Batch VA : Programme Assistant (GS-5), FT, Programme Group – Child Protection, Nairobi – Kenya (00124419, 00124420 & 00124422)

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.

Goal Area 3 of the 2022-2025 UNICEF Strategic Plan is aimed at ensuring that every child, including adolescents, is protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices. The UNICEF Headquarter Child Protection Programme Team supports this vision through the development of global partnerships, the establishment of public goods, and technical support to regional and country offices. It is guided by the Child Protection Strategy (2021-2030).

The Child Protection Programme Team is currently structured into six units: Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA), Prevention of Harmful Practices (PHP), Planning and Evidence Building (PEB), Child Protection Systems Strengthening (CPSS), ending Violence against Girls, Boys and Women (VAGBaW), and the anchored Migration and Displacement Hub (MDH).

As part of the HQ Efficiency Initiative (HQEI), key staff positions in Programme Group (PG) are to be posted in the Global Office in Nairobi, Kenya for which these Programme Assistants are being recruited to support both Nairobi-based as well as NY-based teams within the global Child Protection team.

For every child, an opportunity……

This is a batch recruitment for 3 GS-5 level posts to provide support to the following units in the Child Protection sections in Nairobi:

• Planning & Evidence (PEB) Unit and the Violence against Girls, Boys, and Women (VAGBaW) Unit (shared between one post)
• Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA) Unit
• Migration and Displacement Hub (MDH) Unit

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Advisor leading the assigned unit(s) or others as identified by the unit, the Programme Assistant (PA-GS5) provides support in a range of procedural, administrative, and operational tasks, to help develop, implement and monitor the functions of the unit (s), ensuring timely and effective delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations. During and also following the HQEI transition period, team members will be working across various time zones. Programme Assistants are expected to actively coordinate with their counterparts in the New York HQ office to ensure effective coverage and support for time-sensitive requests, ensuring smooth operations across different time zones.

How can you make a difference?

Budget Monitoring

• 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.
• Provides support on budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Carries out transactions in VISION pertaining to grants for his/her Unit such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring programme grants.

Office Planning & Project Management

• Ensures the availability of timely, complete and accurate information and data for preparing section work plans and project management plans.
• Monitors project implementation against established milestones and makes recommendations to improve performance.
• Helps ensure timely compliance with agreed deadlines.
• Prepares and maintains records pertaining to programme planning and development for his/her respective unit(s).
• Carries out transactions in VISION ensuring programme results, activities and programme coding are as per annual work plans (AWPs) and makes amendments and alterations as per unit revisions when necessary.

Procurement

• Guides managers in the process of PCA/SSAs in line with the policies and guidance issued by FRG, supply division and DHR.
• Supports with preparing and processing direct cash transfers to partners, review partnership agreement documents, and verify liquidations.
• 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 and making necessary logistical arrangements.
• Maintains up-to-date vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters.
• Collects invoices and filing documents for approval and thereafter processing in VISION and Service Gateway.

Communications & Workflow

• Facilitates the communications and workflow of the organizational unit to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of operations and outputs.
• Manages incoming and outgoing correspondence, e-mails and telephone calls.
• Communicates routine and some non-routine information pertaining to the work of the team.
• Establishes and maintains the section’s digital filing and reference systems (where relevant).

Events/Logistics

• Maintains section/unit calendar and arranges meetings. Takes minutes of meetings and keeps the correspondence of the team well organized.
• Supports capacity development activities and conferences by making the logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers and hosts.
• Arranges times through liaising with participants over availability.
• Liaises with budget focal points and section over costs and needs.
• Prepares background materials for participants.
• Supports administrative and protocol issues in consultation with the Global Office in Nairobi Operations team as part of staff onboarding and settling-in processes and where needed.

Travel & Attendance

• Provides travel assistance to staff members in section for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies. Liaises with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Briefs/de-briefs staff members on issues relating to related administrative matters such as visas, security clearance, and documentation procedures.
• Extracts, inputs, maintains, and verifies 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 on travel costs and maintain travel plan and budgetary control records.
• Monitors travel certification and report back to the team.
• Maintains and updates a system which monitors the absence of staff in the unit/for the CP section overall (the latter is relevant for the PEB team PA only)

Invoice Processing

• Responds to client transaction status and other inquiries.

 Supplies/Equipment

• Supports management of administrative supplies, office equipment, and updating 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.
• Arranges for the purchase and timely distribution of office supplies.

 Other

• Supports 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.
• Supports administrative and protocol issues in consultation with the Global Office in Nairobi Operations team as part of staff onboarding and settling-in processes and where needed.

 To qualify as a champion for every child, the candidate must have…

• Completion of secondary education in public administration, finance, international relations, political science, or another relevant technical field is required.
• A minimum of five years of administrative or clerical work experience is required.
• General Service Staff are recruited locally. Candidates must be in possession of an existing visa/work permit or be a resident/citizen of Kenya and/or a commuting area to be considered eligible for this position.
• Prior experience in programme support functions is an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to effectively manage the section’s material resources and monitor its budget.
• Experience using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other UNICEF software such as SharePoint.
• 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 SAP/ERP systems (VISION) will be an asset.
• Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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 including 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, 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 promoting 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.

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 may also be 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.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page.  If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

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