Portfolio Associate (Retainer)

Senior Programme & Policy

Overview

Support project administration and management activities.

You have:

• Completion of secondary education (High School diploma) with a minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience.
• First level university degree (Bachelor's degree) with a minimum of two (2) years of experience is desirable.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and Word or G-sheets and G-Docs is required.
• Fluency in written and oral English is required.

Contract

This is a LICA-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-6 contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

General Background

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

This is a position in UNOPS for supporting project(s) under the UN Technology Support Services. The Portfolio Associate is responsible for providing effective and efficient support in the areas of administration, project management, travel, and procurement to UN DSIP’s clients and projects. Overall, the incumbent will be expected to ensure that the project operations function in line with UNOPS rules and regulations, and its projects are delivered in accordance with their scope, quality requirements, timelines and budgets. The incumbent will report to the UN DSIP Project Manager.

The incumbent of this position will be a UNOPS personnel and is under its full responsibility.

Functional Responsibilities

The Portfolio Associate will undertake the following activities/responsibilities: 1) Project Management/Administration

● Ensure that implemented activities are aligned with approved project agreements in terms of technical scope, engagement of resources, budget expenditure and agreed timeframe; ● Provide inputs to the Project’s work, financial, recruitment and procurement plans as required; ● Contribute to development of Project’s reports and analysis related to project activities; ● Establish and maintain project documents/files for easy retrieval of archive related to Project’s activities; ● Contribute to identification, capturing, and assessment of risks/issues and implement mitigation measures in accordance with the Risk Management Strategy; ● Contribute to identification, capturing, and sharing of the Project’s lessons learned and best practices; ● Assist with administration and regular monitoring of all budgetary, financial, procurement and routine aspects of project delivery; 2) Finance

● Prepare and handle submission process of budget creation and revision in required formats and in compliance with UNOPS requirements for internal approval, monitoring of funds availability; run budget reports including transactions details and exceptions; Monitor expenditures, verification for accuracy of expenditure requests (COPs, invoices, TECs), completeness of documentation submitted; ● Monitoring of payments and follow up when problems arise; Review of Request for Payments and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, compliance with UNOPS FRRs and correctness of account code charges; ● Help to review financial information with the concerned team, identify bottlenecks and corrective actions; 3) Travel/Procurement/Grants/HR

● Provide support with event logistics/coordination related to conferences, workshops and retreats. This will include collecting information for the planning phase and execution of related tasks for all events; ● Help analyze administration, travel, procurement and policies, assess the impact of changes and help management with their implementation. Continuous research of the matters related to service provision and partner requirements; ● Carry out activities related to procurement for various thresholds; ● With guidance from the support services team and the Project Manager, contribute to development of documentation needed for procurements, travel, and engagement of consultants ● Support when required in travel activities and related processes including booking travel tickets, Travel Authorizations, Visas, Travel Expense Claims etc; ● Draft procurement awards, contracts, grant support agreements; ● Enter Certificate of Payments for retainers/lump sum contractors and validate monthly payrolls ● Liaise and resolve with relevant parties any payroll related issues. ● Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above. Monitoring and Progress Controls

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Portfolio Associate directly affects the overall efficiency of the individual team’s provision of support services, impacting the office’s capacity to efficiently and effectively service the operational needs of the portfolio. Timely and accountable delivery of services, ensures client satisfaction and promotes the image and credibility of the team and office as an effective service provider in project services and management. This enhances UNOPS’ competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services in the country/region served.

The Portfolio Associate is required to complete a performance evaluation review with the supervisor and also have periodic feedback meetings with the supervisor.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

*******FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY******

*****CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED NATIONS OR UNOPS EXPERIENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY****

Education ● Completion of secondary education (High School diploma) with a minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience is required; or ● First level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a minimum of two (2) years of experience is desirable; or ● Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) is desirable. Work Experience

● Relevant experience is considered experience in one or more of the following areas: operations, project management, programme management, administration. ● Proficiency in MS Excel and Word or G-sheets and G-Docs is required.

Language

● Fluency in written and oral English is required.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

1. Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA) Retainer - A retainer contract is issued for a period of time during which the services of the individual contractor are required intermittently. The individual contractor agreement on retainer basis will specify a “unit price” per day worked. For budgetary purposes, a monetary cap will be determined when the contract is awarded and issued. Please note that the retainer contract will not provide for a minimum, and payment will be made only after completion of work
2. Contract level: L-ICA 6,ICS 6
3. Contract duration: Until 31 December 2023, with possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance, availability of funds and necessity of services.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Work life harmonization UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background Information - Sustainable Development Cluster

New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

Based in New York, the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations.

The SDC’s services include grants management, development and special initiatives support, and technology support to the UN and UN agencies.

The SDC is part of the New York Service Cluster that supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as a broadening community of other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.unops.org