Project Support Officer

Support implementation of project activities related to transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking.

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UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

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Application deadline 1 month ago: Sunday 3 May 2026 at 00:00 UTC

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Overview

Support implementation of project activities related to transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking.

You have:

  • At least seven (7) years of professional work experience in the planning and implementation of project activities is required.
  • Experience in providing administrative support in programmes is required.
  • Experience in working with technical teams and national counterparts in the government is desirable.
  • Good oral and writing skills in drafting, formulation, and reporting are desirable.
  • Excellent command of the Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is desirable.
  • Experience in drafting project documents, including Terms of Reference (TORs), is desirable.
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work with minimum supervision and meet tight deadlines is desirable.
  • Strong computer skills and good knowledge of relevant software applications (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others) are desirable.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

This post is located in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA), in Nairobi, Kenya. The incumbent will work under the general guidance of the UNODC ROEA Representative and the direct supervision of the UNODC ROEA Head of the Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Prevention Programme.

As the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Trafficking in Persons Protocol) and Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (Smuggling of Migrants Protocol), UNODC is mandated to assist Member States to ratify or accede to, and implement the provisions of these instruments.

Within the framework of the UNODC Regional Programme for Eastern Africa and its sub-programme on Countering Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking, UNODC supports and assists Member States in the region to effectively prevent, suppress and prosecute these crimes, including through programme activities as part of the “Better Migration Management (BMM) programme Phase III” aimed at improving migration management in the region, and specifically at preventing and countering Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants within, and from the Horn of Africa. One of the key priorities for UNODC within the context of the BMM programme is to promote effective investigation and prosecution of these crimes with a victim-centred approach.

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Programme: Countering Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking, and Terrorism, and the day-to-day supervision of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officers, the National UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support implementation of activities, including administrative and logistical arrangements for workshops, meetings, conferences, and expert missions. • In connection with the project, perform general administrative tasks and prepare and process administrative documents (e.g., requisitions, purchase orders, travel requests, contracts, visa applications). • Monitor processes related to project outputs, activities, and tasks. • Maintain calendars/schedules, monitor changes, communicate relevant information appropriately, and maintain hard and soft copy files and databases. • Follow up procurement processes with the procurement department and provide regular updates to the project manager. • Support implementation of infrastructure development, asset management, and the digitization process of the project. • Perform other duties and responsibilities as necessary.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and external publications and actively participate in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day). • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. • Contribute articles and write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications, websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. • Promote or advise local groups on the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs

• As part of a team, support the substantive implementation of the Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking, and Terrorism Programmes in Eastern Africa. • Monitor, evaluate, and report on activities under the Programmes through the collection of data and the use of relevant tools and platforms. • Finalize and submit reports on infrastructure and asset management of the projects as per the laid down procedures of the United Nations (UN). • Effectively organize conferences and other events. • Impact the success of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) Programmes within specific areas of cooperation, in particular, the design, operation, and programming of activities, as well as the creation of strategic partnerships.

• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Building Trust • Client Orientation • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Planning and Organizing • Professionalism

• At least seven (7) years of professional work experience in the planning and implementation of project activities is required. • Experience in providing administrative support in programmes is required. • Experience in working with technical teams and national counterparts in the government is desirable. • Good oral and writing skills in drafting, formulation, and reporting are desirable. • Excellent command of the Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is desirable. • Experience in drafting project documents, including Terms of Reference (TORs) , is desirable. • Self-motivated with the ability to work with minimum supervision and meet tight deadlines is desirable. • Strong computer skills and good knowledge of relevant software applications (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others) are desirable.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita, estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP), is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services, and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel, mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN-HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse, and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment are modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.

The contract lasts for the period indicated above, with the possibility of extensions subject to the availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) per month and is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications, and other basic needs. The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$1,602. The VLA base rate is a global rate, while the PAM is country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis according to the cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations, irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website http://icsc.un.org.

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In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and also in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station. UNV provides life, health, and permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, and full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid a Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). A resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including the Code of Conduct, to the successful candidate.

Disclaimer The United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience in implementing project activities? The interviewer wants to assess your relevant experience and expertise in project management. Provide specific examples of projects you have managed, highlighting your role and the outcomes.
How do you handle tight deadlines and pressure? The focus is on your ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively. Pro members can see the explanation.
What administrative tasks have you performed in past roles? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Explain a situation where you had to work with a diverse team. What challenges did you face? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of a time you effectively communicated a complex idea? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe your proficiency with software applications relevant to this role. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you ensure accuracy and quality in your reports? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What motivates you to volunteer in a UN context? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 month ago - Updated 1 month ago - Source: unv.org