Organization Mission

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading environmental authority in the United Nations system. UNEP uses its expertise to strengthen environmental standards and practices while helping implement environmental obligations at the country, regional and global levels. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Context

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP”s Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This post is located in the Caribbean Environment Programme, at the Kingston, Jamaica duty station.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct Supervision of the Administrative and Fund Management Officer, Caribbean Environment Programme, the UNV Administrative and Finance Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Human Resources Management
• Initiate, review, process and follow-up actions related to the administration of the secretariats human resource activities, e.g., recruitment of staff and consultants, placement, promotion, relocation, performance appraisal, job classification reviews, separation of staff members, training etc., ensuring consistency in the application of UN rules and procedures.
• Respond to enquiries and provide information and advice to staff regarding their entitlements, administrative procedures, processes and practices, conditions of service, duties and responsibilities, and entitlements under the Staff Rules and Regulations.
• Oversee the maintenance of vacancy announcement files and keep track of status of recruitments. Reviews and processes personnel actions as and when needed. Monitors staffing table and prepare relevant statistical data/charts.

Budget and Finance
• Assist in the preparation and review of financial and human resource proposals/requirements.
• Monitor expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary.
• Assiststhe Coordinator and the AFMO managers in the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions.
• Assist in preparation of budget performance submissions and finalization of budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.
• Prepare or customize financial reports from Umoja system generated reports.
• Coordinate with other finance and budget staff on related issues during preparation of budget reports.

General Administration
• Draft routine correspondence to respond to enquiries with respect to relevant administrative, financial audit, personnel matters.
• Keep up to date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme budgets, ensuring compliance with intergovernmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures.
• Provide administrative support to the coordinator and/or Administrative Fund Management Officer as required.
• Coordinate extensively with service units and liaises frequently with internal team members at , Cartagena Convention Secretariat, (CCS) and at UNEP Headquarters.
• Perform other related administrative duties, as required (e.g. operational travel programme, monitoring accounts and payment to vendors and individuals
• Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.

Contract Administration/Procurement
• Provide operational coordination and administrative services in Umoja, to support procurement projects and activities, following standard processes; raises requests for goods, services, and hiring of consultants/individual contractors.
• Review and prepare requirements and scope of work and specifications of goods and services and necessary documentations in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate with day-to-day administration of contracts between the UN and external contractors for goods and services.
• Maintain internal files and relevant documentations for procurement activities, including the use and updating of all relevant UN data platforms.
• Inspect and receive goods/services received against the purchase order, invoices provided by the contractor and perform asset management activities.
• Processes the payment of contractors” invoices and monitor payments upon satisfactory receipt and performance.
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part 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;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute with articles/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 in 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 an active UNEP CCS team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to the United Nations Environment Programme and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

Required Skills and Experience

5 years of progressive work experience in administration and finance; Programme or Project management; Procurement; Work experience with UNDP or other development agencies is an asset.
• At least one (1) year Experience in Environmental programmes
• At least one (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
• Experience in the United Nations system or other comparable international organization is desirable.
• Working experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), finance systems and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is desirable

Core Competencies

Competencies and values:
• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Teamwork and respect for diversity
• Commitment to continuous learning
• Planning and organizing
• Communication
Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance, and commitment towards UNEP’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values

Living Conditions

Jamaica offers excellent food and dining options from casual dining experiences to fine restaurants. Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island facing a natural harbour.
Prepare yourself for the high level of humidity, which can be tiring if you’re not used to it. The country is also located in the Atlantic hurricane belt, meaning that Jamaica is at risk of hurricanes from June to November every year, with the peak season from August to October.

Kingston is also the island”s main transportation hub and its largest seaport. Public transportation as well as private taxis are readily available and easily accessible at generally, low fares. One of the biggest problems in Jamaican society is the high crime rate and large-scale corruption throughout society. Drug trafficking, as well as the gang violence that accompanies it, is especially a cause for concern. Acts of violence are not limited to the poor parts of town or gang territory, but they could occur anywhere and are part of normal life in some areas, with home burglaries being especially common, even in affluent neighborhoods and gated communities. It is important to take certain precautions, like limiting the number of valuables, you carry to a minimum, being alert when walking at night or in certain neighborhoods, and of course, simply using your common sensibilities for living in an international city. Additionally, it is important to remember that although the use of marijuana is widespread and synonymous with Jamaican culture in the minds of many foreigners, it is still not fully legal in the country.

Specific UN Volunteer entitlements, including insurance coverage, Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), Expertise differential, Entry / Exit lump sums, among others, are available at: https://app.unv.org/cal-culator

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.