Administrative Assistant, G6, Bangkok

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Org. Setting and Reporting

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 150 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. 

The position is located in the UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in Bangkok. The incumbent reports to the Associate Programme Management Officer.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Associate Programme Management Officer, the incumbent: 

• Provides direct assistance to the Deputy Chief and Chief of Office, and performs, under minimal supervision, full range of office management and administrative support functions including travel, human resources, procurement, finance and budget. Provides advice to staff and management in the office on matters related to administration, by liaising with the Resource Planning and Management Section in Geneva, as needed. Contributes to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) developed by the Resource Planning and Management Section and ensures that SOPs are circulated and understood by staff members in the regional office. Liaises with internal and external partners on matters related to administration, human resources, procurement, finance and budget, as per delegated authority. 
• Administration: Assists with the opening and closing of offices and presences in the region, as needed; Contributes and reviews the local contracts including MoUs with service providers, contracts for cleaning services, IT support, photocopier, printing, etc. in line with the UN rules and standard practices; Focal point for filing and records management in the regional office; Review the contract-related invoices before approval by the Chief of Office/Deputy Chief of Office and payment by the Finance and Budget unit in Geneva; Orients new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provides general assistance to other office support staff, as required. 
• Conference management: Assists in the organization of meetings and conferences by the regional office: requesting index numbers and creating mini masters for meeting participants in UMOJA; Collect and recording bank information in BIRD; processing travel requests and expense reports on behalf of meeting participants; contributing to the management of the event/meeting including logistics, security, visas, protocol, hospitality etc. 
• Finance and Budget: Assists in the preparation and regular updates of the regional office’s cost plan; prepares budget updates for ongoing projects; review and analyze expenditures, in close collaboration with the Budget and Finance unit in Geneva; Identifies issues and proposes corrective action. Assists with the review of unliquidated obligations in UMOJA; 
• Procurement: Initiates low-value procurement by preparing vendor profiles in Umoja for the regional office and offices in the region; Audits the contractors' invoices and prepares service entry sheets and monitor payments. 
• Human resources: Contributes to the drafting of job descriptions for new positions; assists hiring manager with the recruitment in Inspira for regular and temporary job opening, as needed and in collaboration with the Human Resources Unit in Geneva; Focal point for the induction of new staff members at the regional level; Ensures new staff members receive the relevant equipment, phone access, intranet access, badge, etc. Assists staff members in the regional office with the issuance of UNLPs, visas, diplomatic IDs and customs clearance; Liaises with the Human Resources Unit in Geneva to provide guidance to staff members on benefits and entitlements, contractual status; Assists hiring managers with the recruitment of consultants in Inspira; Monitors the contracts of staff members and consultants in the region and liaises with the Human Resources Unit in Geneva to request extensions and/or separations, as needed. Assists staff members in the separation and clearance process, as needed; Assists with the monitoring of performance management compliance; Assists with career support and staff development through reporting training attendance for staff in the region, including the mandatory UN training courses. 
• UMOJA regional super user; Provides guidance and UMOJA assistance to staff members on issues related to travel administration, finance and procurement processes; Provides first level support to staff members in the region facing issues with logging in UMOJA or their employee self-service portal; Guides staff members to update their personal data and request their entitlements in UMOJA. 
• Acts at back up to the other assistant(s) in the office; performs other 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. Able to perform analysis, modelling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making. 

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. 

PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of administrative services or other related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five (5) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher.

At least two (2) years of experience in the United Nations Common System or international organizations similar to UN Common System is desirable. 

Experience in organizing large meetings and conferences is desirable. 

Experience in working with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as or similar to UMOJA/SAP is desirable. 

Experience of disaster risk reduction and resilience is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Fluency in Thai is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for General Service and related positions must be authorized to work in the country 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. 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. In line with the overall United Nations policy, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction encourages a positive workplace culture which embraces inclusivity and leverages diversity within its workforce. Measures are applied to enable all staff members to contribute equally and fully to the work and development of the organization, including flexible working arrangements, family-friendly policies and standards of conduct.

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.

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