Learning and Administrative Associate, New York, Closing date: Monday, 15 June 2015

• Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
• Country: United States
• City: New York, USA
• Office: UNDP New York

Learning and Administrative Associate
Location : New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Application Deadline : 15-Jun-15
Type of Contract : TA Local
Post Level : GS-6
Languages Required : English
Duration of Initial Contract : 364 days
All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.
Internally advertised General Service (GS) fixed-term appointment (FTA) positions located in Headquarters are open to GS staff members currently serving in New York/Washington D.C. who hold a UNDP permanent or FTA 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 or Washington, DC.
Externally advertised GS fixed-term appointment and temporary appointment (TA) positions located in New York/Washington D.C. 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 or Washington, DC.
Current UNDP GS staff serving outside of HQ must meet the eligibility criteria stated above prior to their application.
Selected candidates who meet the above mentioned eligibility criteria are responsible for their own travel and/or relocation costs.
Selection to GS fixed-term appointment positions at Headquarters requires passing a UN administered clerical test (ASAT).
Applicants under serious consideration for short-listing of posts requiring accountancy and finance skills, must take the UNDP Accountancy and Finance Test (UNDP AFT) prior to short-listing.
Background

The Leadership Development Pathways (LDP) is a leadership development experience targeted to prepare and build the competencies of people managers in the organization. The LDP's target audience will be people managers throughout UNDP. It is estimated that between 1200 and 1500 managers will benefit from this programme over a period of three years.
In order to facilitate the administration of the programme, the OHR/ITM Leadership and Learning Unit is seeking to hire a Learning/Admin assistant. The Learning/Admin assistant under the supervision of the learning specialist in the unit will provide administrative support to the programme and will be responsible to provide effective and efficient data management to the management of the programme, coordinate enrollment of participants, liaise and communicate with vendors and other teams as needed on participation. S/he will support the monitoring and reporting on programme progress, assist in the compilation of evaluation reports, provide clerical support to the team and other logistical support to the programme.
The LDP is a major strategic initiative for UNDP for the coming 3 years. This post will have a direct impact on the operationalization of the programme and ensuring that participants are supported effectively and are provided with adequate support while going through the programme. That level of support will enhance the experience of the participants and therefore provide them with a better learning experience.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Learning and Administrative associate will have the following key functions

• Provide programme management support to the Leadership Development Pathways;
• Facilitate logistics and administrative work of the LDP.

The tasks listed below provide further detail of the key results referenced by work areas
Learning, Project management, and Administrative Support
Learning

• Provide operational support to the Leadership Development Pathways in connection with preparation, enrollment, reporting, and evaluation of the programme;
• Provide support in communicating effectively with programme participants throughout the learning process;
• Follow through on participant feedback, progress and integrates the feedback to future programmes, if applicable;
• Assists in putting together and coordinating webinars and other learning activities and materials associated with the programme;
• Assists in carrying out surveys, assessment and feedback analysis to monitor the impact of learning and evaluate overall programme effectiveness.

Project Management

• Supports project management activities for the Leadership Development Pathways as a project;
• Makes required arrangements for coordinating the enrollment, assessment, and other activities which participants will need to take on as they begin their participating in the programme;
• Work with vendors and service providers to ensure that processes are setup and running effectively;
• Supports organization of learning events relevant to the Leadership Development Pathways;
• Supports the project manager as needed in carrying out other activities relevant to the setup and operations of the programme.

Administrative Support

• Provides administrative support to the project;
• Supports communication of the programme;
• Maintains and follows up on deadlines, commitments and actions needed for the programme.

Competencies
Core Competencies

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making;
• Atlas proficiency desirable.

Functional Competencies
Building Strategic Partnerships
Maintaining information and databases

• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Basic research and analysis;
• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents innovative strategies and new approaches;
• Identifies and communicates opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Promoting Organizational Change and Development
Presentation of information on best practices in organizational change

• Demonstrates ability to identify problems and proposes solutions.

Design and Implementation of Management Systems
Data gathering and implementation of management systems

• Uses information/databases/other management systems;
• Provides inputs to the development of simple system components;
• Makes recommendations related to work procedures and implementation of management systems.

Client Orientation
Maintains effective client relationships

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the Unit and with internal and external clients;
• Responds to client needs promptly.

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management
Gathering and disseminating information

• Gathers and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems;
• Prepares timely inputs to reports;
• Maintain databases.

Required Skills and Experience
Education

• Secondary Education;
• University degree in human resources, business administration, project management or related field is desirable.

Experience

• Six years of progressively responsible administrative or programme experience is required at the national or international level;
• Practical experience in a UNDP country office and/or at Headquarters in a Regional Bureau dealing with project funding and programme modalities is desirable;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language

• Fluency in spoken and written English;
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.