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 100 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 catalyses 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 office of UNDRR, Nairobi. The incumbent reports to the Administrative Officer.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Administrative officer (NO-C), the incumbent is responsible for the following duties:
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;
Assists hiring managers with the recruitment of consultants in Inspira and raises shopping carts for consultants and ICs in UMOJA, as per delegated authority; monitor closely consultancy contracts in collaboration with the Resource Planning and Management section in Geneva;
Contributes to the drafting of job descriptions for new positions; assists hiring manager with the recruitment in Inspira for regular and temporary job opening, including initial screening of candidates, arranging for written assessment and acting as ex-officio during interviews, and preparing the recruitment case in Inspira for further review as appropriate;
Focal point for the induction of new staff members at the regional level; Coordinates with the Resource Planning and Management Section in Geneva and appropriate counterparts at the regional level on travel arrangements, visa matters and shipment of personal effects for selected candidates; 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;
Focal point in the region for performance management and staff development; Assists with the monitoring of performance management compliance; Based on the guidance provided by the Human Resource Unit of the Resource Planning and Management Section, assists with career support and staff development through reporting training attendance for staff in the region, including the mandatory UN training courses;
Advises staff on visa matters and rules pertaining to official business travel; Develops and maintains travel guides for the duty stations in the region including all relevant information;
Focal point for filing and records management in the regional office; Sets up and maintains reference files/records (electronic and paper);
Umoja regional super user; Provides guidance and Umoja assistance to
staff members on issues related to travel administration; focal point for Umoja role mapping in the region; 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.
Upon request, undertakes research on a range of HR-related or administrative issues and assists in the preparation of notes/reports pertaining to areas of responsibility.
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.
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.
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.
Education
High school diploma or equivalent is required.
Work Experience
A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the field in administrative services, human resources or related area is required.
Experience in support functions in international organizations such as the United Nations is desirable.
Experience working with the travel or consultants’ modules of SAP (Umoja) is desirable.
Experience providing guidance to staff on human resources rules and regulations is desirable.
Experience providing support to conferences and large meetings is desirable.
Languages
English 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. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.
