Administrative Associate (Premises Management)

The UN House in Brussels is administered by UNDP and is at present comprised of 18 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes dedicated to maintaining, nurturing and developing the partnership between the UN, the European Union institutions, the Belgian government and other partners.

Working in close collaboration with the UN House Management Committee (UNHMC) (including as necessary, with the Operations/Administrative personnel of the UN House agencies), the Administrative Associate provides support to the UN House agencies by ensuring that quality service is provided and sustained to i) maintain a high standard of shared common utility services and ii) provide a comfortable and safe working environment.

With excellent communications skills, the Administrative Associate must be self-motivated, with the capacity to take initiatives. S/he should display a client-, quality- and results-oriented approach whilst promoting the values of the United Nations.

Committed to the judicious and transparent use of UN resources, the Administrative Associate will carry out the following tasks in consistency with the UNDP corporate rules, regulations and policies, while playing a lead role in inter-agency common initiatives:

Planning and implementation of common service activities:

• Manage the common building services as detailed in the lease agreement documents concerning the Occupancy and Use of the UN House by UN agencies; establish and maintain an organized, centralized, chronologically updated and user-friendly repository of all related UN House documents enabling easy access, retrieval and understanding of processes conducted.
• As primary focal point with the landlord and service providers, establish collaborative arrangements to ensure the smooth management of the UN House, including UN premises oversight; arrange and coordinate with the landlord, any repairs, remodelling and renovation work to be done with respect to the UN House, Common Areas, offices, including any offices not allocated to an agency, if such work affects the building; participate in evaluation of works implemented, including health and safety management and quality management; manage specific agency requests, liaising between agency, building management and external vendors to ensure that works and maintenance requests are performed in a satisfactory manner; maintain an accurate and updated registry/log of all service works implemented by the maintenance companies in the building.
• Create and maintain the data base of suppliers and service providers; provide efficient general services and logistical services, including common services organization; coordinate (between the UN House agencies and external service providers) the management of and performance monitoring/review/evaluation/assessment of outsourced common premises services, including but not limited to janitorial and cleaning services, etc.; support with UN House procurement, in collaboration with UNDP.
• Support in overseeing and coordinating office space requirements: calculate space requirements and relevant costings for agencies requesting expansion, relocation or reduction of office space; assess the available capacities in terms of space for new UN House tenants and providing these with pro forma space costs; manage legal contractual aspects of new UN House tenants and coordinate premises MOU signatures, in liaison with UNDP HQ premises team; ensure that the information in the floor plan database on premises is kept up to date; handle move-ins and move-outs inspections; review of economic and available facilities and services for the UN agencies, providing recommendations on these to the UNHMC; optimize the use of existing in-house resources and apply cost optimization strategies whenever possible.

Financial management for common services / premises

• Develop, maintain accurate, and report on annual common services / premises cost-sharing budget with appropriate distribution (per sqm and per staff) for each of the cost categories.
• Estimate the pro forma cost-shared and non-shared amounts for common area services and other related expenses (including UN Coordination activities) for the ensuing calendar year to assist agencies in their budget planning; prepare and, upon Finance department clearance, provide each agency with the UN House cost distribution as invoiced by the landlords, including the relevant supporting documents for these invoices; based on the report provided by the Finance department, provide each agency with an itemized accounting of the Annual Base Cost, Common Area Expenses and other expenses (including UN Coordination activities) for the preceding year actually incurred and paid, together with a tabulation of the amounts collected, and showing any amounts over or below the actual expenditures.
• Verify service provider invoices against work delivered; ensure that specifications and amounts invoiced correspond to order made and received; compile and submit for payment to Finance.
• Maintain electronic and hard copy filing systems which may be inspected at any reasonable time by the authorized staff of any agency.

Communications

• Serve as Secretary to the UNHMC meetings by providing full support in organizing required meetings on a regular basis, ensuring inclusiveness of UN House agencies and other offices (ie. UNDSS) in critical matters relating to the management of common services and premises. 
• Disseminate information and communications on UN House updates to UN House agencies; ensure smooth communication with members of the UNHMC and its sub-committees.

Other functions

• Liaise closely with UNDSS to ensure consistency in the management of premises safety and security-related services as required for compliance; carry out regular property inspections to ensure proper maintenance of safety and security equipment, including premises; serve as back-up for encoding security access cards.
• Maintain UN House Conference Room bookings.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the UNDP Deputy Director, the Administrative Associate will ensure the effective delivery of premises maintenance and administrative services, facilitate the efficient running and maintenance of the said services, guarantee satisfactory performance of any outsourced common services providers, and the accurate billing and charging of shared costs across UN House Agencies.

As designated Common Premises Focal Point, the Administrative Associate will report to and support the UNDP Deputy Director as Chair of the UNHMC and the UNHMC in the daily administration of the UN House.

The incumbent will supervise the UN House Receptionist and whilst performing the duties, will work in close collaboration with the Operational/Administrative units of the UN House and with UNDSS Belgium.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy

• Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources.
• Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates “win-win” situations.

Business Management

• Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Digital Awareness and Literacy: Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skilfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.
• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs; looks for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests; ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concern.
• Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner; knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.