Project Assistant - G5 (DC)

Introduction

The Project Assistant will provide financial and administrative support to the implementation of this centralised technical cooperation project with field operations in the MENA region. The ILO and EC have agreed upon a technical cooperation project that works towards “Mainstreaming Employment into Trade and Investment  (METI) in the Southern Neighbourhood of the EU” –a regional project implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and financed by the European Union (EU). The overall objective of the project is to enable policy makers in the MENA region to incorporate employment issues into trade and investment policies and to design and implement interventions that ultimately optimise the quantity and quality of employment created in the region. It will also facilitate the operationalisation of the third pillar of the EU’s External Investment Plan (i.e., promoting a conducive investment climate) through policy dialogue. The target groups are government officials from ministries responsible for trade and investment, labour, economic affairs, planning and other relevant line ministries; staff in national statistical agencies; representatives from trade unions and employers’ organizations; private sector representatives; technical specialists from national and regional Institutions and development practitioners. The final beneficiaries are workers (especially women and youth) and employers (from SMEs, in particular) in the tradable sectors of the partner countries.

The project will recruit a Project Assistant whose position will be based in Cairo DWT/CO with the ILO’s Decent Team and the Senior Trade and Technical Specialist of the project.

Reporting lines:

Under the overall guidance of the DWT/Cairo Director, the project Assistant will report to and will be directly supervised by the Senior Trade and Technical Specialist located in DWT/CO in close collaboration with the Team Leader, Structural transformation and the METI project team in ILO-HQ in Geneva.

Description of Duties

1. Perform the financial and administrative tasks for the METI project in the region by initiating requests, obtaining necessary clearances, processing transactions in ILO information systems, including preparing all financial transactions in IRIS, following-up on and completing all actions, and ensuring that the supervisor is  informed of its  status.
2. Maintain an overview of the financial situation of the project in the region to ensure that timely administrative support is provided in general and particular areas. Liaising with various departments in ILO-HQ (e.g. BUDGET, PROCUREMENT, etc.) and in Cairo Office to ensure the accuracy of recording and reporting of all financial transactions.
3. Assist in monitoring the development plans and priorities, reports and other relevant information about the project budget and its financial activities in the region. Prepare periodical reports and statistical data on status of project activities, to contribute to the preparation of progress reports to the EU.
4. Assist the project Technical Specialist in the programming and preparation of budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analyzing and monitoring the situation of resources as compared to planned activities and send periodic reports to the ILO-HQ team.
5. Provide administrative support to activities undertaken by the implementing process, including logistical support to the project team in making arrangements for conferences, seminars, workshops and meetings and coordinate travel and lodging of all project-related resource persons.
6. Draft correspondence, emails and reports on administrative matters, or other available information sources in accordance with standard office procedures.
7. Keep records of all information related to project reports, contracts, minutes, notes, communications, etc. within designated folders accessible by the project team.
8. Assist in developing relevant project materials and activities by assisting with standard layouts and production of documents in accordance with the guidelines set out in ILO standards.
9. Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Required qualifications

Education

Completion of secondary school education plus formal training in Accounting and/ or Finance from a recognized commercial school or equivalent.

Experience

At least five years of relevant work experience. Similar experience with the United Nations Common System or an international organization is desirable.

Languages

Excellent command of English and good knowledge of Arabic language. Knowledge of French would be an advantage.

Competencies

•    Ability to organize own work.
•    Must demonstrate responsible behaviour and attention to detail.
•    Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. 
•    Ability to prioritize work assignments, organize own schedule, perform routine work independently, meet deadlines and adapt to changing demands and multitask.
•    Proficient in computer software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe Reader) and ability to use the software packages IRIS and others required by the Office. 
•    Ability to obtain services from other work units inside or outside the office for completion of tasks.
•    Ability to work as a member of a team and manage a heavy workload under time pressure.
•    Thorough knowledge of practices and procedures for preparing administrative documents and maintaining file systems.
•    Ability to determine relevant background and reference materials for others, and to screen for urgency and priority.
•    Ability to respond to requests from officials from government offices, ministries and ILO constituents 
•    Ability to search and retrieve information from databases and compile reports.
•    Customer service experience in order to provide courteous, prompt and efficient responses to clients.
•    Ability to deal with confidential matters with discretion.
•    Ability to work in a multicultural environment and gender-sensitive behaviour and attitudes are also required.