Project Support Associate (National)

The Project Support Associate shall report directly to the Project Manager (PM) with a secondary reporting line to the Programme Support Officer (PSO) and assist in all aspects of project administration and implementation, assist in resolving operational and financial problems by taking appropriate action. S/he shall provide support to the PM / PSO in all aspects of the project cycle, with a focus on Project administration.  

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following substantive tasks; this list is not representative of all the duties required but indicates typical duties and responsibilities:

Project Management Support

Provide support to the Project Coordinator and Project Support Officer in:

• In coordination with the PSO ensure compliance with UNOPS Project Policies and Procedures, Financial Rules & Regulations (FRR) and other requirements for efficient project implementation and progress;
• Assist in the tracking of project funds availability upon their submission of requisitions (i.e. provision of Chart of Accounts/COA to requisition);
• Maintain Operational Advances to the field;
• Assist in supervising the Project Support Assistants in the implementation of oneUNOPS procedures and OA administration in accordance with UNOPS Administrative and Financial guidelines;
• Assist in updating the blue files of the projects;
• Assist with the payment of engineers and builder trainers;
• Track and Assist with the follow up of submissions for payment to finance;
• File and organize the required project documentation;
• Organize and track all correspondence with various departments and external parties;
• Liaise with Finance and Logistics/Procurement Unit on tracking of commitments and disbursements;
• Create vendor profiles for all programme specific vendors;
• Take minutes to meetings conducted internally and externally when requested;
• Timely review of cash position for the accounts to ensure sufficient funds on hand for disbursements. Timely identification and recording of receipts for income application;
• Timely preparation of monthly cash flow forecast for use by Country Office and project;
• Alternate as cashier for cash disbursements made in the project;
• With inputs received from the project team unit, records actual expenditures of operational advances, in collaboration with the field admin assistant;
• Ensure conformity of project disbursement requests with procedures, work plans and availability of resources for expenditure;
• Maintain records of project files and other support documents in hard and soft copies;
• In close coordination with the PSO and Heads of Support Units;
• Travel to field to assist in project delivery as needed or directed by the PM;
• Participate in periodic visits to the project sites/field offices to review adherence of field administrative and technical staff to UNOPS FR&R, HR- and Procurement procedures and recommend corrective action accordingly;

Project Completion

• Assist smooth project completion in accordance with UNOPS FR&R and Project Policies and Procedures with specific focus on Audit requirements in the following areas of Project Funds (i.e. expenditure reports; clearance of ULOs) and Assets Management as directed by the PM and in liaison with respective Support Units where required;
• Assist the PSO in the preparation of project completion reports and ensure compliance with contractual obligations;

Coordination and Liaison

• Proactively coordinate and liaise with UNOPS Support Units (Finance, Procurement, Human Resources) on administrative management issues (related to i.e. payments, purchase orders) related to the projects;
• Proactively coordinate and liaise with the partners on administrative management issues if any;

Capacity Building

• Mentor Project Support Assistants and other junior colleagues on oneUNOPS procedures and OA administration in accordance with UNOPS Administrative and Financial guidelines

Education:

• Completion of high school diploma is required;
• Bachelor’s degree / master’s degree or equivalent in business administration, finance, social science, administration, logistics or relevant discipline is an asset and may be considered in lieu of the requirement of the high school diploma and relevant experience;

Work Experience:

• 6 years of experience in project support functions is required in combination with a high school diploma is required;
• 2 years' experience (each) in administration and client service is required;
• 1 year of experience (each) in financial reporting and coordination is required;
• Experience and knowledge of budget and monitoring of expenditure is highly desirable;
• Ability to use MS Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) is required;

Language:

• Proficiency in English and Nepali is required

• Prince 2 Foundation or other formal certification in Project Management is highly desired.

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 mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it. A flexible structure and global reach means we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.