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Fund and Operations Associate

Geneva

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Geneva
  • Grade: Administrative support - GS-7, General Service - No need for Higher Education - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Administrative support
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

Central Africa is home to the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. Forest loss is accelerating despite ongoing efforts, as government action alone has not been sufficient to establish an effective balance between the interests of the forest and economic development.

On this basis, a coalition of willing donors – Norway, European Union, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, and South Korea – together with Central African partner countries – Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Gabon – have entered in 2015 into a collaborative partnership to establish in partnership with the United Nations, the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI). The objective of this initiative is to recognize and preserve the value of the forests in the region to mitigate climate change, reduce poverty, and contribute to sustainable development. This objective will be attained through the implementation of country-led, national scale REDD+ and Low Emissions Development (LED) investment frameworks that include policy reforms and measures to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable development.

The CAFI Trust Fund is the principal means to implement the Central African Forest Initiative. It is administered by the MPTF-Office (http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/fund/AFI00). As per the updated Fund Terms of Reference and the direct cost Secretariat project document, the UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTFO) is hosting the CAFI Secretariat providing the secretariat administrative services under the oversight of the CAFI Executive Board and other participating UN organizations (UNDP, UNCDF, FAO, UN-Habitat, UNFPA, and UNEP).

On November 2, 2021, a 2nd Letter of Intent was signed between CAFI and the Government of DRC. CAFI.  The programming of a new portfolio for the second phase of the partnership started. Meanwhile nearly 200 million US$ of investments are already implemented under the first Letter of Intent since 2016. In this context, CAFI is supporting the DRC government by providing advice to the planning and monitoring of CAFI investments and international technical assistance to strengthen national capacities. 

The management of the CAFI Trust Fund is carried out at three levels:

  • The Executive Board (EB), supported by the Secretariat, is responsible for overall coordination with CAFI Partner Countries and decisions regarding the allocation of resources from the CAFI Fund;
  • UNDP MPTFO is responsible for administering the CAFI Fund; and
  • UN agencies, the World Bank, bilateral cooperation agencies and international non-governmental organizations serve as Implementing Organizations to assist CAFI Partner Countries to implement NIFs that have been endorsed by the CAFI Board.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Management Specialist, the Fund and Operations Associate is responsible for providing support to Fund Secretariat operations performing a variety of programme and operational processes while ensuring high quality and accuracy of work.

Delivery of client-oriented operations support:

  • Delivers solutions-focused, client-oriented operations services;
  • Supports scheduling of Executive Board and working group meetings and briefings of UN agencies, UN Country Teams, Member State  delegations, private sector, foundation and family office partners;
  • Maintains the professionalism by implementing all activities in an orderly and time sensitive manner and meeting the needs of clients.

Provides fund operations support:

  • Assist in the managing of donor commitments and tracking of receipt of donor contributions and track donor earmarks;
  • Assist in monitoring and tracking project approvals, budget records, disbursements (including the monitoring of annual disbursements conditions to projects) and statements of expenditure submitted by the Participating Organizations on an on-going basis;
  • Support Management Specialist in implementing, monitoring and project closure and projects extensions;
  • Contribute to fund portfolio analysis, including financial analysis, by collecting data, analyzing the information and developing short briefs and presentations, including data visualization, as relevant;
  • Ensures quality of data obtained from external databases and prepares related for Management Specialist’s review;
  • Produces consolidated programme data analysis of the CAFI portfolio;
  • Provides coordination and administrative support to the meetings of the Governing Body and Executive Board, as needed, including ensuring good archiving of all related decisions and key communications;
  • Maintain and advise staff in the correct use of budget chart-fields, monitor chart-fields provided to country offices;
  • Provide overall support to the functions of the Management Specialist of the CAFI Secretariat, as needed.

Provides program/project management support to the CAFI Secretariat project by supporting the Management Specialist with the following tasks:

  • project management in ERP System;
  • generate and interpret reports and information on routine implementation of projects and program/project status;
  • expenditure management, donor reporting;
  • Review, verify and reconcile financial data and reports to ensure accuracy and conformity with UNDP financial and administrative rules and regulations; 
  • Identify and escalate project related issues, proposing and contributing to the development of solutions.

Provision of Administrative and Operational support services:

  • Monitors and backstops all travel-related payments for the Unit, as required;
  • Backstops travel process including travel authorization and travel claims in line with travel entitlements for staff, consultants, UN and visitors, ensuring that the travel arrangement follow the UN rules of most direct route and most competitive prices;
  • Backstops requests for visas and applications and renewal of UNLPs for UN staff;
  • Backstops administrative and logistical support including provide accurate and timely information management services;
  • Backstops local on-boarding schedule; ensures staff are provided with all office tools to facilitate rapid start-up of their work. Facilitates on-boarding including scheduling. Supports staff with completion of mandatory courses along with PMD and training deadlines; as required
  • Backstops in monitoring of timely completion by staff and liaises with MPTFO on necessary deadlines, reporting requirements as part of regular annual reporting schedules and related;
  • Provides other administrative services and serves as the team’s focal for all interactions with the Geneva Office on the local operational support in consultation with the Management Specialist as required.

Knowledge building/capacity support:

  • Supports Management Specialist with developing knowledge networks and communities of practice;
  • Liaises with MPTFO on broader learning and knowledge management areas in relation to CAFI team.

 

Competencies

Core:

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross Functional and Technical competencies:

Business Management:

  • Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns;
  • Operations Management:  Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Administration and Operations:

  • Travel policy and procedures: Knowledge of travel policy and procedures; ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative circulars and financial regulations and rules on travel-related matters;
  • UN travel documents: Knowledge of regulatory frameworks and processes related to UN travel documents; ability to facilitate the insurance of UN travel documents for UNDP and UN agencies; processing of visas and ensure oversight and endorsement;
  • Documents and records management: Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving;
  • Events management:  Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

Procurement:

  • Procurement Management: The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.

Business Development:

  • Knowledge Generation:  Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Completion of Secondary Education preferably with specialized certification in Business or Public Administration, Finance or related area; or
  • University Degree in Business, Public Administration, Economics or other relevant field will be given due consideration.

Experience, Knowledge and Skills:

  • Minimum 7 years (with Secondary) or 4 years (with University Degree) of progressively responsible experience working in an operations function, is required at the national or international level;
  • Demonstrated ability to cover different areas of operations, namely administration, travel, procurement, human resources and an understanding of the impact of operations on finances;
  • Demonstrated performance in delivering solution-oriented client service that meets the needs of the clients;
  • Experience in the use of computers applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) as well as web-based management systems;
  • Successfully passed the Global General Service Test (GGST) of the United Nations, waived if completed a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English and French both written and spoken is required.

 

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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