Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Office of the Chief of Mission Support of the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) and is temporarily based in Sana’a, Yemen. The incumbent reports to the Administrative Officer under the overall supervision of the Chief Mission Support.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for performing the following duties: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT:
Initiates, reviews, processes and follows-up on actions related to the administration of the section’s/unit’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.
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 Headquarters’ 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.
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 service sections/units and liaises frequently with internal team members in the field mission.
Performs other related administrative duties, as required (e.g., operational travel programme; physical space planning; identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software and systems; organizing and coordinating seminars, conferences and translations; monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individual contractors for services, assists with administration of commercial contracts for outsourced services; tracks deliverables, milestones, amendments, expirations and required follow-up actions.).
Supports contractor-performance monitoring by compiling service-delivery information, tracking key performance indicators and service levels, , and following up with requisitioning offices and contractors.
Reviews contractors’ invoices and supporting documentation for completeness and consistency with contract terms and services delivered; coordinates certification; and processes and tracks payments.
May be responsible for guiding, training, and supervising the work of more junior General Service staff.
Provides central administrative coordination for residual UNMHA liquidation activities carried out from Sana’a following the transfer of assets from Hudaydah; supports asset reconciliation and the updating of inventory and Umoja records; tracks disposal, transfer, write-off, contract close-out and other pending actions; maintains the supporting audit trail; and monitors follow-up with the responsible offices.
Supports facilities-management activities, including maintenance and repair requests, service-provider follow-up, work-order and premises records, utilities and space-related requirements; administers petty cash and, when formally designated, acts as petty cash custodian in accordance with applicable financial rules and procedures.
Acts as secretary to local boards and committees, including the Local Property Survey Board, the Accommodation, Staff Welfare Committee and other bodies as assigned; prepares agendas, meeting documentation and minutes; maintains decision logs; and monitors follow-up actions.
Performs other duties, as required.
Competencies
Professionalism: Knowledge of administrative, budgetary and financial policies and procedures, including contract administration and contractor-performance monitoring. Ability to apply United Nations rules and procedures, maintain accurate records, analyze information, identify issues and recommend appropriate follow-up.
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.
Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments and 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.
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 seven
(7) years of progressively responsible experience in administrative services, finance, accounting, audit, human resources, contract administration, procurement support or a related area is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to five
(5) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience using an enterprise resource planning system, such as SAP, is required. At least two
(2) years of experience supporting contract administration or procurement, including contractor-performance monitoring, maintenance of contract records, or invoice and payment follow-up, is desirable. Experience supporting facilities management and administering petty cash is desirable. Experience providing UN secretariat support to formal boards or committees is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and Arabic are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).
Required Languages
Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking
English | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II
Arabic | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview or informal interview.
Special Notice
This position is temporarily available through 31 December 2026. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless
(a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and
(b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. 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. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules.
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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2
(a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2.
(c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.