Country: United States of America
Closing date: 24 Jan 2020
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (OUSG) of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in New York. The Assistant Secretary-General, who is accountable to the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services and acts as Officer-in-Charge during the Under-Secretary-General’s absence from Headquarters, supports the overall leadership and management of the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
OIOS is the internal oversight function of the United Nations. It assists the Secretary-General in fulfilling his/her oversight responsibilities in respect of the resources and staff of the Organization through the provision of audit, investigation, and inspection and evaluation services. The Office provides these services through three divisions, namely: Internal Audit, Investigations, and Inspection and Evaluation.
Responsibilities
The Assistant Secretary-General supports the programme of work that is entrusted to the Under-Secretary-General for OIOS and supports him/her in the full range of his/her complex and extensive responsibilities. In that capacity, and in close coordination with and under the overall direction of the Under-Secretary-General, the Assistant Secretary-General assists in the overall management of OIOS by:
• Supporting the Under-Secretary-General in the full range of his/her responsibilities, including: assuming responsibilities for operational activities of the Office related to risk-based work planning; planning the optimum use of resources, expertise and experience; and overseeing and assisting the Office’s senior leaders in the discharge of their functions
• Overseeing and strengthening the day-to-day internal management of OIOS as well as representing the Office in the absence of the Under-Secretary-General
• Supporting the Under-Secretary-General in the performance of his/her functions as the head of OIOS, including by overseeing and coordinating the work of the three Divisions and Offices both at Headquarters and in the field, and overseeing the preparation of reports to Senior Management, audit committees, and intergovernmental bodies
• Assisting the Under-Secretary-General in leading and managing initiatives for ensuring that OIOS operates as an innovative, dynamic, diverse and high-performing office that respects diversity, ethics and integrity, and has a strong focus on results
• Shaping the strategic direction of OIOS by guiding the work of the three Divisions and ensuring that OIOS operations are optimally aligned to overall Organizational strategies and goals
• Providing strategic guidance on OIOS policy development, budget planning, and resource mobilization
• Ensuring an integrated approach to managing the activities of the three Divisions by identifying strategic opportunities, potential synergies, and cost-saving opportunities to ensure the Office’s optimization of value-for-money for the Organization
• Assisting the Under-Secretary-General in fostering relations with senior management, audit committees, intergovernmental bodies, Member States, and other stakeholders
• Ensuring effective systems of delegation of authority within the Office and overseeing internal Office-wide risk-management initiatives
• Carrying out special assignments, as requested by the Under-Secretary-General
Competencies
Core Competencies
Professionalism: Expert knowledge in the management of the delivery of audits, investigations, and/or inspections and evaluations; proven ability to lead and oversee work on technical issues; ability to guide the work of others. Substantive knowledge of governance, risk management, and internal control systems and related issues.
Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which he/she has responsibility within a 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.
Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to defend and explain difficult issues with respect to key decisions and positions to staff, senior officials, audit committees, and members of intergovernmental bodies; proven ability to communicate complex concepts orally; ability to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful. Ability to maintain effective relationships with other oversight offices, outside collaborators and other contacts, including representatives of Member States and the public.
Managerial Competencies
Leadership: Proven leadership skills and demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate internal audit, investigation, and/or inspection and evaluation functions. Proven record of building, managing and working in teams and creating an enabling work environment, including the ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff and design training/skills enhancement initiatives to ensure effective transfer of knowledge/skills. Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the management of complex oversight issues; empowering others to translate vision into results and create an enabling environment; anticipating and resolving conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; continuously driving for change and improvements.
Managing Performance: Ability to make timely decisions, establish priorities and coach, mentor, motivate and develop staff, and encourage good performance; delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; encourages others to set challenging goals; holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility.
Education
Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, or other relevant related areas. A first-level university degree in combination with extensive qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Oversight-related professional certifications and qualifications are highly desirable.
Work Experience
At least 20 years of progressively responsible experience in senior leadership positions, including in audit, investigation, and/or inspection and evaluation functions in large international organizations, government or private sector entities, or non-governmental organizations is required.
Proven track record of managing programmes, people and resources, and technical leadership is required.
Languages
Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official language of the United Nations is desirable.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.
Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.
Short-listed individuals will also be required to complete the pre-appointment declaration of interests for senior positions to identify possible conflicts of interest that may arise and to proactively prevent and manage, as much as possible and in a timely manner, situations in which personal interests may conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of the United Nations, should the individual be appointed to this position.
Candidates who had previously expressed interest in this position are invited to re-apply.
Please use the United Nations Inspira e-Recruitment website at https://careers.un.org/ to apply for this position. The system provides instructions and support for online application procedures. United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
How to apply:
Please visit the link: https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=126915