Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Policy Division develops and implements the UN Women program of work on analysis, research and knowledge management that provides the evidence base for the advice and guidance UN Women provides to the intergovernmental process, the UN system, and to UN Women staff working at country and regional level on issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Peace and Security is a key area of UN Women's work. At Headquarters, the Peace and Security Section leads on UN system-wide coordination on Women, Peace and Security, provides technical and financial support to the peace and security work of UN Women field offices, and implements a number of global initiatives that range from training women on mediation, peacekeepers on preventing and responding to sexual violence, and experts on investigation and documentation of international crimes, to rapidly deploying gender advisors to commissions of inquiry, peace talks, and post-conflict planning and financing processes, supporting gender-responsive public service delivery, and linking women in the community and grassroots organizations to police and other actors to ensure better protection.

Under the guidance and oversight of the Deputy Chief, Peace and Security, the Programme Associate supports the Section’s global programming work, including the administrative requirements of UN Women’s Secretariat role to the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). The nature of the work will include performing a variety of standard administrative processes and ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Programme Associate promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach.  S/he works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects staff team to ensure consistent service delivery and to resolve complex administration related issues and information delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide programme financial management support to the Peace and Security Section

• Monitor all programme and project budgets for implementation; Monitor and track budget expenditures; prepare monthly expenditures reports for all the projects;
• Draft project budgets and revisions; propose routine changes to project components to attain project objectives in consultation with regional offices or funding agencies; reallocate resources; liaise with Chiefs/Advisers on rephasing budgets; use ATLAS to produce reports;
• Create new projects in ATLAS; process all budget revisions, year-end rephasals and mandatory revisions; liaise and assist supervisors and country offices regarding budget queries and discrepancies;
• Liaise with Finance section regarding donor contributions, and financial reports. Request and review financial reports submitted by Finance, and ensure they are in line with donors reporting standards;
• Produce different financial reports to update status of budgets and expenditures

Provide programme support to the Peace and Security Section

• Draft and submit to supervisor authorizations to field offices to undertake project- related activities, incur expenditures, monitor expenditures and advise supervisors, and country offices on budget status, ensures funds allocation is not exceeded or additional funds are allocated when required;
• Make necessary arrangements for projects PAC approval process including preparation of implementation analysis notes and PAC documentation, minutes and follow up actions;
• Organize data and information, prepare and maintain records, documents and control plans for monitoring of project/programmes implementation; draft routine correspondence to all parties concerned;
• Update the weekly delivery rates for the section. Liaise with Policy Division Director’s assistant with regard to sections delivery reports;
• Verify that all completed projects are closed in accordance with UN Women rules and that final reports are received.

Provide human resources support to the section

• Provide administrative support and guide colleagues in the Section with administrative and human resources (HR) issues, including recruitment and personnel administration

• Prepare staffing/personnel related reports; research and draft responses to enquiries for clearance by the Supervisor.

• Prepare short-lists of consultants for selection by supervisor, initiate recruitment actions of consultants and liaise with HR to undertake recruitments;
• Monitor attendance;
• Assist in the preparation of subcontracts, review subcontract invoices and check supporting documentation to ensure services provided and claimed are in conformity with the terms of the contract;
• Assist in the administrative actions related to travel, organization of meetings and events in collaboration with other members of the team.

Provide procurement support to the section

• Draft procurement plans for the section and their implementation monitoring.
• Generates procurement related reports; researches and drafts responses to enquiries for clearance by the Programme Manager(s)
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for the section in a transparent and cost-effective manner.
• Organize procurement activities and processes, including preparation and conduct of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs, coordinate contract negotiations (as required), prepare request for award of contract for the review and approval of relevant authorities, in full compliance with UN Women regulations and rules. 
• Under guidance conducts reviews of procurement processes conducted by projects; submissions to the Procurement Review Committee (PRC).
• Take corrective actions on POs with errors (e.g. POs with budget errors, match exceptions, unapproved POs etc.), and provide information and response to relevant department to resolve the issues

Provide logistical and general administrative support to the section

• Make travel arrangements including preparation of travel authorizations, hotel arrangement, processing requests for visas, identity cards and other documents
• Provide administrative support to conferences, workshops, retreats

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Provide administrative support for effective knowledge management and sharing within the Section;
• Synthesize lessons learned and best practices in operations related issues;
• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice related to programme operations. 

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely and accurate financial reports, and statements
• Full compliance of administrative and programme activities with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures 
• Timely and quality reports;
• Timely and accurate tracking of data and finances for management and donor purposes; 
• Quality maintenance of internal systems and records.

Competencies

Core values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:?http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;
• Ability to extract, interpret, analyze data and resolve operational problems;
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work ;
• Ability to support a team and team building skills;
• Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations;
• Strong IT skills; Ability to handle web-based management systems; Excellent knowledge of office software packages
• Attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Strong focus on client service;
• Ability to work well under pressure, and to meet deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• Completion of secondary education is required; a university level degree is desirable, but not a requirement; 
• Candidates who do not have a university degree or an accredited certification in the technical field will be required to complete the Global General Service Test (GGST) or UN Administrative Support Assessment Test (ASAT) – formerly known as the UN Clerical Test.

Experience:

• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in administration;
• At least 3 years of experience in finance administration;
• Experience in project management, and knowledge of UN/ UN Women rules and procedures is an asset;

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Notes:

GS fixed-term appointment (FTA) and temporary appointment (TA) positions located in New York are open to candidates who are either US Permanent Residents, US Citizens or holders of a valid G4 visa at the time of their application and whose G4 visa has been acquired on account of their employment in the UN Systems based in New York.

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment.

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment, please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.