Chief of Service (Specialized Desks)

Job Posting Organization:
The position is located within the Common Administrative Platform (CAP) at the United Nations Headquarters, specifically under the Division of Administration (DOA) in the Department of Operational Support (DOS). The One Executive Office (One EO) began its transition phase on January 1, 2026, as part of the UN80 reform initiative, which aims to consolidate common administrative functions across Secretariat entities into unified service platforms. The organization provides a comprehensive range of administrative and operational services required by New York-based Secretariat client entities to fulfill their mandates, including human resources management, financial administration, travel, and general administrative support. The Chief of Service (Specialized Desks) reports to the Director of Administration, DOS.

Job Overview:
The Chief of Service (Specialized Desks) is responsible for overseeing the management of multi-entity staff administration operations and activities undertaken by Specialized Desks. This role requires ensuring that programmed activities are executed in a timely manner while coordinating work across various areas within the CAP OneEO and other relevant departments. The position combines strategic coordination, operational leadership, policy interpretation, data-driven decision-making, and staff management, all while ensuring compliance with the Organization’s Regulatory Framework. The Chief will lead, supervise, and contribute to the outputs of the Service (Specialized Desks), which includes Talent Sourcing, Staff Administration, Affiliated Personnel, Travel, and General Operations. The Chief will also coordinate human resources and administration-related activities among Specialized Desks and sub-units, ensuring optimal collaboration and efficiency for cohesive service delivery to client entities.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Chief of Service (Specialized Desks) will have a wide range of responsibilities, including: leading and supervising the work outputs of the Service (Specialized Desks), ensuring high-quality standards are maintained; coordinating human resources and administration-related activities, including recruitment, onboarding, disbursement of entitlements, contract management, and staff separation; reporting to the Director of Administration on program performance and substantive issues; preparing the work programme of the Service, determining priorities, and allocating resources; overseeing programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Service; leading data collection and analysis efforts to identify trends for data-driven planning; managing, guiding, developing, and training staff; fostering teamwork and communication among staff; organizing meetings and seminars; participating in Directors’ meetings to provide advice on administrative matters; and representing the Service at Division of Administration meetings.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in staff administration, including recruitment and management of benefits and entitlements in a complex organization with multi-stakeholder environments. Additionally, a minimum of five years of experience in leading a team delivering Human Resource (HR) services in a multicultural setting is required. Candidates must also have at least five years of experience providing authoritative HR advice to senior managers on the application and interpretation of staff rules, regulations, and HR policies. Experience in developing and implementing organizational reform and change management initiatives in multi-stakeholder environments is also required, along with experience supporting global and decentralized operations, which is desirable.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, human resources, law, or a related area is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in staff administration, including recruitment and management of benefits and entitlements in a complex organization with multi-stakeholder environments. Additionally, candidates should have at least five years of experience leading a team delivering HR services in a multicultural setting and five years of experience providing authoritative HR advice to senior managers.

Languages:
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, proficiency in English is required, while proficiency in French is desirable. The minimum required level for English is UN Level III for reading, writing, listening, and speaking, while French is at UN Level II for the same skills.

Additional Notes:
The appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. Staff members appointed to this position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment and annually thereafter. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants from unrepresented or under-represented Member States are also encouraged to apply. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.