Programme Assistant, GS5, Boa Vista, Brazil

Contract

This is a G-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-5 contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a hero

UNICEF has been responding to the Venezuelan migration crisis since 2018, with the opening of a dedicated field office in Boa Vista, Roraima, working alongside the federal government, UN agencies and partners to support local authorities to address the needs of children and adolescents on the move. UNICEF has been providing quality education, child protection, health, nutrition, and WASH services to Venezuelan migrants in Boa Vista and Pacaraima. Venezuelan refugees and migrants were severely affected by the current COVID crisis. Many refugees and migrants across the country lost their livelihoods, struggling to meet their most basic needs, including shelter and food. The COVID pandemic resulted in a reported increase in domestic violence and violence against children. UNICEF has adapted its humanitarian programming to ensure safe operations in the COVID-19 outbreak, while supporting COVID-19 prevention, detection, and response. UNICEF also works alongside municipal, state, and federal authorities to better integrate indigenous migrants and refugees’ rights into public policies.

In addition to Indigenous from Venezuela, UNICEF has launched programs aiming to protect Indigenous from Brazil and traditional populations from immediate threats: land invasion and the impacts of mining; pollution of waters, lakes, rivers and streams; deforestation; environmental degradation; increase in vector-borne diseases rates; increase in violence of various kinds, deaths, including of children, sexual abuse against children and women; enticement of indigenous people by criminal factions; increase in the illegal trade of alcohol and other drugs.

How can you make a difference?

Under the close supervision and guidance of the Chief Field Office, the programme assistant supports Boa Vista’s office by carrying out a range of procedural, administrative, and operational tasks, to help develop, implement, and monitor UNICEF programmes in Roraima, ensuring timely and effective delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Support to programme development, planning, and execution:

• Preparing and maintaining records, documents, and control plans for the monitoring of project/programme implementation and financial transactions and expenditures. This will include liaising with implementing partners, providing support for the programatic visits, and reporting of funds utilization.
• Preparing and maintaining records pertaining to programme planning, and development for all programs and sections.
• Carrying out transactions in SAP (Vision) ensuring programme results, activities and programme coding are as per annual work plans (AWPs) and making amendments and alterations as per section revisions when necessary.
• Supporting capacity development activities, meetings, and conferences by making the logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers and hosts; arranging times through liaising with participants over availability; liaising with budget focal points and section over costs and needs; and preparing background materials for participants.
• Following up both internally with the Supply section and externally with counterparts to ensure supplies for programme implementation are delivered in a timely and accurate manner.

Support to monitoring and reporting of programme results:

• Provides support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Monitors budgets and financial expenditures of section, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Prepares and maintains records, documents, and control plans for the monitoring of project/programme implementation.

Support in resource mobilization:

• Compiles and organizes information and data pertaining to donors (both current and potential).
• Compiles and organizes data and information to assist in the preparation of periodic or ad-hoc financial reports relating to country office and donors to support the office in optimizing use of programme funds.
• Carries out transactions in SAP (Vision) pertaining to grants for his/her section such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.

Support in knowledge management and capacity building

• Gathers and shares information as needed in support of improving the processes and daily operations of the section.
• Supports capacity development activities related to performance monitoring, programme development, and related internal UNICEF systems/tools by drafting necessary correspondence, compiling data reports, and maintaining relevant records.

Support in administrative management of the office

• Facilitating the processing of contracts for consultants, vendors and external partners that support the office in programme delivery. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing necessary forms and templates, uploading Terms of Reference (TORs) in the system, and making necessary logistical arrangements, including assessing market opportunities for local procurement of supplies, liaising, and following up on all procurement related matters with Brasilia supply team.
• Keeps vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters up to date.
• Collecting invoices and filing documents for approval and thereafter processing in UNICEF systems.
• Support the management of administrative supplies and office equipment.
• Maintaining office calendar and provides support in making the necessary logistical arrangements for meetings. Taking minutes of meetings and keeping the correspondence of the team well organized.
• Providing travel assistance to staff members in section for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies. Liaising with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Maintaining hard and electronic files and update data base systems ensuring timely and appropriate recording, safekeeping, and disposal of confidential information. Maintaining and updating a system which monitors the absence of staff.
• Act as custodian of petty cash and supports the monitoring of the utilization of all financial input requisitions, reporting to the supervisor for necessary adjustments (over-utilization, shortage of funds, etc.)

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the work of the organization.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience is required. Experience with UNICEF or a UN agency a strong asset.
• Fluency in Portuguese and English. Knowledge of Spanish is considered an asset.

Other Skills:

• Strong organizational, planning, and prioritizing skills and abilities.
• High sense of confidentiality, initiative, and good judgment.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Training and experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Other UNICEF software such as SharePoint is considered an asset.
• Strong office management skills.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability;

Competencies:

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

View our competency framework at:

https://www.unicef.org/careers/media/1041/file/UNICEF%27s_Competency_Framework.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious and ethnic backgrounds, representing the diversity of Brazil, such as black and indigenous people, to apply to become a part of our organization. Candidates will be equally considered regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social and HIV/aids status.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Candidates must be Brazilian citizens or have a valid work permit.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

All candidates who wish to apply to this Vacancy Announcement are requested to prepare and submit their application in English.