Project Associate (NPSA6)

Senior

Overview

Manage financial and administrative aspects of the project effectively

You have:

• Completion of Secondary education is required.
• University degree (Bachelor's degree) in relevant fields will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement.
• Minimum 6 years of relevant experience with secondary education or 3 years with Bachelor's degree in administration, finance, and logistics areas.
• Experience working with government agencies would be considered a strong asset.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.).
• Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines, ethics and honesty.
• Working experience in UNDP-GEF projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in handling web-based management systems.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize.
• Basic gender concepts and gender issues in the country.

Contract

This is a NPSA-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education. More about NPSA-6 contracts.

Background

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.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The objective of this joint project of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNDP is to scale innovative integrated approaches to ecosystem restoration and conservation to catalyze transformational shifts in three high value landscapes in Uzbekistan.

The project is part of the GEF8 global Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program. The four components proposed by this project have been designed within available GEF and co-financing framework to address the corresponding drivers of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity decline, which are driven by multiple drivers of unsustainable land use practices. The project will deliver Global Environmental Benefits using a participatory approach that ensures promotion of women, youth and vulnerable groups and equitable participation opportunities.

This will result in the improved management of 1.3 million hectares of land across the West Tian Shan, Nuratau, and Kugitangtau landscapes. The targeted ecosystems are characterized as classic rural mosaic landscapes, with multiple types of HCVF, dry steppe rangelands, and smallholder agriculture. The project will implement integrated multi-stakeholder management mechanisms, and support innovative approaches such as the development of catalytic financial mechanisms to achieve restoration at scale.

The project addresses three target high value landscapes: the West Tian Shan, Nuratau, and Kugitangtau, which each encompass approximately 400,000-500,000 ha, for a total project area of approximately 1.5 million. The three landscapes are within the Mountains of Central Asia biodiversity hotspot, and are composed of clusters of Key Biodiversity Areas. Project sites encompass three high value mountain / foothill landscapes: including 10 KBAs (881,000 ha), and 6 national level PAs (142,278 ha), as well as several other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) that could be recognized.

Project components:

Component 1. Enabling conditions created for increased ecosystem restoration through informed and inclusive policy, planning instruments, incentives, and structures

Component 2: Innovations in ecosystem restoration resulting in transformation impacts that generate global environmental benefits and livelihoods

Component 3: Leveraged and sustainable financing to promote and scale-up ecosystem restoration and global environmental benefits

Component 4: Knowledge Management and Linkages to the Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program

Duties and Responsibilities

Project Associate will be responsible for the overall financial management of the project. Project Associate will report directly to the Project Specialist. Generally, the Project Associate will be responsible for supporting the Project in meeting government obligations, under the national implementation modality (NIM).

Overall tasks:

• Monitor project budgets and financial expenditures;
• Assist in all procurement, overseeing office logistics, travel arrangements, and manage recruitment, extension, and separation processes for project personnel.
• Advise all project counterparts on applicable financial procedures and ensures their proper implementation;
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of progress and financial reports;
• Support the preparations of project work-plans, budgets and operational and financial planning processes;
• Assist in the preparation of payments requests for operational expenses, salaries, insurance, etc. against project budgets and work plans;
• Work closely with financial counterparts in the UNDP CO on payment requests;
• Follow-up on timely disbursements by the UNDP CO;
• Maintain data on co-financing commitments to the project;
• Coordinate the annual financial audit of the project;
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of progress reports;
• Maintain project correspondence and communication;
• Receive, screen and distribute correspondence and attach necessary background information;
• Assist in logistical organization of meetings, training and workshops;
• Prepare agendas and arrange field visits, appointments and meetings both internal and external related to the project activities and write minutes from the meetings;
• Handle customs formalities for incoming goods, including placing cargos in customs regimen, preparing clearance documents, and coordinating with relevant state bodies.
• Handle customs formalities for incoming goods, including placing cargos in customs regimen, preparing clearance documents, and coordinating with relevant state bodies.
• Ensure timely clearance and transfer of all imported items, drafting Asset Transfer forms and maintaining records.
• Prepare all financial and administrative documents related to the project implementation in accordance with the UNDP rules and procedures.
• Maintain accurate financial and administrative documents for project activities per UNDP guidelines, including expenditures, commitments, and shadow budgets.
• Advise project personnel, experts, and consultants on payments, allowances, travel claims, and other administrative-financial matters.
• Promote awareness and gender equality among project staff and partners.

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

  4. Institutional Arrangement

Project Associate will take on other duties assigned by the Project Analyst that have direct relevance to the project.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination .

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction & Strategy: Business Acumen

• Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.

Finance: Budget Management

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

Procurement: Contract Management-governance

• Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

  Required Skills and Experience

  Education:

• Completion of Secondary education is required.

• University degree (Bachelor`s degree) in any of the following areas: Finance, Economics, Business administration, Management, Logistics and other relevant fields will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years’ (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in administration, finance and logistics areas. Experience working with government agencies would be considered a strong asset.

Required skills

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.
• Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines, ethics and honesty.

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Working experience in UNDP-GEF projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in handling web-based management systems.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and ability to prioritize.
• Basic gender concepts and gender issues in the country, etc.

Other: Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org