Chief of Service (Chief, Specialized Desks), New York City

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located within the Common Administrative Platform (CAP) at the United Nations Headquarters, referred to as the One Executive Office (“One EO”), under the Division of Administration (DOA) in the Department of Operational Support (DOS). One EO started its transition phase on 1 January 2026 as part of the UN80 reform initiative, which aims to consolidate common administrative functions across Secretariat entities into unified service platforms. One EO provides a full range of administrative and operational services required by New York-based Secretariat client entities to fulfil 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. ResponsibilitiesWithin limits of delegated authority, the Chief of Service (Specialized desks) will oversee the management of the multi-entity staff administration operations and activities undertaken by Specialized Desks, ensure that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the CAP OneEO and others as appropriate. The role combines strategic coordination, operational leadership, policy interpretation, data-driven decision-making, and staff management, while ensuring full compliance with the Organization’s Regulatory Framework. • Leads, supervises and contributes to the work outputs of the Service (Specialized Desks) under their responsibility including Talent Sourcing, Staff Administration, Affiliated Personnel, Travel and General Operations. • Co-ordinates and oversees the full range of human resources and administration-related activities among Specialized Desks and sub-units, including recruitment, onboarding, disbursement of entitlements and contract management and separation of staff members. Ensures optimal collaboration and efficiency for cohesive service delivery to the client entities. • Reports to the Director of Administration, Department of Operational Support on programme performance and programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in annual reports. • Ensures that the outputs produced by the Service (Specialized desks) under their supervision maintain high-quality standards. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Specialized Desks comply with the relevant operational procedures. • Assists the Director of Administration in preparing the work programme of the Service (Specialized Desks), determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. Identifies potential management reviews of high sensitivity and complexity and directs the work of review teams through all stages. • Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Service (Specialized Desks), reports to and advises senior management on budget, financial, human resources and general administration issues and practices of the Specialized Desks. • Leads data collection and analysis efforts and to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, and reporting related to human resources. Produces complex reports for management related to human resources. • Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance. • Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under their supervision. • Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Specialized Desks, Client Desks of the CAP and across organizational boundaries. • Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars. • Participates in weekly Directors’ meetings to provide advice on administrative, financial and human resources and administrative, financial and human resources matters as required and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on issues such as implementation of the information management system, CRM etc. • Represents the Service (Specialized Desks) at Division of Administration meetings. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Ability to provide specialized advice in a broad range of human resources management, financial, and administrative areas, to the Head of Department/Office and managers. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations and prepare reports or rationale with respect to key administrative decisions. 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. Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards. Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules. Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable. 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 improvement; 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. Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion. Manages in a deliberate and predictable way. Operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda. Places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients. Gives proper credit to others. Follows through on agreed upon actions. Treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately. EducationAdvanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, human resources, law or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional yearsof qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA 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 is required. A minimum of five years of experience in leading a team delivering Human Resource (HR) services in a multicultural setting is required. A minimum of five years of experience providing authoritative HR advice to senior managers on the application and interpretation of staff rules, regulations, and HR policies is required. Experience in developing and implementing organizational reform and change management initiatives in multi-stakeholder environments is required. Experience supporting global and decentralized operations (e.g., regional and field/country offices or similar) is desirable. Experience in leading a team handling a high-volume of HR transactions is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult for details).