Project Associate

Taking into account major regional challenges recognised by the European Commission’s (EC) strategy for 'A Credible Enlargement Perspective for and Enhanced European Union (EU) Engagement with the Western Balkans' (Strategy) , such as reform of public administration, better implementation of fundamental rights, social inclusion and regional cooperation, the Government of Norway has decided to fund a sub-regional programme “Norway for You” covering Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, to be implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). However, due to the political and operational specificities of each country, it has been decided to implement separate projects in Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro.

The Project in Serbia is designed to be flexible and respond to local needs as they are identified. Focus will be increasing employment opportunities for vulnerable population and providing support to social cohesion and inclusion in the less developed areas, and will work on local infrastructure enhancement, all contributing to a more balanced socio-economic development of primarily under-developed areas of Serbia.

The Government of Norway has allocated funding for the implementation of the Project in Serbia during 24 months.

There are four results that the Project will achieve:

• Result 1: Improved Access to Employment of the Most Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups (in Particular Women and Youth in Rural Areas)
• Result 2: Enhanced Social Inclusion
• Result 3: Improved Living Conditions and Local Infrastructure
• Result 4: Information Security of the Government of Serbia Strengthened

The key stakeholders and the direct beneficiaries of the Project are the local self-governments (LSGs) and their institutions and organisations, regional development agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), business support organisations (BSOs), as well as individual beneficiaries, especially women and youth. The final beneficiaries are the inhabitants of the underdeveloped areas where the Project will be implemented.

The Project Associate works closely with and under supervision and guidance of the Project Manager to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the Project through a range of actions contributing to planning, management and monitoring of Project activities. The Project Associate provides services to donors, partners, suppliers and beneficiaries, and is expected to contribute strongly to the Projects’ performance and delivery goals.

In performing her/his work, the Project Associate promotes a client, quality and results-oriented approach, and works closely with the Operations, Programme and Projects’ personnel to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

The Project Associate will undertake the following activities/responsibilities:

• Ensure effective implementation of Project activities in the area of responsibility and maintain professional relationship with the local self-governments (LSGs), national and local civil society organisations (CSOs), business support organisations (BSOs) and development programmes/projects within the Project area of responsibility
• Contribute to the development of the Calls for Proposals (CFPs)
• Organise trainings, information sessions, and other events related to promotion of the CFPs and capacity building of potential beneficiaries to adequately respond to the Calls
• Participate in evaluation of project proposals, as per request from the Project Manager
• Assess and ensure alignment of implemented activities with approved project proposals in terms of technical scope, engagement of resources, budget expenditure and agreed timeframe
• Provide inputs to the Project’s work, financial, recruitment and procurement plans as required
• With guidelines from the operations team and the Project Manager, contribute to development of documentation needed for procurements and engagement of consultants
• Prepare minutes from project meetings
• Contribute to development of Project’s reports and analysis related to project activities
• Contribute to establishment and maintenance of archive related to Project’s activities
• With the guidance of the line manager, coordinate work of retainers and service providers needed for implementation of activities
• Contribute to identification and assessment of risks and implement mitigation measures in accordance with the Risk Management Strategy
• Draft reports as envisaged by the Project Document, while in particular considering progress against the indicators in the Logical Framework Matrix
• Contribute to identification and sharing of the Project’s lessons learned and best practices
• Contribute to efficient and effective use of Project and UNOPS tools for monitoring of the Programme’s performance, outputs and benefits
• Provide support to the Programme’s communication and visibility 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 Economy, Business Administration, Project Management, Social or Political Science or related filed will be considered as an asset

Work Experience

• Minimum six years of experience in project implementation activities is required. Bachelor’s degree may substitute for some years of experience.
• Direct experience in working with LSGs, CSOs and BSOs is an asset
• Understanding of and experience in supporting establishment of Computer Emergency Readiness Teams (CERTs) and Information Security Governance Framework is an asset
• Understanding of and experience in Security Incident Management (SIM3) is an asset

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Serbian and English is required

• Driving license and ability to travel independently is required

• 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.
• 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.