Org. Setting and Reporting

The position of Rations Assistant is located in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Naqoura, in the Life Support Section, under Service Delivery Management. The incumbent will report to the Rations Officer and/or to the Chief of Section/Unit.

Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Rations, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: Assist in the development, review, monitoring, assessment and management of outsourced services supporting specific mission-wide (and regional) operations under the purview of the Supply Section, including but not limited to canned, dry, fresh and frozen food rations, and catering. Participate to the work carried out in the Unit; Coordinate diverse projects in the Cell and in liaison with other services and entities as required; Prepare Statements of Work, requisitions and technical evaluations for the outsourced services managed by the Cell; Prepare inputs for the work programme of the Cell, determining priorities and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery; Plan and prepare cost estimates/budget implications, performance reports and long-term forecasts of Mission’s requirements for services; Review, prepare, defend food-related cases at the Local Committee on Contracts (LCC) and initiate action to fulfill and control these requirements; Ensure that accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are functioning and that all relevant records are maintained; Initiate and manage the necessary administrative control mechanisms to allow for proper review and auditing of services; Monitor and analyses contract performance to ensure compliance with contract terms, schedules and cost objectives; Resolve within the terms and conditions of the contracts, conflicts/problems arising in cases of poor performance or non-compliance with contractual obligations, document and refer to UNHQ cases of non-compliance or poor performance, as appropriate; Develop, review, evaluate and upgrade standard operating procedures for use by rations staff; Manage, guide, develop and train staff under his/her supervision. Define the roles and responsibilities of UN personnel administering the rations contracts; Liaise with Contingent and Mission military contract administration focal points; Perform other related work as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Demonstrated effectiveness in the field of quality assurance, plans, policies, procedures and programmes; ability to provide technical and procedural advice on a broad range of food service-related issues; good knowledge of UN financial rules; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of peace operations; ability to develop, maintain and supervise management control systems for services and claims. Planning and Organization: Demonstrated skills and ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given; effective organizational skills and ability to handle a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner. Client Orientation - Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement. Knowledge of quality assurance in food distribution operations, practices and rations management. Ability to interpret business rules in the specific supply area. Technological Awareness: Good computer skills, including ability to design and operate common database software, spreadsheet and project management applications and to define and extract management information for logistics support. Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; share credit for team accomplishments and accept joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent.

Job - Specific Qualification

Certification in FSSC 22000 / Food Safety Management System is required. A professional diploma or equivalent formal qualification in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is desirable. A professional training in food safety, food hygiene, food management or an internationally recognized food-safety management system is desirable.

Work Experience

At least six years of progressively responsible professional experience in project management, catering services, food/hygiene; experience and training in food management and technology is required. Experience in a military or peacekeeping environment is an asset and is desirable. Experience in providing services in support of or in a field operation of the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include informal interview, and or assessment exercise which maybe followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

This position is temporarily available for a period of 364 days, with the no possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

RATIONS ASSISTANT