Project Associate

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Description

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Under the supervision and guidance of the supervisor, the Project Associate is responsible for executing a broad variety of procedural and specialized administrative tasks for the construction of the joint UNICEF/WFP project in Mbuya requiring in-depth knowledge of UNICEF administrative procedures, processes and policies. This involves coordinating meetings between stakeholders and report conclusions to the Project Manager and act as the “go to” person between the constructors and the agency. The Project Associate will provide support to promote the smooth operation of the process, reducing the ever-present risk of misunderstanding and delay. The Project Associate will be a key member of a technical team of three – the Project Manager, the Project Architect and a Project Associate. This team will work under the guidance of the Project Management Team Committee consisting of senior staff members from both UNICEF & WFP.

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

Project & Contract Management:

• Coordinate the engagement with the design company, contractor and other project stakeholders.
• Ensures the availability of timely, complete and accurate information and data for preparing project work plans and management plans.
• Undertakes basic research and performs comparative analysis of project related data and construction companies.
• Supports project implementation monitoring against established milestones and makes recommendations to improve performance. Helps ensure timely compliance with agreed deadlines.
• Acts as focal point in the review of the completeness of data reports with key monitoring and evaluation information.
• Follows up variation approvals and contracts amendments, if needed, and gets required signatures.
• Invoice Processing & Budget Monitoring:
• Collects invoices and filing documents for approval and thereafter processing in VISION. Uploads electronic files and verifies results to destination system.
• Carries out transactions pertaining to grants for the project such as registering grant allotments and tracking expiring grants.
• Responds to transaction status and other inquiries.
• Monitors budgets and financial expenditures of project, keeping supervisor informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Prepares and maintains records, documents and control plans for the budget monitoring of project implementation.

Administration & Office Planning:

• Maintains office calendar and arranges meetings with project stakeholders.
• Takes minutes of meetings, ensuring accuracy, attention to detail and coherence. Disseminates with attendants and archive in project file.
• Supports management of administrative supplies, office equipment, and updating inventory of items used by the project management team.
• Maintains and updates a system which monitors the attendance and absence of project staff.

Communications:

• Facilitates communication different project stakeholders to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of operations and outputs.
• Manages incoming and outgoing correspondence, e-mails and telephone calls.
• Communicates routine and some non-routine information pertaining to the work of the project management team.
• Establishes and maintains the office filing and reference systems, both traditional and digital; and ensures the inter/intra-net websites are up to date and accurate.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

• Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university course in Business, Management, Communication, Law or a related area.  A qualification in Architecture, Engineering or a related field is an added advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of 6 years of relevant administrative or financial experience is required. Experience in support of Architecture, Engineering or a related projects is an added advantage.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/560222

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