Programme Associate (GS-6), Programme Group - Health (ACT/COVAX), New York (Temporary Appointment 364days)

Contract

This is a G-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about G-6 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.

The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) was launched in April 2020 with the aim of accelerating development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. The ACT-A collaboration brought together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, philanthropists, and global health organizations, including UNICEF to respond to the global pandemic. In 2023, ACT-A, and the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, will transition to support the effective integration of COVID-19 tools into primary health care/routine immunization, focusing on strengthening systems and targeting zero-dose communities; and ensuring support to UNICEF’s work in public health emergency preparedness and response.

UNICEF’s ACT-A/COVAX coordination team sits within the Health Section, Programme Division at UNICEF Headquarters, New York. This Temporary Appointment-Programme Associate (G6) will provide administrative and operational support to the ACT-A/COVAX coordination team.

For every child, a good health….

Under the supervision and guidance of the Senior Adviser, Health, the Programme Associate is responsible for executing a broad variety of procedural, administrative, and operational tasks within the ACT-A COVAX team, requiring a thorough knowledge of UNICEF administrative procedures, processes, and policies.

In this capacity, the Programme Associate will help develop, implement, and monitor UNICEF’s contribution to the ACT-A initiative, and also facilitate close work with the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership and the Office of the Director of Health Programmes, ensuring timely and effective delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations.

How can you make a difference?

Preparation and tracking of budgets, grants, and financial management

• Monitors budgets and financial expenditures of ACT-A/COVAX unit and selected multi-country grants raised against the 2022 ACT-A HAC appeal rolling over to 2023, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Provides support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Prepares and maintains records, documents, and control plans for the budget monitoring of project/programme implementation.
• Ensures the availability of timely, complete, and accurate information and data for preparing unit work plans and project management plans.
• Supports the setting up of systems, including spreadsheets and financial cubes, to track and monitor the implementation of multiple grants and to support quality reporting.
• Carries out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants for ACT-A/COVAX unit such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.
• Carry out transactions in VISION ensuring programme results, activities, and programme coding are as per annual work plans (AWPs) and make amendments and alterations as necessary.
• Responsible for collecting invoices and filing documents for approval and, thereafter processing in VISION. Uploads electronic files and verifies results to the destination system.
• Acts as focal point in the review of the completeness of data reports with key monitoring and evaluation information.

Support to information and knowledge management

• Maintains financial records and monitoring systems to record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, statements, and other data for day-to-day transactions and reports
• Provides support to manage web-based content management systems, SharePoint sites, electronic resources, etc. Supports the collation of inputs and information.
• Establishes, maintains, and updates filing systems to conform to changing work requirements and priorities, utilizing the latest automated, technology and systems available.
• Supports capacity development activities related to performance monitoring, programme development, and related internal UNICEF systems/tools by supporting the preparation of training materials.

Logistics and operational support

• Maintains team calendar and arranges meetings as required
• Takes minutes of meetings and keeps the correspondence of the team well organized (electronically)
• Supports virtual meetings and other events by making logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, hosts, and vendors as required. Arranges times by liaising with participants over availability.
• Liaises with budget focal points and sections over costs and needs.
• Prepares background materials for participants and manages related information.

• Prepares and maintains agendas on meetings and events related to the work group commitments.

  Travel

• Provides travel assistance to staff in the section for travel arrangements and entitlements (including HR-related travel) based on the organization’s rules and policies.

• Extracts, inputs, maintains, and verifies the correctness of travel records in the organization’s travel system to ensure accurate transactions related to travel costs and staff travel
• Assists in the preparation of budgets for travel costs and maintain travel plan and budgetary control records

Supplies/Equipment

• Supports management of administrative supplies, and office equipment, updating the inventory of items.
• Monitors and supervises adequate and appropriate use of supplies.
• Ensures that services and maintenance of premises are in accordance with organizational standards.

• Arrange for the purchase and timely distribution of office supplies.

  Procurement

• Facilitates the processing of contracts for consultants and external partners that provide a service to the section. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing necessary forms and templates, uploading TOR in VISION, and making necessary logistical arrangements.

• Keeps vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters up to date.

  Attendance

• Maintains and updates a system that monitors the absence of staff.

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

• Completion of secondary education, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the work of the organization is required.

• A minimum of 6 (six) years of relevant administrative or clerical work experience with experience in budget and financial planning, monitoring, and management is required.
• Non-US candidates must be in possession of an existing US G4 visa or be a US permanent resident/citizen.

IT Skills

• Advanced computer literacy and the ability to effectively use standard office software tools (MS Office, Enterprise database) and other office technology to create documentation, exchange and archive e-mail, and maintain electronic filing systems.
• Proficiency in using UNICEF SAP/ERP systems (VISION) is desirable.
• Excellent communication skills, multitasking, and result driven as well as the ability to manage competing priorities, are required.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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