Project Management Support - Senior Assistant

The European Union Support to Municipal Development – EU PRO Programme[1] will contribute to a more balanced socio-economic development of Serbia, by enhancing competitiveness and social cohesion of 99 municipalities, in two regions: Šumadija and Western Serbia and South and Eastern Serbia.[2] The European Union (EU) has allocated 25 million Euros for the implementation of the Programme during 36 months starting from January 2018. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) was selected for indirect management, through a Call for Expression of Interest.[3]

There are three results that the Programme will achieve:

• Result 1: Improved technological structure of SMEs and their ability to export

• Result 2: Improved conditions for business operations through more efficient administrative service provision, better land management and specific infrastructure investments

• Result 3: Better social cohesion and attractive living environment through improvement of small scale public infrastructure and social relations.

The direct beneficiaries of the EU PRO are local administration structures, local SMEs, civil society organisations (CSOs) and business support organisations (BSOs). The final beneficiaries are the inhabitants of 99 municipalities.

The EU PRO Programme is based on the National Priorities for International Assistance in the Republic of Serbia 2014-2017, with projections until 2020 (NAD)[4], significant for Serbia’s EU accession process and socio-economic development. Its activities will be undertaken in partnership with the Government of Serbia, while respecting the national strategies, laws and relevant development documents, in order to ensure national ownership and help develop national capacities.

[1] The Programmes is based on Serbia Local Development Action Document within the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) 2016 http://europa.rs/eu-assistance-to-serbia/ipa/ipa-2016/?lang=en

[2] Forty-five municipalities are from the third and the fourth category of development, 44 are from the first and the second. The two regions, Šumadija and Western Serbia and South and Eastern Serbia, are less developed comparing to Belgrade and Vojvodina.

[3] The Call was organised by the Delegation of the European Union (DEU) in cooperation with the then European Integration Office of the Republic of Serbia (SEIO) in July 2016. The criteria included adequate administrative, financial and technical capacity, as well as criteria related to the quality of the Concept Note, including relevance; consistency with the objectives, results and activities of the Action, expected impact; sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

[4] Available at: http://www.evropa.gov.rs/Documents/Home/DACU/12/74/NAD%202014-2017%20with%20projections%20until%202020%20(english).pdf

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager and direct supervision of the Communications Manager, the Project Senior Assistant will assist design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Projects’s communications and visibility activities. He or she will also provide assistance to the Project related to establishment and maintenance of the archive, registers, monitoring and tracking tools as well as in compilation of plans, reports, presentations, and Project documents.  

The Project Senior Assistant works in close collaboration with colleagues in all Project Sectors, as well as in the organisation as a whole.

The Project Senior Assistant will undertake the following activities/responsibilities:

• Assists in compilation of the Project’s reports, plans, logs and other documentation and sharing of Project’s lessons learned and best practices;

• Establishes and continuously maintains Project’s  monitoring tools including but not limited to Project Calendar of Events, Municipal profiles, Various Tracking Tools, Project and Communication Sector database and similar; 

• Coordinates data collection from the Project team members and external partners and continuously updates data needed for monitoring, evaluation and communications in English, Serbian (CIR/LAT) ensuring its availability, correlation with other monitoring tools, and incorporation of relevant innovations.

• Coordinates acquisition of inputs from the Project team needed for Project reports, including monthly, quarterly, annual, and other reports as requested by the Project Manager

• Coordinates data collection from relevant sector team members and ensures development of Results Factsheets for all Project Calls of Proposals and their timely web placement

• Coordinates data collection from sector teams leads and provides monthly maintenance of the Project archive, document databases (share-drive and online) including OneUNOPS platform, ensuring that the content is accurate, relevant and up-to-date; 

• Assist in the maintenance of risk issue, and quality registers, stakeholders contacts’ data base and assist in stakeholders’ analysis; 

• Assists in generating written content for various reporting, administrative and communication material including but not limited to development and preparation of materials, presentations and reports related to organisation of meetings and workshops; administrative correspondence, and  relevant inputs to external reports and briefings 

• Provides translation of short and simple documents from English to Serbian and vice versa

• Assists in the preparation of Procurement and/or Human Resources related inputs Leads continuous maintenance of the Project configuration management, including filing, photo archive and selection of appropriate graphics/images for inclusion with written content;

• Assists in the maintenance of the Project website, by ensuring that online content is kept accurate, relevant and up-to-date;

• Assist in monitoring the correct use of Project brand on web and print content produced by partners;

• Assist in liaising with external retainers – translators, photographers and designers to coordinate work and facilitate timely delivery of assigned tasks;

• Assists in the researches and drafting of social media, website and newsletter content and other Project related correspondence;

• Provides inputs on Project social media statistics to internal and external reports and publications according to set formats;

• Assist in the implementation of the External and Internal Project and Communications Action Plans; 

• Assists in the Project related event management activities;

Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

• Secondary school diploma is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferably in communications, public relations, journalism or a related social science will be considered an asset.

Work Experience

• Five years of experience in communications and/or project support functions is required in combination with a high school diploma.
• A Bachelor degree may substitute for some years of experience.

•  Fluency in Serbian and English is required

ALL CANDIDATES ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT A CV AND COVER LETTER ALONG WITH THEIR APPLICATION

Driving license

• Driving license is an asset

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

In Serbia, UNOPS has been active since 2000, became the Project Centre (RSPC) in 2012, and was reclassified, due a growing portfolio, to Operations Centre (RSOC) at the beginning of 2017. Since 2017, RSOC operations have expanded to North Macedonia, Georgia and Montenegro.

UNOPS has been a reliable partner primarily of the Government of Serbia, and later of the Governments of North Macedonia, Georgia and Montenegro, in providing support for demanding socio-economic reforms and facilitating accession to the European Union.

Currently, the RSPO is implementing 12 projects focussed on sustainable socio-economic development, creation of a more favourable environment for employability, business and infrastructure growth, increased security, improved education, enhanced social inclusion either via enabling durable housing solutions or providing access to health, education and jobs for the most vulnerable population. All projects have good governance and gender equality as transversal themes. UNOPS projects are contextualised within the broader Sustainable Development Goals framework and objectives.