UNON: Coordination Officer – Nairobi

Organization Mission

The United Nations Office at Nairobi, the UN headquarters in Africa, was established by the General Assembly in 1996. The office is headed by a Director-General, at the Under-Secretary-General level, serves as the representative office of the Secretary-General in Nairobi and performs representation and liaison functions with permanent missions, the host-country and other Governments, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in Nairobi, as well as other organizations of the United Nations system in Kenya.

Context

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the only UN headquarter office in Africa and the global south and serves as the representative office of the UN Secretary-General in Kenya. UNON provides administrative and other support services to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Resident Coordination System (RCS) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) globally in 166 countries. UNON also provides joint and common services to other organizations of the UN System in Kenya. Home to diverse fauna and flora in a rich environmental ecosystem, UNON sits on 140-acres of land, the largest of any UN compound in the world.

This UN Volunteer is Director General’s Office, United Nations Office at Nairobi’s Office.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Staff, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following duties:

• Assists the Chief of Staff in the day-to-day management of priorities and activities, providing administrative, coordination, operational, and substantive support.
• Conducts research and prepares background notes, briefing materials, talking points, presentations, correspondence, meeting summaries, and reports on a range of institutional, administrative, operational, and strategic issues.
• Monitors and follows up on decisions, directives, and action points issued by the Chief of Staff, liaising with relevant departments, offices, and stakeholders to ensure timely implementation and reporting.
• Supports the coordination of information flows to and from the Chief of Staff, ensuring that requests, correspondence, and assignments are tracked, monitored, and actioned appropriately.
• Assists in the preparation and coordination of meetings, including drafting agendas, preparing briefing materials, recording key outcomes, and monitoring follow-up actions.
• Maintains regular communication with internal and external interlocutors and serves as a focal point for coordination on issues requiring the attention of the Chief of Staff.
• Supports administrative and organizational processes, including monitoring deadlines, maintaining tracking systems, and contributing to the efficient management of workflows and priorities.
• Assists in the preparation of official correspondence, speeches, remarks, statements, and other communications on behalf of the Chief of Staff, as required.
• Represents the Chief of Staff at meetings, working groups, and conferences, as appropriate, and prepares summaries and recommendations for follow-up action.
• Performs other duties as required in support of the Chief of Staff.

Required Skills and Experience

• At least three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in administration, protocol, or logistics support services.
• Experience using computers and office software packages (including online Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Microsoft Office applications, etc.) is required.
• Proven experience in protocol or working with government partners is required.

Core Competencies

• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Working in Teams

Living Conditions

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 is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.

Link to the Entitlement Calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator You may check the full benefits and allowances applicable to the duty station using the UVP calculator. Please see the Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers for more information and details.”