Programme Management Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The Division for Sustainable Development Goals acts as the Secretariat for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on providing substantive support and capacity building to the 17 SDGs and their related thematic issues, including water, energy, climate, ocean, urbanization, transport, science and technology, the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), partnerships and SIDS. For more information, please visit our website at https://sdgs.un.org. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch and will work in the Energy Team of the Branch and will support activities around the High-Level Dialogue on Energy and its follow-up.

Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the Chief of the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch and within limits of delegated authority, the Programme Management Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provides assistance in support of planning and implementation of activities/processes for programme/project initiatives of the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch, with a focus on the follow up to the SDG7 Global Stocktaking and related events.
• Researches, compiles, analyses, summarizes, and presents basic information/data on specific programmes/project and related topics.
• Assists in the coordination of programme/project planning and preparation; monitors status of programme/project proposals; takes necessary action to ensure project documents are completed and submitted to relevant parties for approval.
• Assists in the preparation and analysis of programme/project budget proposals; provides assistance in the interpretation of budget guidelines; reviews and coordinates submissions of programme proposals and budget estimates, ensuring that requisite information is included and justified in terms of proposed activities; proposes adjustments as necessary; prepares reports and ensures that outputs/services are properly categorized.
• Assists in the monitoring and evaluation of programmes/projects; categorizes, updates, tracks and analyses data related to programmes/projects, e.g. accounting records, outputs, resources utilized, deviations/revisions, etc.; carries out periodic status reviews, identifies issues and initiates requisite follow-up actions; prepares revised budget estimates; reports on budget revisions, expenditures and obligations, verifies availability of funds; ensures necessary approval and entry in computerized budget system; initiates financial authorizations for expenditures.
• Collaborates with programme/project managers on performance reporting; liaises with relevant parties on the interpretation of the activities/services scheduled in the programme budget and various planning instruments such as the medium-term plan and internal work plans; provides assistance on reporting requirements, guidelines, rules and procedures and ensures completeness and accuracy of data submitted.
• Drafts programme/project summaries, coordinates review and clearance process, and coordinates with editor, translation services, etc. on finalization and publication of report in multiple languages.
• Serves as focal point for coordination, monitoring and expedition of programme/project implementation activities, involving extensive liaison with various units in DSDG, DESA and the UN to initiate requests, prepare standard terms of reference against programme/project objectives, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow up on administrative actions and resolve issues related to project implementation, e.g. recruitment and appointment of personnel, travel arrangements, organisation of and participation in training/study tours, authorization of payments, disbursement of funds, procurement of equipment and services, etc.
• Prepares, maintains and updates files (electronic and paper) and internal databases; designs and generates a variety of periodic and ad hoc reports, statistical tables, graphic content, and other background materials/notes to facilitate inspection and other reviews.
• Drafts correspondence and communications related to all aspects of programme/project administration, including work plan and budgets, revisions and other related issues, as well as prepares unit contributions for a variety of periodic reports.
• Provides guidance and training to new/junior staff.
• Assists 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.
• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of experience in programme or project administration, technical cooperation or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to five years for candidates who possess a first-level University degree or higher. Experience in organizing international workshops and meetings is required. Experience in using integrated information management systems, such as Umoja, to process travel requests, purchase orders, recruitment of consultants/individual contracts is required. Experience with monitoring and evaluation systems for project performance is desirable. One or more years of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/239389?language=en