Administrative Associate

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women Ethiopia’s new Strategic Note (SN) 2026-2030 is derived from and contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in Ethiopia, which outlines the United Nation’s vision and strategic focus in Ethiopia. The SN’s focus areas are based on UN Women’s global Strategic Plan which sets out a collective vision, priorities and pathways to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The SN frames UN Women Ethiopia ’s work and guides its contributions to Ethiopia’s UNSDCF and UN Women Ethiopia ’s program contributions to UN Women’s global Strategic Note.

Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Procurement and Travel Services and the daily supervision of the Country Operations Manager, with matrix reporting to and functional oversight from the Regional Procurement Analyst/Specialist, the Administrative Associate ensures execution of transparent and efficient procurement services and travel processes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The Administrative Associate promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach. The Administrative Associate works in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects staff team to ensure consistent service delivery and to resolve any complex administration and procurement related issues. The Administrative Associate also works in collaboration with operations staff in other UN Agencies, UN Women Regional Office (RO) and HQ staff and Government officials to successfully deliver procurement services. 

Key Functions and Accountabilities

Implement procurement strategies in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies:

• Provide substantive inputs to procurement related reports and analyses; research and draft responses to enquiries for clearance by the Operations Manager; 
• Provide substantive inputs to the implementation of procurement management policies and strategies on cost saving and reduction; 
• Follow up with internal and external audits; 
• Contribute to the development of sourcing strategies.  

Organize procurement processes for the Country Office:

• Prepare procurement plans for programmes/projects; 
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and projects equipment, supplies and services; 
• Organize procurement processes including the preparation of Request for Quotations (RFQs), Invitation to Bids (ITBs) or Request for Proposals (RFPs) documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals; 
• Perform Buyer role in Quantum system prepare/close Purchase Orders (POs) and contracts in and outside Quantum system;  
• Prepare submissions to the Procurement Review Committee (PRC). 

Organize contract management process for the Country Office:

• Review/ process contracts for the Country Office in Ethiopia 
• Develop and update the rosters of suppliers, and support implementation of supplier selection and evaluation.  

Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Provide substantive input and support to the development of training materials, webinars and other education materials. 
• Organize trainings for the operations/projects staff on Procurement; 
• Synthesize lessons learnt and best practices.   

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Good knowledge of procurement process, systems; administrative rules and regulations.  
• Good knowledge in the use of spreadsheets and database packages. 
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines. 
• Ability to extract and interpret data. 
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions.  
• Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work;  
• Strong IT and web based management skills. 

Education and  Certification 

• Completion of secondary education is required.  
• Specialized training in Procurement; or a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration or related field is an asset. 
• Procurement Certification from an internationally recognized provider such as CIPS (level 2) is an asset. 
• Willingness to take UN Women internal procurement certifications is required.  

Experience

• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in procurement, administration or related at the national or international level. 
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) is required. 
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable. 

Languages

• Fluency in English is required. 
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish). 

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.