Project Assistant

UN-Habitat programme activities in South Sudan are efficiently coordinated and implemented through effective project planning, operational support, financial monitoring, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and partnership coordination, ensuring the timely achievement of programme outputs and compliance with UN-Habitat and donor requirements.

Juba

6 Months

Background The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations agency mandated by the General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. In October 2016, at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), Member States adopted the New Urban Agenda, an action-oriented framework that sets global standards for sustainable urban development and guides how cities are planned, managed, and lived in. Through partnerships with governments and other stakeholders, UN-Habitat advances sustainable urbanization, inclusive governance, climate resilience, and access to adequate housing, land, and basic services. UN-Habitat is implementing the EU Operational Support to the IGAD Platform, a regional programme covering Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and the IGAD region. The programme seeks to strengthen institutional and community capacities to respond to forced displacement and return movements while promoting climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable development solutions. The programme focuses on strengthening governance systems, supporting housing, land and property rights, empowering communities, and improving access to climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable services. South Sudan continues to face complex humanitarian and development challenges driven by displacement, climate shocks, rapid urbanization, and institutional capacity constraints. To support the effective implementation of the South Sudan component of the programme, UN-Habitat seeks to engage a Project Assistant to provide administrative, operational and programme support, including coordination of project schedules, meetings, missions, financial and procurement processes, documentation, reporting, and stakeholder engagement activities. The assignment will contribute to UN-Habitat's mandate of promoting sustainable urban development and durable solutions for displacement-affected communities through effective project planning, monitoring, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and partnership coordination, ensuring timely delivery of project results in accordance with UN-Habitat and donor requirements. This position is based in Juba, South Sudan, within the Regional Office for Africa under the East and Horn Sub-Regional Programme. Under the direct supervision of the International Project Coordinator based in Nairobi, the National Project Manager (Individual Contractor) based in Juba, the project Assistant will be responsible for the following: Strategic Coordination • Support the implementation of the South Sudan component of the European Union (EU) Operational Support to the IGAD Platform, ensuring alignment and coordination with the regional, Sudan, and Ethiopia components to achieve timely delivery of overall programme objectives. • Report regularly to UN-Habitat Headquarters and the International Project Coordinator and National Project Manager, on project progress, key activities, and emerging opportunities to enhance the achievement of project outcomes and outputs. • Liaise and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including representatives of the European Union Delegation, IGAD, UNHCR, IOM, government counterparts, and other partners, to strengthen coordination, donor engagement, and collaboration in support of project goals. Project Planning and Financial Management • Develop and maintain project workplans, activity trackers, implementation schedules, and monitoring tools to ensure timely delivery of project activities and outputs. • Maintain organized project records, databases, contact lists, filing systems, and information management tools to support efficient project implementation and reporting. • Support the preparation and processing of travel, procurement, payment, and other operational requests at the local level in compliance with UN-Habitat policies, procedures, and administrative requirements. • Assist with budget tracking, expenditure monitoring, and financial reporting, ensuring accurate record-keeping and maintenance of supporting documentation. • Support the organization of meetings, workshops, consultations, trainings, and field missions, including logistics, participant coordination, and preparation of agendas and supporting documentation. Portfolio Development • Support the growth of UN-Habitat’s portfolio in South Sudan by identifying funding opportunities, donor mapping and research, monitoring calls for proposals, and contributing to resource mobilization efforts in line with organizational priorities and country programme objectives. • Draft high-quality concept notes, project proposals, and programme documents, incorporating technical evidence, stakeholder inputs, and contextual analysis to strengthen programme design and enhance fundraising opportunities. • Engage with international humanitarian and development partners, including the World Bank, IGAD, IOM, the European Union, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders, to strengthen coordination, partnerships, and resource mobilization efforts. • Promote and advocate for UN-Habitat’s mandate, programmes, and achievements through meetings, workshops, conferences, and coordination platforms, enhancing the organization’s visibility, partnerships, and strategic engagement. Project Reporting and Visibility • Prepare and coordinate logistics for meetings, workshops, consultations, training sessions, field missions, and other project activities, including the preparation of agendas, workplans, talking points, participant lists, meeting minutes, mission reports, workshop summaries, attendance records, follow-up action trackers, and related documentation. • Contribute to the preparation of donor reports, funding proposals, progress updates, and other project reporting requirements, ensuring timely, accurate, and high-quality submissions. • Monitor project deliverables, reporting deadlines, and implementation progress, following up on agreed actions with team members and partners to ensure timely execution of activities and outputs. • Compile and document lessons learned, success stories, project achievements, and visibility materials to support donor reporting, knowledge management, organizational learning, and programme visibility. • Support communication, outreach, and stakeholder engagement activities through the development of communication materials, presentations, briefing packages, and dissemination products.

Completion of secondary school education is required. Additional training, certification or qualification in Project Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Development Studies, International Relations, Social Sciences, Urban Planning, Economics or a related field is desirable Minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience in programme management, project coordination, partnership development, humanitarian or development programming is required. Experience supporting the preparation of proposals, donor reports, communication materials, or resource mobilization activities is desirable. Experience working with UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs, development partners, or government institutions is desirable.

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local South Sudanese languages is an asset.

Not available.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.