Programme Assistant

Background information – Cities Alliance

Cities Alliance is a global partnership for the promotion of cities in poverty reduction and sustainable development. Headquartered in Brussels and supported by a Secretariat, it is a unique partnership with a diverse membership including – global organisations of local authorities, national governments, international non-governmental organisations, foundations, knowledge networks and multilateral organisations – which have come together to strengthen both impacts and coherence in urban development. Cities Alliance is a global leader, with a strong track record in grant making, that supports strategic city planning, slum upgrading strategies and national policies designed to make cities more inclusive and sustainable. Members promote longer-term and integrated work programmes, while actively promoting gender equality throughout all activities.

The Cities Alliance Secretariat is legally and administratively hosted by UNOPS.

Background information – UNOPS and ECR

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our 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. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ 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 that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. The Cities Alliance reports to UNOPS through the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) which is based in Geneva.

Background information – job specific

The Cities Alliance Secretariat is seeking a highly motivated, dynamic and multi-skilled Programme Assistant to join its team in Brussels at a time when it is launching a new 4-year Strategic Plan (2018-2021). The Programme Assistant will provide a range of support services to meet Cities Alliance programme and business needs. The Programme Assistant will be an integral part of the broader support team, working directly with urban development specialists, and reporting to the Head of the Programme Unit. The Programme Assistant will collaborate closely with the Senior Portfolio Specialist and the Head of Finance and Operations.

1.     Grant processing and procurement (25%)

• Collaborate closely with staff responsible for the supervision of Cities Alliance’s portfolio of grants and procurements which are critical to the delivery of Cities Alliance operations through the global and country windows.
• Provide support to Task Managers with the preparation of documents and fulfilment of key steps and processes required throughout the life-cycle of a grant according to Cities Alliance Standard Operating Procedures and Grants Manual.
• Provide first level assistance to Task Managers with the drafting of terms of reference/specifications using UNOPS standard templates, for the procurement of goods and services. Assist Task Managers with the preparation and monitoring of payments to suppliers. Liaise with the Portfolio Management team in Geneva as required.

2.     Budgeting and financial management (30%)

• Assist Task Managers in the preparation of budgets and cost estimates as input to the annual/multi-year workplan and to new business development opportunities. Based on information provided by Task Managers, prepare clear and well prepared financial information in Excel.
• Assist Task Managers in the monitoring of their budgets against the annual/multi-year work plan and against budgets agreed with donors for specific global and country/city programme operations. Extract information and monitor accounting records in oneUNOPS to ensure accuracy.
• Research and extract relevant financial and other information from oneUNOPS to support the Task Manager in work planning and implementation.
• Liaise with the Portfolio Management team in Geneva as required.

3.     Events, travel and logistics (30%)

• Work with, and support, teams responsible for the organisation of Cities Alliance events in Brussels and in other countries across the four regions Africa, MENA, LAC and Asia. Contribute to the planning of these international events and for specific events take responsibility for the logistics to ensure the event is delivered to high standards and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Work closely with Task Managers by providing support with the organisation of complex and/or multi-destination missions that require significant preparation, especially in countries and secondary cities where local contexts and conditions are challenging.
• Provide occasional back-up support to the other Assistants in Cities Alliance for the preparation of missions and travel authorisations following standard procedures. Assist with the planning and analysis of trends and expenditure related to travel. 

4.     Administration and general support (15%)

• Assist in the preliminary processes required to recruit interns, individual contractors/pools of retainers, and fixed term staff as foreseen in the Cities Alliance Secretariat’s annual HR plan. Liaise with the Portfolio Management team in Geneva as required.
• Contribute to efforts undertaken by the Cities Alliance Secretariat to mainstream gender equality.
• Process a range of workflow transactions as required in the oneUNOPS ERP system ensuring speed, accuracy, quality and consistency.
• Support Task Managers with the retrieval of key information from databases and other sources. Ensure relevant documents and records for Cities Alliance are filed systematically and consistently according to agreed internal standards to facilitate teamwork.
• Prioritise and organise work to ensure services required are delivered to high standards of effectiveness and efficiency. Provide practical, solution-oriented follow-up and support to meet the needs of Task Managers, ensuring compliance with UNOPS policies and procedures. Contribute to effective teamwork, propose and implement ideas that will improve the efficiency of Cities Alliance daily operations.
• Keep up to date with all new developments of UNOPS policies, rules and tools regarding budgeting, financial management and accounting, HR, procurement and travel. Consult as necessary with the Portfolio Management Team in Geneva.

High school diploma is required. Additional training in administration and business practices an asset.

University degree in business administration or relevant field with relevant experience in the areas of operations, procurement, finance, grants, travel and general administration will substitute for some years of required experience.

• 5 years post high school experience required .  Previous experience in providing support services is an asset in some, or all, of the following: procurement, grants, travel, budgeting, financial monitoring and reporting, recruitment.
• Good knowledge and experience with UN/UNOPS policies, procedures, systems and processes is an asset.
• Proven capacity to handle a high volume and diverse range of tasks within strict deadlines and to high quality standards, and strong commitment to teamwork and results.
• Strong numeric skills, general ease in handling large volumes of information in an ERP, or extracted from a database, and ability to present information clearly and succinctly for analytical purposes.
• Proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Powerpoint). Advanced skills in Excel is required. Experience with the ERP system oneUNOPS is an asset. 

Excellent spoken and written English required.  Knowledge of French 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.
• 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 supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our 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.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ 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 that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.