Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). The incumbent reports directly to the Special Representative of the Secretary General/Head of Mission.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Mission Support will be responsible for the following functions: •Contributes to the implementation of the mission/office mandate by providing the necessary managerial, logistical and administrative support required for the fulfilment of the mandate, including such areas as budget, finance, human resources management, logistics, communications, transport, air operations, etc. •Certifies mission expenditure. •Advises the Head of Office/Mission on all matters pertaining to administrative and logistical support. •Plans, organizes, implements, manages and oversees the activities of all administrative and logistical support operations. •Provides effective management of human, financial and material resources of the mission. •Identifies broad strategies required for the development and implementation of the mission support's work programme. •Ensures development, preparation, coordination and monitoring of overall work plans, strategies and programmes for the support activities of the mission and takes the lead in securing the required human and financial resources for the mission. •Establishes a set of sound policies, procedures, practices, standards and tools that are consistent with UN regulations, rules, policies and practice in order to ensure proper budget, accounting, financial and human resources management and control. •Liaises, negotiates and coordinates with national authorities with respect to administrative and logistical matters. •Ensures cooperation and integration of administrative and logistical resources with military, civilian police and other substantive elements of the mission as required. •Provides guidance, support and supervision to senior administrative and logistics support staff as well as audit and evaluation services, as appropriate. •Ensures the provision of guidance, performance evaluation, supervision and mentoring to all administrative support and other staff in the areas of his/her responsibility. •Maintains good order and discipline of staff under his/her overall supervision. •Represents the mission before legislative bodies, providing information and clarification in support of budget proposals. •Represents the mission support component at meetings, protocol and ceremonial occasions, military parades, etc. Performs related duties as may be required by the Head of Mission or DOS, e.g., provides briefing to visiting senior officials on mission, administrative and technical support activities, etc. •Performs other related work as required.

Competencies

Core Competencies: Professionalism: -Demonstrates knowledge of the UN and the mandates and activities of the Department of Field Support. -Comprehensive knowledge of all operational aspects of field missions. -Ability to apply rules, regulations, policies and guidelines 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. -Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. -Demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. Communication: -Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. -Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. -Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. -Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. -Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Accountability: -Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments. -Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards. -Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules. -Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. -Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. Managerial Competencies : Managing Performance: -Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. -Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. -Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. -Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. -Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. -Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. -Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. -Appraises performance fairly. Judgement/ Decision-making: -Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. -Gathers relevant information before making a decision. -Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. -Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. -Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. -Checks assumptions against facts. -Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. -Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in business or public administration, human resources management, finance, accounting, or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification
Not available.

Work Experience

At least fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in administration, human resource management, budget, finance, logistics, supply chain management, information technology or related area is required. At least five (5) years of experience at managerial level working in United Nations common system field operations, including peacekeeping and special political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes; or field-based operations of other public international organizations or non-governmental organizations is required. Experience at the senior level in directly managing cross-functional teams and sections are required. A proven track record of leadership and management in multicultural settings in a politically sensitive context is required. Experience in supporting field operations of uniformed personnel is desirable. Experience in developing operational strategies, change management and workforce planning in an international setting is desirable. Experience at UN Headquarters is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is 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).