Chief, Commercial and General Services Section -- ESCAP, BANGKOK

Posting Title:Chief, Commercial and General Services Section, P5
   
Job Code Title:CHIEF OF SECTION, GENERAL SERVICES
   
Department/ Office:Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
   
Duty Station:BANGKOK
   
Posting Period:5 January 2017-3 February 2017
   
Job Opening number:17-ADM-ESCAP-71315-R-BANGKOK(G) 

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. Staff of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy and are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.

ESCAP is committed to promoting diversity and gender equality within the Secretariat. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

		Org. Setting and Reporting
	The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote regional cooperation for inclusive economic, social and environmental development in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership, through its analytical, normative and technical cooperation, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region. This post is located in the Commercial and General Services Section of the Division of Administration. The Section is responsible for providing the following services: planning and organization of meetings; operation of the United Nations Conference Center; the printing and document distribution needs for conferences and meetings; travel, visa and shipping services;  managing and archiving of records; mailing, messenger and transport services; catering, garage administration, host country relations services for ESCAP and UN Clients in the Asia Pacific region and acts as the focal point for business continuity of ESCAP. The incumbent is responsible for the overall management of a large support service operation and coordinates the work and established service goals of the Section.
		Responsibilities
	Within delegated authority, the Chief of Section will be responsible for the following duties: •Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Section, which includes conference management services, mail operations, managing and archiving of records, messenger and transport services, printing and distributing documents for meetings, travel, visa and shipping services, and host country relations services; ensures that programmed activities and services are carried out in a timely fashion, with high quality and cost-efficient manner. •Provides policy guidance to the Director of Division, on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and intra and inter-divisional policies and procedures. •Oversees the development of overall cost recovery plan and strategy for the services provided including the development of forecasts and business plans; oversees performance and budget and monitors targets for all elements of the commercial operations of conference and general services on the basis of strategic and operational business plans. •Researches, analyzes and assesses the patterns of demand for services in consultation with heads of service areas; negotiates, formulates and implements solutions to issues affecting the delivery of the Division's services. •Establishes and coordinates the consultation processes between staff of the Section and end-users for the adjustment and delivery of services; reviews recommendations for the cost-effective delivery of conference and general services. •Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports. •Ensures that the outputs produced by the Unit/Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Section under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.  •Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates. •Supervises the administrative operations of the Section under his/her responsibility. •Recruits staff for the Section taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values. •Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision. •Fosters a working environment that combines individual and teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries •Performs other related duties as required.
		Competencies
	Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN 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. Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Managerial Competencies Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. 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. 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.
		Education
	Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, logistics or operations management, engineering or related areas is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
		Work Experience
	A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in support services type operations in international organizations is required. Proven management skills and experience in conducting negotiations is required. Five years of experience in activities related to conference servicing and/or general services preferably in the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, or in the private sector at the international level, is required. Proven/practical experience in project management of large projects is highly desirable. Experience in the development and implementation of organizational and technological innovation and change management, preferably related to conference and general services in an international multicultural setting is desirable. Experience with modern management information systems, planning or work flow management computer applications and their implementation is desirable.
		Languages
	English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.  For the post advertised, fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
		Assessment
	Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.
		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, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 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 At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The screening and 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, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: 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 a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

Moreinfo: https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=71315