Project Management Support - Senior Assistant

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

The UNOPS South East Europe Multi-Country Office (SEEMCO) supports sustainable development in Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based in Belgrade with strong field teams, SEEMCO delivers project management, procurement, infrastructure, HR, and technical assistance to governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Partnering with national institutions, local authorities, civil society, and media, it contributes to sectors such as infrastructure, socio-economic development, social cohesion, rule of law, environment, healthcare, education, digitalisation, energy transition, and governance. Since 2000, SEEMCO has advanced the EU integration agenda, national priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides emergency response, recovery support, and capacity building for institutions. Funders include the EU, European Investment Bank, governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as UN agencies such as UNHCR and UNEP.

The EU Support to Integrated Territorial Development – EU INTEGRA strengthens governance and fosters balanced socio-economic development in Serbia through an integrated territorial development approach. Funded by the European Union (EU) through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) 2024, the Programme is implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of European Integration (MEI), with two implementing partners: the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

EU INTEGRA builds on the achievements of the EU PRO Plus Programme (2021–2025), which introduced the Integrated Sustainable Territorial Development (ISTD) model to Serbia, developed 12 territorial strategies, funded 18 integrated projects, and strengthened alignment with EU Cohesion Policy and Chapter 22 of the EU acquis.

Targeting 144 local self-governments (LSGs) and regional development agencies (RDAs) across Šumadija and Western Serbia, Southern and Eastern Serbia, and Vojvodina, the Programme promotes the development and implementation of integrated projects through capacity building, technical assistance, and support for the use of EU territorial instruments such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI).

Through its two complementary components, EU INTEGRA aims to modernise public administration, enhance strategic planning, and prepare Serbia’s institutions for efficient use of future EU structural funds. The development of new territorial strategies, in line with EU Cohesion Policy 2021–2027 and Serbia’s Sustainable Urban Development Strategy until 2030, represents a key milestone in this process.

Under the supervision of PMS Senior Officer for Capacity Building, the Project Management Support Senior Assistant for Capacity Building supports the effective and timely implementation of the project activities in line with the approved work plans and organizational standards. 

The Project Management Support Senior Assistant provides administrative support to ensure effective delivery of projects. The role supports project planning, monitoring, reporting, logistics, communications and documentation.

Project Support

• Provide administrative and coordination support for project planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting in compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Assist in tracking project progress, deliverables, contracts, travel, workshops, and grants, ensuring timely follow-up and accurate documentation.
• Support the preparation of reports, briefing materials, and internal meeting notes for management and stakeholders.
• Maintain tracking tools and ensure that project and operational data are up to date and properly archived.
• Participate in regular team meetings to report on progress, upcoming priorities, and coordination needs.

Travel, Logistics and Workshop Support

• Coordinate and organize logistics for meetings, workshops, conferences and steering committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.
• Process travel authorizations, expense claims, and reimbursements for personnel and partners in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.
• Prepare and distribute workshop and mission materials, ensuring all logistical and administrative arrangements are completed in advance. 
• Liaise with vendors, venues and participants to ensure smooth execution of events and timely resolution of logistical issues/committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.

Procurement and Administrative Support

• Support procurement processes, including preparation of requisitions, purchase orders (POs) and payment requests in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Verify supporting documentation, invoices and contractual deliverables for accuracy and compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations.
• Assist in the review of tenders, evaluation processes and contract administration, including amendments and extensions.
• Maintain accurate and organized documentation of all procurement, financial and administrative activities for audit and reference. 
• Support operational and financial monitoring by updating procurement and payment tracking systems.

Administrative and Logistical Support to Senior Management

• Provide administrative and logistical support to senior management, including scheduling, mission planning and preparation of travel documentation.
• Support coordination of senior-level meetings, donor/partner engagements, and high-level visits, including minute-taking and follow-up on action items.
• Process operational advances, minor procurement requests, and other administrative transactions in line with established protocol.

Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 1 year of relevant experience is required.

Desired

• A globally recognized professional certificate or membership in Project Management is desired.

Required

• Relevant experience is work in project management or related areas.  
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems are required.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.
• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.