and must be able to work effectively across the complex and multicultural organization of UNHCR.Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
,
,
Desired languages
,
,
Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Nature of Position:
UNHCR has a complex and multifaceted system of independent oversight providers. Under UNHCRโs Policy on Independent Oversight (UNHCR/HCP/2019/2), the Inspector Generalโs Office (IGO) has a role to facilitate coherence and avoid overlap of independent oversight providersโ work, ensuring it collectively adds value and delivers assurance effectively and efficiently. Strategic Oversight (SO) is the Service within the IGO that performs that role.
In this role, SO acts as a hub of the independent oversight system through its coordination, analysis and administrative support to UNHCRโs Independent Audit and Oversight Committee (IAOC, as its secretariat), UNHCRโs internal auditors (provided by the Office of Internal Oversight Services, OIOS); and the UN systemโs Joint Inspection Unit (JIU).
SO comprises five professional staff located in Geneva, Amman and Pretoria. The Oversight Associate will support this team in the above functions through data management, secretarial, and administrative services as set out in the job description.
Living and Working Conditions:
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province in South Africa. It is one of the country's two capital cities serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital. The other is Cape Town, the legislative capital. The Central Business District (CBD) of Pretoria has been the traditional centre of government and commerce, although today many corporate offices, small businesses, shops, and government departments are situated in the sprawling suburbs of the city rather than the CBD or in Johannesburg. The city has a population of approximately 1,985,997 as well as large number of foreign nationals.
Pretoria has over the years had very diverse cultural influences and this is reflected in the architectural styles that can be found in the city. The main languages spoken in Pretoria are Pedi, Afrikaans, Tswana, Tsonga, Zulu and English. Ndebele and Sotho are also widely spoken. The living class in Pretoria can be classified as middle to high income earners. The living conditions in South Africa are generally very good. Housing and basic commodities are readily available. The country has an abundance of health providers of all sectors. The country's infrastructure and communication facilities are of international standard and are amongst the best in the African continent. However, in the last couple of years, the electricity generation has been facing challenges and there are scheduled power cuts on a regular basis.
Depending on schooling needs some staff opt to live in Johannesburg (approx. 40 min one way from Pretoria). Crime continues to be of concern and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and power cuts. Burglaries (house break-ins) and carjacking are common and those involved are often armed. ATM fraud is also rampant as well as financial related cyber-crime. Even though the position is based in Pretoria, the incumbent is expected to travel on missions to remote locations in the field, where the quality of life and working conditions would be challenged alongside with security concerns.
Additional Qualifications
SkillsAD-Support in producing reports, CO-Cross-cultural communication, CO-Drafting and Documentation, DM-Database Management, IT-Computer Literacy, SO-Interpersonal skills
Education
CertificationsAdministration - Other
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Innovation & creativity, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Additional InformationFor any technical problems encountered during the online application, please send an email to rsarbhr@unhcr.org
Applications will be accepted only via the online portals. Please do not send application via email.Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance