JOB DESCRIPTION

Hardship Level

H (no hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

GS7

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-08-01

Deadline for Applications

July 18, 2025

Standard Job Description

Senior Administrative Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Administrative Associate is responsible for assisting the concerned manager in the implementation of general administrative and resource management tasks. The incumbent will work quite independently on regular assignments with an oversight from the supervisor, who will provide general guidance and work plans for identifying work priorities and appropriate approaches; work is controlled for meeting expected results and conformity to policy and procedures. S/he is normally supervised by a (Senior) Administrative Officer or a National Administrative Officer.

The incumbent may directly supervises some support staff. Contacts on administrative related issues are mainly with Sections/Units/Offices within the organization both at HQ and in the Field and with local suppliers/services/partners/national authorities on routine subject matters as well as on matters of importance to the Organization.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
– Assist the supervisor in the provision of resources (human, material and services) necessary to support the day-to-day activities of the staff in the office.
– Assist the supervisor in ensuring the UNHCR Office premises provide a healthy, safe and respectful working environment.
– Analyses and maintains an overview of the work of the office to ensure that timely administrative support is provided in general and specialized areas.
– Participates in the recruitment and training of General Service staff for specialized and non-specialized work and assigns General Service staff to meet work requirements.
– Reviews and evaluates work of subordinates directly or through lower-level supervisors.
– In addition to general administration responsibilities, may also supervise, directly and indirectly, activities concerned with office and grounds maintenance, security, transport and similar services.
– Briefs international personnel on general administrative matters, provides advice and ensures administrative support as required.
– Advises and assists senior staff in the area of office management.
– Arranges for and/or attends meetings on day-to-day administrative matters, participates in discussions of new or revised procedures and practices, interprets and assesses the impact of changes and makes recommendations for follow-up action.
– Prepares correspondence, special reports, evaluations and justifications as required on general administrative or specialized tasks that may be of a confidential nature within the assigned area of responsibility.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G7 – 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Business Administration, Finance, Office Management, Human Resources
or other related field
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
Not specified

Desirable:
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.

Functional Skills
*IT-Computer Literacy
BU-PeopleSoft EPM/Budget
*CO-Drafting and Documentation
*UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
SC-UN/UNHCR Procurement Rules and Procedures
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

OPERATIONAL CONTEXT:

As global challenges grow more complex and displacement crises demand increasingly innovative responses, UNHCR’s workforce must be equipped with the right skills for UNHCR to remain effective. The broader vision for a modernized UN system, under UN 2.0, and UNHCR’s shift to sustainable programming also highlight the need to adapt the way the organization manages and develops talent. These challenges have called for a more focused and impactful Learning and Development (L&D) model that better equips, within available resources, the workforce with the skills, tools, and management and leadership capabilities required to thrive in a dynamic and complex operational environment.

The strategic repositioning of UNHCR”s L&D system and function will transition towards a skills-based approach that better synergizes learning, strategic workforce planning, data analytics and development, recruitment, deployment, and engagement efforts. To underpin this integration, the L&D function currently handled by the Global and Learning Development Centre (GLDC) will be embedded into DHR’s broader structure as one Section – the Skills and Learning Section (SLS) in the Integrated Talent Management Service. The new Section will have two Units, the Skills Strategy Unit and the Performance and Leadership Unit.

The Integrated Talent Management Service (ITMS) will replace the current Assignments and Talent Mobilization Service (ATMS). Its objective is to ensure that UNHCR has the right talent in place through the integrated management of assignments, talent acquisition, and development. This involves, through SLS, building a high-performing, resilient, and engaged workforce by strategically investing in leadership, people management, and performance.

DESIRE CANDIDATE PROFILE:

For this position, UNHCR requires an experienced senior development associate, who works well across the organization and with multiple internal and external stakeholders: senior managers and technical specialists in Divisions, Bureaux, Entities and Operations globally. S/he must bring a deep experience and ‘up-to-date’ expertise to support (and sometimes lead) the designing of skills-based learning solutions which includes managing and supporting clients and managing a mix of internal and external partners delivering different elements of the solution. The development associate must have experience in ‘mixing and matching’ external and internal resources to deliver designed solutions and experience in constituting and working in matrixed project teams (in the skill learning and experience space) that design solutions to clients. Solutions should integrate learning related KPI’s and learning related monitoring as well as project management support to multiple learning projects managed by clients across an organization. Experience from building project management support systems for clients is a definite advantage. The incumbent must be able to demonstrate both hands-on learning solution design and hands-on project management of design teams in the learning space. Experience with agile end-user centred learning solutions designs from outside the UN is an added advantage.

Additional information:
Candidates must be legally present in Hungary at the time of application, recruitment and hire.

Remuneration:
In case of appointment, a competitive compensation and benefits package is offered.

Benefits:
Annual leave: UNHCR staff members holding a fixed-term appointment will accrue annual leave at the rate of 2.5 working days for each full calendar months of service (i.e. 30 working days per year).

Pension system: Staff members holding a fixed-term appointment will become participants in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF).

Health insurance plan: locally recruited staff members in Budapest will be enrolled in the Medical Insurance Plan (MIP). The coverage is also optionally available for eligible family members.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted. UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

English

,

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

BU-PeopleSoft EPM/Budget, CO-Drafting and Documentation, IT-Computer Literacy, SC-UN/UNHCR Procurement Rules and Procedures, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Education

Certifications

Business Administration – Other, Finance – Other, Human Resources – Other, Office Management – Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Change capability & adaptability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements