Operations Associate People & Culture and Admin), (GS-6), Astana

Under the supervision and guidance of the supervisor, the Operations Associate provides a broad range of procedural, administrative, and specialized operational support across functions such as administration, finance and budget, people and culture, supply and procurement, and information and communications technology (ICT). The role requires in-depth knowledge of UNICEF procedures, processes, and policies to ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of services, accurate application of rules and regulations, and effective coordination with internal and external partners.

1. Administration - To provide administrative, logistical, and coordination support to ensure efficient operations and effective delivery of section outputs.

• Maintain office filing and reference systems (physical and digital), ensuring accuracy and timely updates of intranet and internet content.
• Provide timely, accurate information for the preparation of section work plans and project management plans.
• Coordinate office communications and workflows to enhance efficiency, including maintaining the office calendar, arranging meetings, and taking accurate, well-structured minutes.
• Organize logistics for events and conferences, liaising with facilitators, participants, and service providers on venue, agenda, budget, transport, and communication.
• Arrange staff travel in compliance with UNICEF policies, securing best service and cost, and providing guidance on visas, security clearance, and documentation.
• Maintain accurate travel records in UNICEF systems, verify data correctness, and follow up on travel certifications and closure of commitments.
• Assist in budget preparation, monitor utilization, and maintain budget control records.
• Monitor project implementation against milestones and recommend improvements.
• Serve as focal point for verifying completeness and accuracy of monitoring and evaluation data reports.

2. Finance & budget - To provide financial management and budget monitoring support, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules, accuracy in records, and timely reporting.

• Prepare regular and ad-hoc financial and budget reports by compiling and reviewing data, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and compliance for inclusion in statements of accounts and budget adjustments. Resolving discrepancies in coordination with relevant units.
• Maintain financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile daily transactions, balances, payments, and statements
• Support year-end closure processes, including preparation of reports on accounts receivable/payable, prepayments, deposits, non-expandable properties and leave balances, ensuring adherence to deadlines.
• Monitor budgets and expenditures, providing analysis and recommendations for decision making and/or corrective action.
• Assist in budget planning and revisions, tracking funding utilization, and monitoring operational and financial closure.
• Process grant and budget transactions in VISION, including registering allotments and tracking expiries, ensuring documentation is complete and audit-ready.
• Collect, verify, and process invoices through UNICEF systems, responding to client inquiries on transaction status as needed.

3. People and Culture - To provide administrative, procedural, and project coordination support across the People and Culture function, ensuring effective delivery of HR processes, data management, and staff engagement activities in line with UNICEF’s values and policies.

• Support strategic HR initiatives by coordinating project timelines, preparing materials, maintaining organizational charts, and ensuring confidentiality of staff data.
• Assist in workforce planning, recruitment, and resourcing processes, ensuring diversity and inclusion objectives are met.
• Monitor performance appraisal completion, support onboarding and learning activities, and maintain related records and reports.
• Coordinate with internal teams, GSSC, and other offices to facilitate workflows, document meetings, and follow up on agreed actions.
• Maintain and update knowledge People and Culture tools, digital platforms, and knowledge repositories for successful implementation and utilization.
• Collect, update, and analyze HR data for reports and dashboards, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely submission and suggesting improvements where applicable.
• Partner and support the office on people management initiatives such as staff engagement, organizational culture, and wellbeing, including implementation of best practices on flexible work arrangements and inclusive workplace activities.
• Respond to staff queries on People and Culture policies and procedures, escalating complex cases as necessary.

IV. Impact of Results

Administration

Operations Associates maintain internal and external contacts with counterparts in international organizations, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and national governments to organize meetings, workshops, and conferences, and facilitate effective communications within UNICEF at senior levels and with governing body representatives.

People and Culture

In People and Culture, the Operations Associate contributes to the smooth delivery of HR processes including recruitment, onboarding, performance management tracking, learning coordination, and staff engagement activities, ensuring compliance with policies, confidentiality of staff data, and promotion of diversity and inclusion principles

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work.
Work Experience: At least six [6] years of relevant work experience in administrative support, financial and budget management, and human resources operations is required.
Skills
Work experience, including practical experience in Human Resources with the application of general HR polices, processes and systems is required
Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Kazakh, Russian is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

Advertised: 26 Jan 2026 Central Asia Standard Time
Deadline: 02 Feb 2026 Central Asia Standard Time