Senior Administrative Officer P5 Job at UNEP, Nairobi Kenya

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Job Opening ID: 273425

• Job Network : Management and Administration
• Job Family : Administration
• Category and Level : Professional and Higher Categories, P-5
• Duty Station : NAIROBI
• Department/Office : Operations and Risk Management Unit
• Date Posted : Apr 1, 2026
• Deadline : Apr 15, 2026

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Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

This post is located in UNEP’s Operations and Risk Management Unit, Corporate Services Division at the Nairobi duty station. Under the supervision of the Deputy Director Corporate Services Division, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

A. Policy Development, Advisory Services, and Client Support

• Leads policy development and advises senior leadership on strategic management issues while ensuring coordinated, client-centric service delivery to UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs), other UNEP administered entities, with clear accountability mechanisms established.
• Executes the implementation and training to senior management on the updated Delegation of Authority frameworks that govern UNEP and UNEP administered MEAs in the areas of human resources, finance and budget, procurement, property management, legal instruments, partnerships and programme and project management.
• Advises senior leadership on strategy, risk management, and operational decision-making, ensuring alignment with delegated authorities and accountability frameworks.
• Oversees the development of dashboards, key performance indicators, and reporting tools that enhance transparency and accountability.
• Maintains regular high-level engagement with UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered MEAs, other UNEP administered entities to guide alignment with evolving UN Secretariat and UNEP administrative priorities, including authoritative support to Conferences of the Parties and subsidiary bodies.
• Leads efforts to strengthen knowledge management on administrative matters across UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered MEAs other UNEP administered entities .

B. Leadership and Integrated Operations Management

• Provides strategic leadership across administrative and operational functions, encompassing diverse areas of administration of Enterprise Risk and Audit Management, Facilities and Environmental Management, Asset Management, Travel, Archives and Records Management, driving efficient planning, execution, and strategic KPI establishment.
• Manages the roll out and training on Enterprise Risk Management to UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered MEAs, other UNEP administered entities
• Coordinates internal Board of Auditors (BOA) and external Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) audits, Joint Inspection Unit evaluations and reviews sanctioned by member states (e.g. MOPAN, DEFRA)
• Coordinates UNEPs response to the Statement of Internal Control
• Liaises with UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered MEAs, other UNEP administered entities , UNHQ, service providers and partners to support and ensure compliance with environmental, facilities, asset, archives and travel procedures and standards.
• Advises teams in streamlining policies and procedures, enhancing efficiency, and adopting best practices.

C. Coordination, Representation, and Partnership Building

• Coordinates with UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered MEAs, other UNEP administered entities , UNHQ, service providers and partners to ensure integrated service delivery.
• Strengthens collaboration across UN common systems, including in areas related to Common Back Offices, business operations strategies, and cross functional initiatives.
• Acts as a liaison with the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), New York and other UN entities on issues related to operations including identifying best practices in administration models.

D. Partnerships across UN system

• Strengthens partnerships across the UN system administration-related offices, represents UNEP in high-level forums including inter-agency collaboration mechanisms.
• Participates in inter-agency networks including travel, asset management, Enterprise Risk Management, Statement of Internal Control
• Provides inputs to reports and supports UNEP senior management at the High Level Committee on Management, ACABQ, Fifth Committee, Committee of Permanent Representative meetings
• Leads the preparation of policy briefs, analytical reports, strategic plans, and inputs for legislative bodies.
• Monitor compliance with UN rules and standards, ensuring robust internal controls and risk mitigation.

E. Change Management, Service level agreements, Process Improvement, and Organizational Development

• Streamlines Standard Operating Procedures across all administrative and programme pillars to ensure ease of effective monitoring, reporting, compliance,
• Champions change management initiatives to enhance efficiency and innovation.
• Overseas, designs, negotiates and manages corporate level service level agreements with Service Providers including UN entities, partners and vendors
• Guides change management initiatives that support simplification of administrative processes.
• Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and client satisfaction across UNEP Divisions, Regional Offices, Offices, UNEP administered MEAs, other UNEP administered entities
• Identifies capacity building needs and lead training/knowledge sharing efforts to enhance staff competencies.

F. Staff Management and Organizational Collaboration

• Manages and develops staff, promoting collaboration and a culture of continuous improvement across the Section
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision including evaluation of staff performance (PAS) and recruitment.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries.
• Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Ensures that staff can discover, access, integrate and share data needed to perform their duties.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the UN administrative field of work in general experience in the specific areas being supervised. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. 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.

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 PERFOMANCE: 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 or public administration, finance, accounting, law or other related areas is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Job – Specific Qualification

• Supplementary training and/or professional certification in project management, public administration and supply chain management is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in at least three of the following areas; general administration, facilities management, environmental management, contract management, archives management, travel, risk management, audit liaison, management of service providers is required Demonstrated progressive five (5) years of experience within the United Nations System or similar international organization in developing, implementing, and monitoring frameworks for the management of delegated administrative decision-making authority at the corporate-wide level, across multiple organizational entities is required.
• At least five (5) experience in providing strategic/corporate-wide authoritative advice to senior officials on the delegation of authority and related accountability mechanisms including issuance of guidance documents and standard operating procedures with clear Key Performance Indicators, in coordination with multiple stakeholders and client entities is required.
• Demonstrated Experience within the United Nations System or similar international organization in designing, negotiating, and managing corporate-level Service Level Agreements (SLAs), including defining service catalogues, performance indicators (KPIs), targets, and escalation and remedial mechanisms is required.
• At least five (5) years of demonstrated experience with drafting reports, presentations, with data analytics for the United Nations System or similar international organization legislative bodies review (i.e. ACABQ and Fifth Committee) is required.
• At least two years experience with coordination and/or supporting the implementation of objectives for multilateral and international mechanisms established by UN or other intergovernmental bodies or related field, is desirable.
• At least five (5) years’ experience in administrative management and in the use of administrative modules of SAP or other similar ERPs and data analytical tools is desirable.
• At least five (5) years’ experience in UN management reform and common services initiatives is desirable. Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required.
• The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III	UN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

A Senior Administrative Officer (P-5) at UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya, can expect an estimated annual net salary ranging between USD 154,773 and USD 193,966. 

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