Programme Management Assistant

This position is located in the Office of the Director, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development (OISC), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The Programme Management Assistant reports to the Economic Affairs Officer in the Officer of the Director. The Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development supports the work of the General Assembly, ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). 

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Programme Management Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provides assistance in support of planning and implementation activities/processes for, typically, a large and highly complex component of the departmental programme/project initiatives.
• Assists in the overall administration of the division, i.e. provides administrative support in managing priorities and work flow of the manager and of the work unit; coordinates and monitors multiple and diverse activities and work processes to ensure that management directives and decisions are properly carried out and products delivered in a timely manner.
• 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; propose 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 PB 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 multiple languages.
• Serves as focal point for coordination, monitoring and expedition of programme implementation activities, involving extensive liaison with a diverse organisational units to initiate requests, prepare standard terms of reference against programme objectives, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow-up on administrative actions and resolve issues related to programme 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.
• Screens and prioritizes all incoming correspondence, drafts correspondence and communications related to all aspects of programme administration, including work plan and budgets, revisions and other related issues, as well as prepares unit contributions for a variety of periodic reports; identifies issues requiring the manager’s attention and refers others to relevant officer for appropriate disposition; monitors and follows-up on actions to be taken.
• Provides guidance and training to new/junior staff.
• 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 using integrated information management systems, such as Umoja, to process travel requests and payments of various services/contracts, as well as access different modules of business operations is required. Experience in applying organization’s recruitment policies and procedures, and using integrated information management systems, such as Inspira, is required. Experience in bookkeeping and management of budget interim account records is desirable. Experience in supporting senior officials in a front office is desirable. Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

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

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/233026?language=en