UNDP Jobs - 54723- Senior Project Assistant

Senior Project Assistant - (Open to Nepalese Nationals only)

Location :

Kathmandu, NEPAL

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

15-Jun-2015

Application Deadline :

05-Apr-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

Up to 31 December 2015

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Overall objective of the Livelihood Recovery for Peace (LRP) project is to improve the socio-economic empowerment of communities, enhancing social cohesion, and strengthening community level and district level local government and non-government institutions for supporting livelihood initiatives and local level peace building. The project targets mainly women, youth, conflict-affected, poor, and other socially excluded and disadvantaged communities and households. The project is implemented in all 271 VDCs of the three Tarai districts – Mahottari, Sarlahi and Rautahat.

In order to achieve the objective, the project is working on five main result areas: (i) communities are mobilized for improved social cohesion, local peace building, and livelihood choices for individuals, households and communities; (ii) new community infrastructures built and damaged and degraded ones rehabilitated to benefit the entire community and create employment; (iii) the poorest and most vulnerable individuals and households have improved assets for better livelihood; (iv) women’s Empowerment Enhanced and Gender Equality Promoted; and (v) capacities of VDC, municipality, district and national level key institutions strengthened to respond to communities’ livelihood recovery needs.

The project Management Unit (PMU) is located in Janakpur. Hence, there is a need for a support staff in Kathmandu to facilitate the administrative and financial processes related to procurement, recruitment, and logistics.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Project Assistant will report to the National Project Manager but will work closely with the Programme Officer at UNDP Country Office on a day-to-day basis to facilitate various administrative, financial, and project implementation related operational and logistical processes. More specifically, the Senior Project Assistant will be responsible for the following:

Support for project management and implementation:

Assist the National Project Manager (NPM) and the project team in the development of project work-plans;
Support the timely and effective implementation of HR and procurement plans by preparing all necessary documents as per UNDP rules and coordinating with the HR and Procurement units at UNDP;
Undertake quality assurance of project procurement i.e. technical bids, financial bids, proposals and contracts;
Provide support to resource mobilization by analyzing information on donors, preparation of donors’ profiles and their country strategy papers;
Support in gathering information on other donor-funded or UN agency projects that are potential partners for LRP,
Support the NPM to update various logs in Atlas and to keep the project dashboard updated,
Support in drafting internal and external correspondence especially related to procurement, recruitment, resource mobilization, partnership building, etc.;
Support in organizing workshops, seminars, trainings including arrangement for venue, logistics, transportation and documentation of events if they are organized in Kathmandu;
Arrange external and internal meetings for LRP in Kathmandu with government, non-government, academia, donors, NGOs, UN agencies and other potential partners and stakeholders, and maintain minutes of all project related meetings;
Provide logistical support in organizing the Project Board meeting organized in Kathmandu;
Ensure all project related materials are properly documented and easily accessible;
Maintain a filing system for LRP in Kathmandu.

Financial management support:

Assist in drafting Letter of Agreements, Memorandum of Understandings, Cost-sharing agreements, Contracts with implementing partners, and other such documents as per UNDP’s rules, regulations and formats;
Assist in managing the various contracts with implementing partners—government entities, NGOs, UN agencies, etc.
Provide training to implementing partners in UNDP’s rules and regulations related to financial management, audit, reporting, and project implementation;
Assist in budget revisions as and when required;
Assist in preparing quarterly financial reports and entering them into Atlas;
Provide support to monitor budget expenditures as per approved budget;
Assist in preparing for project audit and in responding to audit queries, UNDP CO and Government queries related to project budget, financial resources and expenditures.

Others:

Provide backup to project Administration and Finance Officer as and when required;
Assist Poverty and Inclusion Unit as needed;
Undertake other financial and administrative tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Work prioritization and ability to multitask;
Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy, confidentiality concerning financial and employee files;
Excellent interpersonal skills;
Shares knowledge and experience;
Positive, constructive attitude;
Ability to work and act under pressure with discretion in politically sensitive environment with a minimum of comfort;
Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view;
Ready to work independently, under tight deadlines.

Corporate competencies:

Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Ability to work in a multi-cultural team environment with a positive attitude;
Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Completion of Bachelor’s degree in management, finance, accounting, administration, or human resource management or any other relevant fields.

Experience:

At least 5 years of work experience in administration, finance and programme;
Experience working with multiple partners such as the Government, I/NGOs and UN agencies, etc.;
Knowledge of project planning, project finance, ATLAS and project management procedures that UNDP follows will be a strong asset;
Good understanding of the socio-economic, cultural and political contexts of project districts Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat is desireable;
Excellent knowledge of computer including Ms Office, spreadsheets.

Language:

Proficiency in both written and spoken English is a required.