Administration Senior Assistant

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

Our thematic focus spans climate action and energy, health, peace and security, sustainable development, and humanitarian action, supporting high-impact initiatives across critical global priorities.

UNOPS Development and Special Initiatives team works with UN partners and Member States. This portfolio offers support for various initiatives and priorities of the UN Secretary- General in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, it helps the UN Secretariat in implementing global programs in areas such as political affairs, climate, counterterrorism and peacebuilding, among others.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOCT was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions:

1. provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandate across the United Nations System;
2. enhance coordination and coherence across the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy;
3. strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States;
4. improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

The Administration Senior Assistant supports office operations by carrying out a range of standard administrative processes, ensuring accuracy, efficiency and high-quality outcomes.

Administrative Support

• Research and retrieve statistical data from internal and external sources. Prepare statistical charts, tables and reports by extracting and analyzing data from multiple sources.
• Follow up on deadlines, commitments and actions, coordinating the collation and submission of reports as required.
• Provide administrative support for conferences, workshops and retreats, by coordinating with hotels, venues and catering services providers
• Process requests for quotation, purchase orders, and payments for event-related activities.
• Compile and organize information for periodic audits.
• Manage petty cash transactions in accordance with established procedures.

Travel and Logistics

• Process travel transactions (authorizations and claims) in the ERP system, including requests for visas, identity cards, and other documentation for personnel, UN officials and visitors, ensuring compliance with UN rules and regulations.
• Provide information on air services, rates, and schedules for specific itineraries.
• Process travel claims, purchase orders, payments, and contracts for travel-related activities.
• Organize shipments and customs clearance arrangements, ensuring the preparation of all required documentation for UNOPS shipments (incoming and outgoing) and timely follow-up actions.
• Prepare documentation for security clearances.
• Arrange hotel reservations and organize airport pickups, hospitality, protocol, customs, and immigration support for visiting UN System officials.
• Ensure punctual delivery of official protocol certificates and coordinate with UN departments on documentation related to visas, work permits, security requirements, and health clearances for international staff.
• Coordinate with UN departments on import/export or transfer of goods for official purposes.
• Maintain strong working relationships with government ministries.
• Provide accurate, up-to-date information to staff on required supporting documents for themselves and their dependents, including import/export or transfer requirements. Track the status of submitted documentation for staff and dependents through individual monitoring sheets, ensuring adherence to schedules.
• Provide timely updates to individuals or units on administrative steps, project file status, and pending issues.
• Supervise transportation services, ensuring quality client service, regular vehicle maintenance, insurance coverage, and monitoring of fuel consumption.
• Promptly report and investigate vehicle accidents, damage, loss or theft, and update vehicle history reports.
• Oversee external transportation service contractors, including performance monitoring and invoice processing.

Inventory and Facilities Management Support

• Conduct physical inventory checks and prepare periodic inventory and asset reports.
• Serve as custodian for office stationery suppliers, maintaining accurate stock lists, distributing supplies as needed, and keeping detailed distribution logs.
• Conduct and report on surveys assessing office maintenance needs and client satisfaction.
• Gather information for administrative surveys to support the organization and improvement of common services.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Provide planning support for logistics, travel, inventory and facilities management-related training sessions and learning initiatives.
• Participate in the delivery and facilitation of knowledge-sharing activities to build administrative, logistics, travel, inventory and facilities management capacity within the organization.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 1 year of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in administration is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in administration, logistics, operations or related areas.

• Experience in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems is required.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.