UNV UN Coordination Assistant

Type of Assignment	National UN Volunteer
Project Title	Support to the UN Country Team in Performance of the UN Mandate in Kenya
Duration	1 Year with possible extension
Location/Agency	UNDP Kenya Country Office/Nairobi, Kenya
Expected Starting Date	As soon as possible

Background:

The role of the United Nations in Kenya has become increasingly important, as both the Government of Kenya and its Development Partners consider the United Nations Country Team to be a key strategic partner and as playing a vital role in coordinating and channelling support to the country. The United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) is supporting the UN Country Team (UNCT) in these processes. Therefore, in order for the UNCT to successfully fulfil its mandate, increased capacity is needed. A strong, flexible and versatile support Office with strategic policy, advisory, planning and advocacy skills is required. Accordingly, this Office is working under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and providing a platform between the various functions of the UN Resident Coordinator.

Under the guidance of the Head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), the UNV UN Coordination Assistant contributes to the implementation of services in the RCO by managing data and providing support to United Nations Country Team activities. He/she promotes a client-oriented approach and provides support services to UN system operations, with a particular focus on operational issues. The UN Coordination Assistant works in close collaboration with the operations and programme teams of UN Agencies. He/she also works in close collaboration with government operational coordination officials as appropriate.

Description of Duties:

Under the direct supervision of the Head of RCO, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1.       Ensures effective support to joint UN programming and operations processes:

·         Gathering, managing and analysing information, using databases.

·         Supporting work planning and scheduling.

·         Providing secretariat support as needed to inter-agency groups and committees.

·         Drafting official correspondences.

2.       Ensures proper control and management of UNCT/RCO financial processes:

·           Monitoring, controlling and providing regular updates on RCO finances using Atlas as the financial platform in line with rules and regulations.

·           Ensuring payments are properly processes with supporting documents and in time.

·           Managing expenditures, including budget revisions.

·           Providing inputs to annual work plans and reports based in line with assigned areas of responsibility.

3.       Supports administrative and logistical activities of the UNCT/RCO, including event management:

·           Supporting the organisation of UNCT activities, including retreats, workshops and other major events.

·           Assisting in managing procurement for the RCO.

4.       Supports initiatives to improve the functioning of the RCO and wider coordination efforts:

·           Working closely with RCO staff in providing operations and logistics support to programming and communications efforts.

·           Providing support to effective advocacy of UN activities.

·           Liaising closely with UNDP Operations, in managing the RCO.

·           Facilitating the creation of a knowledge management environment including synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt on coordination for development and organization of seminars and workshops

5.       Supports the implementation of joint UN resource mobilization initiatives:

·           Collecting and presenting information on donors and maintenance of donor databases.

·           Assisting in the tracking and reporting on mobilized resources for UNDAF implementation.

·           Provision of technical and logistical support non-resident agencies.

6.       Performs any other duties in line with the assignment upon the request of the direct supervisor.

Qualifications/Requirements:

·         At least, University Degree in Economics, Business Administration, International Relations, Public Administration or related fields;

·         Master’s Degree is a strong advantage, but not a requirement;

·         At least, 3 years of progressively responsible administrative or programme experience is required at the national or international level;

·         Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;

·         Fluency in English;

·         Good knowledge of another UN language will be considered an asset;

·         Knowledge of the UN system is a strong asset;

·         Excellent communication and networking skills;

·         Experienced team-player.

Application Procedure:

A detailed Description of Assignment can be downloaded from the top righthand box of this page. Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by submitting their Curriculum Vitae (CV) marked UNV UN Coordination Assistantby e-mail to: unvkenya@undp.org. The title of the post (UNV UN Coordination Assistant) MUST appear in the subject line. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Deadline for applications: 16 May, 2013.

Please note that:

§  Application received after the closing date or through any other means will not be considered

§  Only those candidates that re short-listed for interviews will be notified

Closing date for application is 16 May, 2013.