Background

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development network, promoting its global authority and thought leadership on sustainable development and the interconnected issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change. BERA leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission.

Creating strong political and financial backing for UNDP by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and flagship services relate to them. The Bureau leads UNDP’s work on innovative and diversified partnerships and ways of financing the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also responsible for global campaigns on critical development issues, which aim to inform government policies and build partnerships around high-impact solutions. BERA coordinates and sets corporate standards across the functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP and leads on internal communications.

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy is positioned around three service lines; Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners, all working in close collaboration and coordination under the guidance of the Directorate and with the support of the Management Support Unit and Strategic Analysis and Engagement team.

BERA has a robust network of Representation Offices (Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and Washington D.C.) and Regional Teams in five hubs (Africa, Arab States, Asia Pacific, Europe and CIS, and Latin American and the Caribbean) co-led with Regional Bureaux, all of which play a critical role in audience centric communications and management and strengthening of relationships with Public and Private Partners to help build a strong brand for UNDP within the local ecosystem.

 Within BERA, the Advocacy, Marketing and Communications Group leads and manages external communications through strategy, media, digital communications, marketing, branding and global storytelling. The Brand and Marketing Team in the Communications Group manages UNDP’s brand, and creates marketing products and resources to promote UNDP and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that messages resonate and gather support from audiences that span from government decision-makers to the general public. It manages the Marketing Services Hub which operates as UNDP’s in-house agency, managing a roster of external experts to produce marketing communications projects for teams and leverage the expertise of the Brand and Marketing team to provide high-quality communication services aligned with the UNDP brand, tone and visual guidelines. The team also manages the online UNDP Shop, a fast-growing initiative that empowers people around the world to promote the SDGs.

Project Description 

The Communications Group is part of the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) UNDP. Under the supervision of the Manager of Brand and Marketing, The UNDP Shop  General Assistant will help fulfil orders, help manage inventory, propose initiatives to increase sales and identify and propose ideas for new and innovative products, respond to customer queries, process returns, among other tasks related to day-to-day shop operations. He/She will also create and execute an outreach plan to digital influencers and potential customers to promote the shop, SDGs and UNDP, and drive sales

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development network, promoting its global authority and thought leadership on sustainable development and the interconnected issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change. BERA leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission.

Creating strong political and financial backing for UNDP by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and flagship services relate to them. The Bureau leads UNDP’s work on innovative and diversified partnerships and ways of financing the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also responsible for global campaigns on critical development issues, which aim to inform government policies and build partnerships around high-impact solutions. BERA coordinates and sets corporate standards across the functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP and leads on internal communications.

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy is positioned around three service lines; Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners, all working in close collaboration and coordination under the guidance of the Directorate and with the support of the Management Support Unit and Strategic Analysis and Engagement team.

BERA has a robust network of Representation Offices (Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and Washington D.C.) and Regional Teams in five hubs (Africa, Arab States, Asia Pacific, Europe and CIS, and Latin American and the Caribbean) co-led with Regional Bureaux, all of which play a critical role in audience centric communications and management and strengthening of relationships with Public and Private Partners to help build a strong brand for UNDP within the local ecosystem.

         Within BERA, the Advocacy, Marketing and Communications Group leads and manages external communications through strategy, media, digital communications, marketing, branding and global storytelling. The Brand and Marketing Team in the Communications Group manages UNDP’s brand, and creates marketing products and resources to promote UNDP and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that messages resonate and gather support from audiences that span from government decision-makers to the general public. It manages the Marketing Services Hub which operates as UNDP’s in-house agency, managing a roster of external experts to produce marketing communications projects for teams and leverage the expertise of the Brand and Marketing team to provide high-quality communication services aligned with the UNDP brand, tone and visual guidelines. The team also manages the online UNDP Shop, a fast-growing initiative that empowers people around the world to promote the SDGs.

 

Project Description 

The Communications Group is part of the Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) UNDP. Under the supervision of the Manager of Brand and Marketing, The UNDP Online Store Assistant will help fulfil orders, help manage inventory, respond to customer queries, process returns, among other tasks related to day-to-day shop operations.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Team Leader of the Brand and Marketing Team, the Shop General Assistant will:

 Daily Basis

  • Fulfill orders received through the online platform including preparing shipment packages
  • Propose improvements to the order fulfilment process;
  • Respond to user queries and manage customer relationships;
  • Process returns and follow up with customers;
  • Perform data analysis to identify issues and growth opportunities;
  • Manage stock/inventory and maintain stock room;
  • Support Operations Lead with projects

?Institutional Arrangement

  • The UNDP Shop General Assistant will report to the Team Leader of the Brand and Marketing Team and work closely with the UNDP Shop Operations Consultant. Travel to the UNDP HQ in New York is the responsibility of the consultant.
  • Flexible schedule – 3 working days per week or estimated 21 hours/week (flexible arrangement as needed) 

Competencies

Required Skills and  Competencies

  • Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work
  • Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
  • Delivery: Ability to get things done
  • Knowledge Management: Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge
  • Relationship Management: Ability to engage with other parties and forge productive working relationships

Desired Skils and Competencies:

  • Experience with customer service is desired;
  • Familiarility with using e-commerce platform/Shopify is considered an asset;
  • Attention to details;      
  • Ability to move/lift heavy boxes (maximum 50 lbs);
  • Ability to communicate the value of a product or service;
  • Ability to research innovative products.
  • Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission marketing;

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

  • High School Diploma is required; Associate or Bachelors degree is preferred.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • One (1) Year of retail experience or related field i.e., shipping is desired
  • Experience with e-commerce, customer service and/or marketing desired

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Fluency in written and spoken English. Working Knowledge of French or Spanish will be considered an asset

Evaluation Criteria: Technical evaluation - Total 100 points:

 

  • Criteria 1- Sales experience (Maximum points: 20)
  • Criteria 2- Experience with e-commerce and customer service (Maximum Points: 20)
  • Criteria 3 - Working knowledge of Microsoft Office skills (Maximum: 20)
  • Criteria 4 – Interview  (Maximum points: 40)

7.             Travel: 

a) Travel is not envisaged for this consultancy.  Consultant is responsible for their travel to/fro office.

8.       The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

  1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
  2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

9.            Annexes to TOR