Project Management Support - Senior Assistant

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Tunis, the North Africa Multi-Country Office (NAMCO) oversees operations in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco, delivering project management, financial services, infrastructure, procurement, and human resources support. With active project offices in Morocco and Libya, NAMCO works in close partnership with governments, NGOs, and international financial institutions to advance socio-economic development across the region. NAMCO’s portfolio spans health, justice, climate action, and environmental preservation, while promoting youth and women's empowerment through improved access to education and employment opportunities. Key initiatives include: supplying digital learning materials for Tunisian schools (World Bank), supporting Tunisia’s national development plan (AICS), enhancing maritime border management (EU), delivering high-tech health equipment to 75 hospitals (World Bank), supporting resilient agriculture in Libya (IFAD), and advancing vocational training in Morocco (KOICA). NAMCO’s work contributes directly to inclusive growth and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Program Assistant will work within the UN-Habitat Morocco Country Programmeunder the supervision of the Head of the Morocco Program.

The Program Assistant/Associate is called upon to carry out the following key tasks: Support the overall project cycle (planning, proposal development, reporting) of ongoing projects. 

Support project planning duties, including budget, work planning, day-to-day operation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation to ensure the effective execution of projects.

1. Project Support

• Support the overall project cycle (planning, proposal development, reporting) of ongoing projects.

• Support project planning duties, including budgeting, work planning, day-to-day operations, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective execution of projects.

• Participate in the development of work plans, including timeframes, activity cost estimates, project proposals, budgets, and tracking of expenditure and rate of expenditure.

• Support the planning, monitoring (M&E) analysis, and reporting of programme activities for quality results and strategic decision-making.

• Prepare related elements and documents for briefings, proposals, reports, communications, and advocacy materials.

• Support reporting processes to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring accurate monitoring, documentation, and visibility of activities and results.

• Contribute to the development of Terms of Reference (ToRs) for project implementation, ensuring clarity of scope, deliverables, and timelines.

• Provide technical support throughout internal project review processes, ensuring compliance with procedures and quality standards.

• Organize various project meetings, including preparation and participation in implementation missions, coordination of activities, and follow-up on agreed action points with stakeholders.

2. Coordination, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Support the facilitation of resource mobilization efforts and identify strategic collaboration opportunities with key partners.

• Support the promotion of integrated approaches and cross-programme collaboration within the results-based management cycle aligned with the country cooperation strategy.

• Serve as Gender, Youth, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) focal point, ensuring alignment with cross-cutting priorities and reporting requirements.

3. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing

• Support the coordination and organization of capacity-building activities, including training sessions, field missions, and exchange visits with partners and stakeholders.

• Support technical training and mentoring of interns, facilitating knowledge transfer and team capacity development. 

4. Communications and Visibility

• Contribute to the office’s overall communication and visibility efforts, supporting dissemination of project achievements and activities.

Required

• Secondary school (or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Urban planning with 1 year of relevant experience is required.

  
  

Required

• At least 5 years of professional work experience, at the national and/or international level, in Urban development, or other relevant programmes; experience working in the UN or other international development organization is an asset.

• Required technical knowledge in the field of urban planning and related fields;

• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.

Desired

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is an asset.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.